HIGH-RATE COMPOSTING PROCESS AND EQUIPMENT
First Claim
1. A high-rate thermal-chemical-mechanical method and apparatus for the direct production of high quality activated composts or organic fertilizers from organic types of wastes or materials, comprising the processes of:
- (a) Waste Screening Processes;
These processes use various types of solid waste separation apparatus to separate and recycle inorganic materials and refractory organics from the waste streams. Easily and moderately decomposable organics are screened out for the following processes.(b) Mechanical Pretreatment Processes;
These processes use size reduction apparatus to reduce the sizes of organic wastes to more uniform sizes for further purification. These processes also provide operations for pretreatment (disassociation) of lignocellulosic materials and for mixing of different types of organic wastes, if any.(c) Physical-Chemical Pretreatment Process;
Organic waste materials from the above processes are mixed with appropriate Wetting Agent(s), Debonding Agent(s), and are adjusted to suitable moisture contents and pre-heated for the following process.(d) High-Rate Stabilization Process;
This process is conducted under suitable temperature and pressure conditions, maintaining materials in solid and liquid phases in the reactor, avoiding the formation of gas phases as much as possible, adding suitable oxidants and heavy metal extracting agents, when necessary, to oxidize easily decomposable organics by partial wet oxidation process and to extract heavy metals, when necessary, from the inputting wastes. Through thermal hydrolysis and oxidation reactions, portions of the disassociated cellulosic (fibrous) materials are also transformed to humic substances. After reactions the materials are subjected to dewatering and partial decompression.(e) High-Rate Activation Process;
Reducing, Neutralization, Fluffing and Activation Agents are added to the reactor when necessary under suitable high temperatures and pressures maintained by saturated steam in the reactor. After activation reactions a steam explosion process is conducted to further improve the activation characteristics of the materials.(f) Product Refining Processes;
Based on regulatory requirements and market needs, the above processed materials are subject to moisture, size and nutrient adjustments.
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Abstract
The present invention addresses methods and equipments for a high-rate production and improvement of the quality of composts from organic wastes, by processes including Screening, Mechanical Pretreatment, Physical-Chemical Pretreatment, High-Rate Stabilization Process, High-Rate Activation Process, and Product Refining Processes, and adding seven types of chemical agents including: Wetting Agents, Debonding Agents, Organic Stabilization Agents, Inorganic Stabilization Agents, Fluffing Agents, Activation Agents, and Nutrient Agents in order to enhance six major properties which activated characteristics of composts: (a) moisture absorption and holding capability, (b) nutrients adsorption and holding capability, (c) soil particles holding and conserving capability, (d) soil air ventilation capability, (e) soil water transmission capability, and (f) soil thermal insulation capability, as well as other minor quality improvements such as complete sterilization of pathogens and parasites, detoxification of many hazardous chemical species, and removal of excess heavy metal contents, if any, from the activated composting products.
38 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A high-rate thermal-chemical-mechanical method and apparatus for the direct production of high quality activated composts or organic fertilizers from organic types of wastes or materials, comprising the processes of:
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(a) Waste Screening Processes;
These processes use various types of solid waste separation apparatus to separate and recycle inorganic materials and refractory organics from the waste streams. Easily and moderately decomposable organics are screened out for the following processes.(b) Mechanical Pretreatment Processes;
These processes use size reduction apparatus to reduce the sizes of organic wastes to more uniform sizes for further purification. These processes also provide operations for pretreatment (disassociation) of lignocellulosic materials and for mixing of different types of organic wastes, if any.(c) Physical-Chemical Pretreatment Process;
Organic waste materials from the above processes are mixed with appropriate Wetting Agent(s), Debonding Agent(s), and are adjusted to suitable moisture contents and pre-heated for the following process.(d) High-Rate Stabilization Process;
This process is conducted under suitable temperature and pressure conditions, maintaining materials in solid and liquid phases in the reactor, avoiding the formation of gas phases as much as possible, adding suitable oxidants and heavy metal extracting agents, when necessary, to oxidize easily decomposable organics by partial wet oxidation process and to extract heavy metals, when necessary, from the inputting wastes. Through thermal hydrolysis and oxidation reactions, portions of the disassociated cellulosic (fibrous) materials are also transformed to humic substances. After reactions the materials are subjected to dewatering and partial decompression.(e) High-Rate Activation Process;
Reducing, Neutralization, Fluffing and Activation Agents are added to the reactor when necessary under suitable high temperatures and pressures maintained by saturated steam in the reactor. After activation reactions a steam explosion process is conducted to further improve the activation characteristics of the materials.(f) Product Refining Processes;
Based on regulatory requirements and market needs, the above processed materials are subject to moisture, size and nutrient adjustments. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification