Dewatering Patents (Class 110/221)
  • Patent number: 4489665
    Abstract: A movable incineration system for the disposal of used sorbent pads utilized in the cleanup of oil or hydrocarbon spills in marine environments. The portable incineration system of the present invention comprises an incinerator, a wringer, an auxiliary power skid unit, a generator and an air compressor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 25, 1984
    Assignee: Halliburton Company
    Inventor: William M. Ayers
  • Patent number: 4429643
    Abstract: Sludge is dried in a dryer and burned in a furnace, the dryer being heated by heat from the furnace using a heat exchanger so that contaminants from furnace hot gas do not pass into the dryer. Gas given off from the dryer is in part mixed with fresh air and circulated back to the dryer, and is in part delivered to the furnace for combustion, being first cooled to reduce its moisture content. Gas from the furnace is also treated to remove solids, and is cooled. Water used as coolant is heated by the gases and used for anaerobic digestion of sludge, producing gas for combustion in the furnace. Dry sludge from the dryer is broken up and mixed with wet sludge entering the dryer to obtain desired sludge grain sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1984
    Assignee: 456577 Ontario Limited
    Inventor: John H. Mulholland
  • Patent number: 4426936
    Abstract: A fluidized bed reactor suitable for burning polymeric waste material, particularly thermoplastics, has been developed as well as a method of using it. The reactor comprises a chamber for retaining a fluidized bed of refractory particles and burning the polymer therein. A specially adapted diffuser plate located at the bottom of the reactor controls the flow path of particles in the fluidized bed to enhance mixing and maintain uniform reactor temperatures. Means are additionally provided to introduce polymer particles into the reaction chamber in a controlled manner as well as ignition means to continuously ignite gases in the reactor, promoting the burning reaction. In accordance with the subject method, the bulk of the polymer waste is substantially reduced and useful heat energy is recovered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 1982
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1984
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Hong-Hsiang Kuo
  • Patent number: 4388875
    Abstract: An evaporative concentrator for sewage sludge installed between hopper A and drying furnace C; the one set consisting of heating chamber B.sub.1 and evaporation chamber B.sub.2 having a construction so that the said one set or several sets are provided in series.Sewage sludge in the hopper-type bottom of evaporating chamber B.sub.2 is pressurized and sent into sewage sludge pass-way 42 in heating chamber B.sub.1 by compulsory supply means 48, the sewage sludge is heated in heating chamber B.sub.1, the pressurized and heated sewage sludge is led to the upper space of evaporating chamber B.sub.2, a part of the water content is vaporized by allowing the said sewage sludge to be sprayed into the said upper space in which the pressure is lowered, the steam is taken out of the system through exhaust gas pipe 46 having condenser 47 at the end, the sewage sludge somewhat cooled by evaporative latent heat removed is recovered in the hopper of evaporating chamber B.sub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1981
    Date of Patent: June 21, 1983
    Inventor: Yasuo Hirose
  • Patent number: 4378229
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for treating sewage in which the combustible components of the sewage are separated from the sewage and utilized as a primary fuel. Scum is collected, preferably by skimming, from screened sewage. This scum comprises oils, greases, fats, water and intermixed solid material. The collected scum is then transferred to a separation tank. The scum is maintained within the tank in a quiescent and substantially nonagitated state for at least twelve hours, during which the combustible oils, greases, fats and the like are rendered separable from the other components of the scum. The scum is then conveyed from the tank to a processing unit where the fats, oils, greases and the like are separated from the water and solid material remaining in the scum. The resulting product is a combustible product and can be used as a primary fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 1980
    Date of Patent: March 29, 1983
    Assignee: E.R.I.
