Method and apparatus for processing of materials

Abstract

A method and apparatus processing materials including municipal waste at ambient pressure and low temperatures, and processing materials; the apparatus comprising an elongated rotating cylindrical configuration.

1 - 44 . (canceled) 
     
     
         45 . A method of treating municipal solid waste comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a rotating cylinder operating at ambient pressure;   (b) supplying waste to an inlet of the rotating cylinder;   (c) pulping the waste while inside the cylinder, while steam is used to maintain a pulping processing temperature between 160 degrees Fahrenheit to 210 degrees Fahrenheit at ambient pressure for a predefined retention time;   (d) waste exiting from the cylinder and the waste being screened without having been cooked by heating above 210 degrees Fahrenheit; and   (e) wherein steps “a” through “d” are performed on a continuous basis, wherein in step “b” waste is loaded into the rotating cylinder via a shrouded insulated conveyor and heating of the waste begins as steam is introduced into the insulated conveyor and the interior of the rotating cylinder.   
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein in steps “c” and “d” the waste includes film plastics, and during steps “c” and “d” shrinkage of these film plastics is avoided, and after step “d” film plastics are separated from the waste. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the waste after step “d” includes cellulose and hemicellulose and the amount of crystallization of cell structures of the cellulose and hemicellulose is less than 10 percent. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein in step “a” the cylinder has a diameter between about 10 and 16 feet. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the rotating cylinder has a diameter of between about 12 and 16 feet. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the rotating cylinder has inlet and outlet ends, and on the inlet end is a helix and from the helix to the outlet end are a series of longitudinally extending lifting plates, the series of lifting plates running continuously in a longitudinal direction from the helix to the outlet end of the rotating cylinder. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein each lifting plate includes first and second planar sections with the first and second planar sections being at an angle relative to each other of between about 15 to 85 degrees. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the angle relative to each other is between about 30 and 60. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein after step “d” a screw press is used to recover water from the MSW derived, screen separated, pulped biomass waste. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein the recovered water is used in step “b”. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein in step “d” the average percent of water moisture of the pulped waste exiting the rotating cylinder is between about 50 and 85 percent. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein about one half of the moisture in the pulped waste exiting the rotating cylinder is recovered and processed for re-use in the rotating cylinder as make-up water. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein the amount of recovered moisture from the pulped waste at the completion of pulping and exiting the rotating cylinder is between about 50 and 95 percent. 
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the upper range of the processing temperature is about 188 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the upper range of the processing temperature is about 190 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the upper range of the processing temperature is about 200 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the upper range of the processing temperature is about 205 degrees Fahrenheit. 
     
     
         62 . A method of treating municipal solid waste comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a rotating cylinder operating at ambient pressure;   (b) supplying waste to an inlet of the rotating cylinder;   (c) pulping the waste while inside the cylinder, while live steam is used to maintain a pulping processing temperature between 160 degrees Fahrenheit to 210 degrees Fahrenheit at ambient pressure for a predefined retention time;   (d) waste exiting from the cylinder and the waste being screened without having been cooked by heating above 210 degrees Fahrenheit; and   (e) wherein steps “a” through “d” are performed on a continuous basis, wherein the amount of crystallization of cell structures of cellulose and hemicellulose in the pulped waste is less than 25 percent.   
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein in step “c” the retention time of the waste after entering the rotating cylinder is between about 20 and 60 minutes. 
     
     
         64 . A method of treating municipal solid waste comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a rotating cylinder operating at ambient pressure;   (b) supplying waste to an inlet of the rotating cylinder;   (c) pulping the waste while inside the cylinder, while steam is used to maintain a pulping processing temperature between 160 degrees Fahrenheit to 210 degrees Fahrenheit at ambient pressure for a predefined retention time;   (d) waste exiting from the cylinder and the waste being screened without having been cooked by heating above 210 degrees Fahrenheit; and   (e) wherein steps “a” through “d” are performed on a continuous basis, wherein in step “d” moisture is recovered from the pulped waste exiting the rotating cylinder for recycling, which is between about 50 and 95 percent, and in step “b” a portion of the original process heat is retained in the recycled water, which portion is between about 50 and 95 percent.