Sewage organic waste compaction and incineration system integrated optionally with a gas turbine power driver exhaust and/or other separate heat source

• US 6,173,508 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1998
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles Strohmeyer Jr
• Original Assignee: Charles Strohmeyer Jr
• Inventors: Strohmeyer, Charles Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAVINI, STEPHEN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/206,717
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 343/49, 345/19, 345/78, 34/75, 34/76, 34/80, 34/86, 34/90, 34/93, 110/203, 110/238, 110/243, 110/254, 159/2.1, 159/2.3, 159/4.02, 159/4.1, 60/390.1, 606/71, 606/76, 606/82, 606/83, 210/67, 210/68, 210/71
• US Class Current: 34/578
• CPC Class Codes: F02C 6/18 using the waste heat of gas-turbine plants outside the plants themselves, e.g. gas-turbine power heat plants using waste heat as source of energy for refrigeration plants F25B27/02; using the waste heat of a gasturbine for steam generation or in a steam cycle see F01K23/10
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 2201/10 Drying by heat
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 2206/202 with an internal combustion engine
• CPC Class Codes: F23G 7/001 for sludges or waste products from water treatment installations F23G5/008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

This Document is a Continuation in Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/093,029 filed on Jun. 8, 1998, said invention comprising an apparatus for evaporating water in a mixture of water and solids derived from the organic output of a waste water treatment plant. A low cost source of gaseous heat (as the exhaust from a gas turbine driver in combination with/or alternatively from a stand alone combustor) is used for evaporating said water and safe conditioning said evaporated water vapor after being combined with a portion of the exhaust from said gaseous heat source. The solids portion of said organic output from said waste water treatment plant is segregated and safe conditioned separately.

This continuation in part filing supplements said basic reference patent filing by defining a specific heat exchange surface configuration for heat exchanger 17 which minimizes radiation heat losses to atmosphere. Also, incineration temperature has been reduced to minimize the cost of heat transfer surface relative to tube materials employed and high temperature volumetric requirements. Illustrative temperature differentials between heat transfer circuits have also been increased.

Claims

1. The invention comprising an apparatus for evaporating water in a mixture of water and solids derived from the output of an organic waste waster treatment plant;

a source of hot intermediate temperature gas;

said intermediate temperature gaseous heat being employed for evaporating said water and preheating said solids;

a high level source of gaseous heat generated by a stand alone combustion apparatus firing a mixture of air and fuel to incinerate vapor and solids outputs;

said apparatus being configured to segregate said preheated solids from said evaporated water vapor and said gaseous heat;

conduit means to convey said segregated preheated solids to a first circuit in a first closed circuit heat exchanger;

conduit means to convey a portion of said high level gaseous heat at high temperature from said source of gaseous heat to a second circuit in said first closed circuit heat exchanger and in counter flow to said segregated solids flow, heat transfer from said second circuit to said first circuit of said first closed circuit heat exchanger raising temperature of said solids to a level which permits said solids to be deposited in approved areas;

conduit means to convey that portion or said gaseous heat, utilized for evaporating said water and preheating said solids after being combined with said evaporated water vapors, to a first circuit of a second closed circuit heat exchanger;

a plenum chamber connected to the outlet from said first circuit of said second closed circuit heat exchanger;

conduit means to convey a remaining portion of said gas flow from said stand alone combustion apparatus at peak temperature, to said plenum chamber wherein said remaining portion of said source of gaseous heat mixes with said outlet gas and vapors from said first circuit of said second closed circuit heat exchanger, raising temperature of said outlet gas and vapors from said first circuit of said second closed circuit heat exchanger to a safe conditioned state;

conduit means connected to an outlet from said plenum chamber to convey said mixture of gaseous heat and evaporated water vapors in said plenum chamber to a second circuit in said second closed circuit heat exchanger and in counter flow to said first circuit of said second closed circuit heat exchanger;

heat transfer from said second circuit of said second closed circuit heat exchanger to said first circuit of said second closed circuit heat exchanger raising temperature of said mixture of gaseous heat and evaporated water vapors in said first circuit of said second closed circuit heat exchanger, and lowering temperature of said mixture of gaseous heat and evaporated water vapors in said second circuit of said second closed circuit heat exchanger;

said mixture of gaseous heat and evaporated water vapors exiting from said second circuit being safely discharged to atmosphere;

said first and said second closed circuit heat exchanger circuits being configured radially so that said plenum chamber is located centrally in said second closed circuit heat exchanger, surrounded by heat transfer zones of relatively declining gas temperatures, said highest temperature heat exchange between said second circuit to said first circuit of said second closed circuit heat exchanger occurring adjacent to said plenum chamber, heat exchange temperatures between said second circuit to said first circuit of said second closed circuit heat exchanger diminishing as the distance of said circuits increases with respect to their location away from said plenum chamber, whereby temperatures at the radial outside perimeter of said second closed circuit heat exchanger are maintained at relatively lower temperature levels compared with said plenum chamber temperature levels.