    Inventor: Charles Leen
  • Patent number: 4311103
    Abstract: The incineration system consists of a sludge dryer, a cyclone separator unit, an incomplete combustion incinerator, a complete combustion incinerator with a heat exchanger, a heat exchanger and so forth and comprises gas circulation passage involving the units above in order to burn sewage sludge economically without any additional fuel except for starting up thereof, with stable heat balancing in spite of change in fed sludge rate and with reduced NOx in the exhaust gas from the incineration system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1980
    Date of Patent: January 19, 1982
    Inventor: Yasuo Hirose
  • Patent number: 4297322
    Abstract: Equipment and method for treating solid waste in which a non-oxidizing atmosphere is provided through which the shredded solid waste falls freely, unsupported and non-contacted, to prevent fusion of the plastics with each other, with other materials in the solid waste, or with the walls or components in the treating equipment. The unique atmosphere also allows a high treatment temperature to accelerate the debonding of fibrous combustible matter and fusion of the plastics into dense particles for substantially complete separation and recovery of plastics from the lighter fibrous but non-fusible combustible matter through gas classification during the free fall. This same atmosphere also produces a clean, unoxidized, homogeneous, storageable and highly combustible fuel derived from the fibrous combustible matter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1980
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1981
    Inventor: Hsin Liu
  • Patent number: 4291539
    Abstract: The invention resides in an electrical power generation system comprising means for burning solid carbonaceous fuel, such as brown coal, to generate heat energy which is used to convert water to steam, turbine means driven by the said steam for producing electrical energy, and solid carbonaceous fuel drying means, wherein moist fuel is indirectly heated by steam in the drying means in the absence of introduced air or other gases, whereby water vapor substantially free from air or other gases is driven off from the fuel for further use and the dried fuel is passed to the burning means. Preferably, the solid carbonaceous fuel drying means is in the form of a fluidized bed in which the fluidizing medium is water vapor. Further, the fluidized bed may be indirectly heated by saturated steam which transfers heat to the solid carbonaceous fuel and becomes condensed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1978
    Date of Patent: September 29, 1981
    Assignee: Monash University
    Inventor: Owen E. Potter
  • Patent number: 4290269
    Abstract: A process is provided for the efficient conversion of water-containing organic materials such as bark, peat and sludge as fuels into energy, including drying the materials to convert them into fuels and then combusting the fuels in order to recover as much energy as possible at the lowest possible cost; which comprises heating the material in a steam vessel while enveloping the material in steam at superatmospheric pressure, heating the steam by heat exchange with steam at a higher pressure and higher temperature than the steam in the vessel; mechanically dewatering the material; and then drying the material to convert the material into a fuel, converting water driven from the material into steam, and forming excess steam in the dryer, of which steam all or part is recycled and condensed directly on the material in the steam vessel; and then combusting the dry material in finely divided form in a steam boiler, utilizing the high pressure steam that is generated in a turbine, which in turn operates a generator
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1979
    Date of Patent: September 22, 1981
    Assignee: MoDo-Chemetics AB
    Inventors: Bengt O. A. Hedstrom, Claes G. S. Svensson
  • Patent number: 4213407
    Abstract: A process for disposing of sewage sludge resulting from municipal type sewage plants, including the production of dry solid fuel which is used in the flash drying and in the deodorizing system. Supplemental fuels are not required. The system is capable of producing a sludge derived fuel (SDF).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1978
    Date of Patent: July 22, 1980
    Assignee: Hooker Chemicals & Plastics Corporation
    Inventor: Kenneth N. Headley
  • Patent number: 4198914
    Abstract: An installation for the treatment of sediment coming a purification station for industrial waste water. The installation consists of a static furnace incinerator into which sediment is transferred by means of an injector. The injector is made up of an elbow tube connected between the furnace and the sediment, a blast pipe injecting air into the furnace and drawing sediment with it due to the vacuum created by the blasted air flow, and an additional air inlet in the furnace wall, the additional air inlet surrounding the elbow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1978
    Date of Patent: April 22, 1980
    Assignee: Regie Nationale des Usines Renault
    Inventor: Michel Petiot
  • Patent number: 4162656
