Abstract: Stalks of crop material, especially straw, are incinerated by comminuting them to pieces having a length of substantially 8 to 10 cm, pneumatically transporting the stalks to a separator in which the air is separated from the stalks and the stalks are then compacted and advanced in a rising bed into a furnace. Within the furnace, a low temperature distillation is initially effected and combustion is promoted along the free surface of the bed, in part sustained by the gases produced by the distillation. Ash as it is formed on the surface is entrained away with the hot gases. The ash is separated from the hot gases and advantageously collected in a water basin while the hot gases can be used for agricultural drying purposes and the ash for fertilizer.

Abstract: A method of disposing of aqueous waste in which the aqueous waste is mixed with cement raw materials to form a slurry for the preparation of Portland cement or the like, for example in a rotary kiln. Prior to forming the slurry, the aqueous waste is treated to remove volatiles and other pollutants which vaporize when heated to a temperature below the boiling point of water. Such volatile materials are removed by contacting the aqueous waste with the effluent exhaust gases from the kiln itself and with the effluent air from the clinker cooler with suitable controls to avoid loss of the water component of the aqueous waste through boiling. The treated aqueous waste is then embodied in the slurry fed to the kiln and the pollutants in the water which can be combusted by the high temperature in the kiln are destroyed. The gaseous effluent which is cooled by contact with the aqueous waste may be discharged or further treated to recover the volatiles and other components which may be salvaged.

Abstract: A pyrolysis unit in which feed materials containing cellulose or oil are subjected to destructive heating to drive off gases and liquid vapors while leaving solid residue in the form of nearly pure carbon. The feed materials are conveyed in succession through horizontal reaction cylinders located at different elevations. Heat is applied by the burning of solid fuel in a firebox of the unit and also by injecting into each cylinder the process gas driven off in the immediately succeeding cylinder. A feeder which delivers both the fuel and feed materials includes drying zones in which combustion gases are directed through the fuel and feed materials to preheat and dry them and to filter the combustion gases.

Abstract: The invention includes the apparatus and method for cleaning gases such as flue gases. In the apparatus form of the invention a biomass combustion system includes apparatus for holding, at least temporarily, a quantity of biomass fuel, apparatus for directing combustion products from the associated combustion process intermediate a plurality of biomass fuel particles or through a plurality of biomass flue particles, and apparatus for directing flue gas from the apparatus for holding the biomass fuel back to the combustion chamber of the associated biomass combustion system.

Abstract: Bales of combustible trash made to specific specifications are burned in a furnace having two parallel upright sidewalls between which the bales pass during burning. A horizontal grate extends between the sidewalls. The bales, if remotely made from the furnace, are bound by an easily meltable strap. The length of the bale is measurably smaller than the distance between said sidewalls to accurately accommodate springback. A ram, after compacting the waste in segmental fashion, pushes each bale to a position between said sidewalls; with the length of the bale being perpendicular to the sidewalls, so that a bale enters the furnace. Springback following the melting of straps allows the bale to expand to fill the gap between the sidewalls. This facilitates ignition and/or burning of the bales and provides a seal against furnace sidewalls. When the ram feeds a fresh bale, previously charged bales (consumed proportional to time in the furnace) are advanced toward the ash discharge port.

Abstract: In an improved refuse incineration system, wet refuse is heated in a dryer (4) to remove most moisture therefrom while converting such moisture into steam for use in order to save energy consumption in a steam generating plant. The dried refuse is then fed into a boiler (23) for combustion where, because it has been dried, the combustion gas temperature within the boiler is greatly increased and thus the thermal efficiency improved.The preferred form of the system includes additional devices (27, 38) for preheating air used to support combustion of refuse enhancing the extent of combustion of combustible matter in the refuse. The preferred system also including devices (34, 29) for increasing the recovery of residual heat content from the waste stack gas.

Abstract: A screw conveyer is provided with a heat insulating casing (16) and with a plurality of pipe burners (30) arranged between a perforated bottom plate (17) of the casing and a housing (13) which contains the screw conveyer and is used for drying waste products which the conveyer feeds to a furnace (27).

Abstract: A method of producing soil conditioners from waste material, and of utilizing the internal energy thereof, while reducing the volume of the waste material at the same time, is disclosed in which initially compacts of a refuse-sludge mixture are subjected to intense rotting whereby the water content thereof is reduced from an initial value of about 50 to 60 percent to about 30 percent, preferably 20 percent, and whereby the compacts become dried and storable. The dried and storable compacts are ground or screened, or both, with the screened out fine fraction being directly usable as a soil conditioner, and then the ground or screened, or both, compacts are thermally treated by one of low temperature carbonization and combustion.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for burning green wood chips in which the hot combustion gases generated by the burning of the chips in a furnace are passed through chips in a storage silo from which the chips are subsequently fed to the furnace. A column of chips of substantial height is maintained in a top vented silo. Chips are fed from the lower portion of the column to the furnace and usually mixed with other fuel such as particulate coal or coal dust, and the hot combustion gases from this combustion are fed into the silo at a location substantially below the top of the column of chips so that the gases permeate and pass upwardly through the column of chips to dry them. The chips also act as a filter to remove environmental contaminants from the gases.