    Abstract: Disclosed is a portable waste disposal system that is designed primarily for use in marine craft, mobile homes, campers or the like. The system comprises a macerator unit for converting excrement to a liquified effluent, and an incinerator unit for incinerating the effluent. The macerator unit comprises a holding tank which receives the waste material from a toilet.The incineration unit comprises a combustion chamber. A burner is provided which introduces a high temperature flame into the combustion chamber to incinerate the effluent.The fuel for the burner is regulated by a pair of fuel valves, one of which is cycled to maintain the temperature of the exhaust gases from the combustion chamber within predetermined limits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 31, 1979
    Assignee: The Standard Products Company
    Inventors: John A. Dallen, Harry W. Green
  • Patent number: 4147114
    Abstract: The discharge end portion of a sewage delivery tube is surrounded by the input end portion of a conveyor pipe. A long, flat strip of consumable filter material is inserted through the annular space between them and into the conveyor pipe. Prior to this insertion, however, the filter strip is shaped and fastened into the form of a closed tube. The conveyor pipe discharges into an incinerator equipped with means for breaking the sewage sludge into burnable droplets. The conveyor pipe is supported over a liquid-collecting funnel and is perforated in the portion thereof that is over the funnel. A vibrator attached to the conveyor pipe oscillates it longitudinally; and ratchet teeth inside the conveyor pipe are oriented to cooperate with the vibrator to urge the filter-encased sludge toward the incinerator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1977
    Date of Patent: April 3, 1979
    Assignee: Thiokol Corporation
    Inventor: Wayne W. Holmes
  • Patent number: 4135665
    Abstract: An on-site system in which means for treating domestic sewage generated within a building located thereon are totally integrated with means for modifing space temperatures and for heating water for sanitary and other purposes therein to form a matrix of interrelated and interdependent functions acting together to deliver only non-polluting products to the environment and to achieve maximal energy conservation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1977
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1979
    Inventor: Robert H. Nealy
  • Patent number: 4133273
    Abstract: An ecologically clean process is described for the disposal of partially dewatered waste water sludges in combination with hazardous or noxious chemical wastes, with or without added high calorific waste from other sources which comprises, dewatering the sludge to a solids content of at least about 25% by weight, blending the dewatered sludge with any desired amount of added hazardous chemical waste up to 25% by weight or more, and with 0% up to about 35% by weight of a combustible waste from any other source having a calorific content of at least about 5000 BTU/lb. to obtain a mixture which is at least almost autogeneously combustible and then incinerating said mixture at a temperature of at least about 1400.degree. F for sufficient time to substantially completely combust the mixture to substantially odor-free off gases, said incineration being preferably conducted entirely autogeneously or with a minimal amount of auxiliary fossil fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1978
    Date of Patent: January 9, 1979
    Assignee: International Mechanical Contractors, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas J. Glennon
  • Patent number: 4102277
    Abstract: Sewage sludge is dewatered with the aid of lime and then incinerated using high sulfur fuel. During incineration the lime reacts with the sulfur in the fuel and with oxygen to form the solid CaSO.sub.4 for disposal and thus prevent formation of the pollutant, SO.sub.2 gas. High sulfur coal may be crushed and used as an additional filter aid or sludge conditioner and the serve as the auxiliary fuel during incineration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1978
    Assignee: Dorr-Oliver Incorporated
    Inventor: Clarence J. Wall
  • Patent number: 4099336
    Abstract: A process for drying organic waste, such as sewage sludge, by contacting the organic waste with hot vapors wherein the dried material is plasticized and extruded to form compacted granules having good flow characteristics and suitable for application by commercial fertilizer spreaders. A plasticizer and an extrusion aid are added to the dried material prior to extrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 11, 1978
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Vere Maffet
  • Patent number: 4098006
    Abstract: A process for drying organic waste, such as sewage sludge, by contacting the organic waste with hot vapors. Partial dewatering of the organic waste is achieved by admixture with a recycled portion of dried solids followed by extrusion of the mixture. The resultant extrudate is then dried, and the unrecycled portion is extruded in a separate operation to form compacted granules having good flow characteristics and suitable for application by commercial fertilizer spreaders. A plasticizer and an extrusion aid may be added to the dried material prior to extrusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 4, 1978
    Assignee: UOP Inc.
    Inventor: Vere Maffet