Abstract: This defines a process and an apparatus to treat wet organic wastes, such as manures, to protect the environment and to recycle the solid content in the form of a soil conditioner or fertilizer. This process and apparatus are made to remove the bad smell and to separate the solid content in a very dry form, adapted to be readily bagged. This process and apparatus are characterized by an efficient conveying and concurrent agitation of the organic wastes in an evaporation furnace and in combination with use of the combustion gases for heat exchange heating of the fluidizing content of the wet organic wastes.

Abstract: Stalks of crop material, especially straw, are incinerated by comminuting them to pieces having a length of substantially 8 to 10 cm, pneumatically transporting the stalks to a separator in which the air is separated from the stalks and the stalks are then compacted and advanced in a bed into a furnace. Within the furnace, a low temperature distillation is initially effected and combustion is promoted along the free surface of the bed, in part sustained by the gases produced by the distillation. Ash as it is formed on the surface is entrained away with the hot gases. The ash is separated from the hot gases and advantageously collected in a water basin while the hot gases can be used for agricultural drying purposes and the ash for fertilizer.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for drying and processing moisture-containing solids comprising organic and/or mineral inorganic components, wherein a maximum utilization of energy is attained by providing for an energetic cross-linkage between the drying and subsequent processing stages. With energetic cross-linkage between a pair of the component units of a system at least some of the energy generated in a first component unit is fed for utilization in a second component unit and at least some of the energy from the second component unit is fed to the first component unit so as to serve as at least a partial energy input for that first component unit.

Abstract: A solid fuel burner utilizing at least two stacked chambers one of which contains a combustion bed for the solid fuel burning process. A second chamber below the first bed containing chamber serves to combust volatile gases unburned in the first chamber with the aid of an oxidizing rejector.

Abstract: A wet coal drying apparatus is provided for use in conjunction with a coal burning furnace for drying wet coal prior to loading the coal into the furnace. The drying apparatus of the present invention comprises a first conveyor means for transporting the coal from a storage area or coal crusher to an elevated position and a wet coal dryer means for transporting the coal from the elevated position to a utility conveyor while drying the coal. The wet coal dryer means includes an enclosed type conveyor whereby the coal is transported through the interior of the enclosed dryer means. In addition, a fluid conduit feeds hot gases, preferably either a diverted portion of the exhaust gases from the furnace or, alternatively, hot air from a heat exchanger, to the lower end of the dryer means so that the hot gases pass upwardly through the interior of the dryer means.

Abstract: A continuous sludge heat treatment apparatus in sewage disposal system having an axially porous member within a vertical vessel and radial apertures in the side wall of vessel below the axially porous member, so as to have almost all part of sludge exposed to, and thus heated directly with, steam supplied through the radial apertures while the sludge fed into the head of vessel falls down in the form of thin strings through the axial pores and hits the tail of vessel.

Abstract: A low polluting solid waste burner utilizes a first combustion chamber in which the solid waste is partially oxidized under a positive pressure with the partially oxided gaseous combustion products passing out into a first conduit where the gas is recycled for dual burning back into the first combustion chamber. A conduit is also provided between the ash compartment and the combustion chamber to completely oxidize ash compartment gases with complete combustion product gases being conducted away to a spray tower or water curtain by the positive pressure in the combustion chamber produced by the combustion air blower. A second combustion chamber may be used to further oxidize the gaseous combustion products.

Abstract: Solid municipal waste refuse is pre-treated by partial burning in a moving grate hot carbonizer furnace and then further burned on a reciprocating step-grate stoker in the same furnace chamber. Limited amounts of air are fed to the waste through the grates to avoid the formation of hot spots in the burning material, thereby preventing the formation of clinkers and restricting the burning of volatile matter in the refuse. Hot low-Btu gas exhausted from the furnace chamber is burned in a boiler.

Abstract: An entirely dry, solid waste disposal system is provided which incinerates waste in a manner to minimize pollution and to utilize the heat energy which is a by-product of the incineration. The waste material is shredded and then dried by mixing it with heated ambient air in an elongated dryer. A helix propels the waste through the dryer and into a combustion chamber together with the hot ambient air which was employed to dry the waste material. The hot gases resulting from incinerating the wastes are directed to a boiler wherein steam is generated. The steam thus produced is used to generate electricity and additionally may be utilized as a source of heat for heating or drying. The hot gases from the combustion chamber and the boiler are fed to the dryer for waste drying purposes. Exhaust gases from the dryer are fed to a scrubber to remove any remaining pollutants prior to being exhausted into the atmosphere.