Waste material processing system

Abstract

An organic waste material processing system includes a waste material holding tank and a slurry-producing device configured to process organic waste material into a slurry. A waste processing section has at least one pressurizeable tank connected to the waste material holding tank receiving slurry therefrom. The pressurizeable tank includes a slurry temperature adjusting part and a first hydrocarbon capturing structure configured to capture hydrocarbon vapors produced by the slurry at a predetermined temperature. A hydrocarbon vapor processing section collects captured hydrocarbon vapors from the waste processing section such that an electric power producing apparatus generates electricity using collected hydrocarbon vapor and provides electric power to at least the pretreatment section and the waste processing section. A waste post-processing section is configured to receive processed slurry produce salable organic materials, nutrient enhanced media and recycled water.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An organic waste material processing system comprising:
 a pretreatment section including a waste material holding tank and a slurry-producing device configured to process organic waste material into a slurry;   a waste processing section having a first waste processing part having at least one pressurizeable tank connected to the pretreatment section receiving slurry therefrom, a slurry temperature adjusting part and a first hydrocarbon capturing structure configured to capture hydrocarbon vapors produced by the slurry within the at least one pressurizeable tank at a predetermined temperature;   a hydrocarbon vapor processing section configured to collect captured hydrocarbon vapors from the waste processing section;   an electric power producing apparatus connected to the hydrocarbon vapor processing section configured to generate electricity using hydrocarbon vapor from the hydrocarbon vapor processing section, the electric power producing apparatus providing electric power to at least the pretreatment section and the waste processing section; and   a waste post-processing section connected to the waste processing section and configured to receive processed slurry therefrom, the waste post-processing section being configured to produce salable organic materials, nutrient enhanced media and recycled water that is fed to the pretreatment section.   
     
     
         2 . The organic waste material processing system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the pretreatment section a second waste material holding tank configured to receive the slurry from the waste material holding tank and heat the slurry to the predetermined temperature.   
     
     
         3 . The organic waste material processing system according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the second waste material holding tank includes a heating device and a heating manifold that at least partially surrounds a portion of the second waste material holding tank, the fluid heating device being configured to circulate heated fluid through the heating manifold.   
     
     
         4 . The organic waste material processing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the waste processing section has a second waste processing part having at least one further pressurizeable tank connected to the first waste processing part receiving slurry therefrom, the second waste processing part including a second hydrocarbon capturing structure configured to further capture hydrocarbon vapors produced by the slurry within the at least the one further tank. 
     
     
         5 . The organic waste material processing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the waste post-processing section is configured to produce salable organic materials, nutrient enhanced media in at least two distinct particle size fractions without the use of coagulants or flocculants. 
     
     
         6 . The organic waste material processing system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the slurry-producing device includes a grinding mechanism.   
     
     
         7 . The organic waste material processing system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one pressurizeable tank of the first waste processing part includes a pH monitoring and pH adjusting part.   
     
     
         8 . The organic waste material processing system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the at least one pressurizeable tank of the first waste processing part includes a clean-out compartment for collecting precipitated debris.   
     
     
         9 . A method of treating organic waste, the method comprising:
 combining organic waste materials such as manure, food waste and crop waste with water;   homogenizing the organic waste material and water producing a slurry reducing particle size of solids to no greater than 25 mm;   heating the slurry to a predetermined temperature between 15° C. and 40° C.;   digesting the slurry and capturing hydrocarbon vapors given off from digested slurry; and   producing electricity from the captured hydrocarbon vapors thereby providing power to devices that effect the homogenizing of the organic waste material and heating of the slurry.   
     
     
         10 . The method of treating organic waste, according to  claim 9 , the method further comprising
 the homogenizing of the organic waste material includes at least one of the following operations performed on the organic waste material:   passing the organic waste material through a grinder;   passing the organic waste material through a shredder; and   passing the organic waste material through a hammer mill.   
     
     
         11 . The method of treating organic waste, according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the heating of the slurry to a predetermined temperature includes heating of the slurry to a temperature between 25° C. and 40° C.;   
     
     
         12 . The method of treating organic waste, according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the digesting of the slurry and capturing hydrocarbon vapors given off from the slurry includes a first anaerobic digestion process and a second anaerobic digestion process.   
     
     
         13 . The method of treating organic waste, according to  claim 12 , wherein
 the first anaerobic digestion process includes feeding the slurry into a pressurizeable tank and adjusting the slurry to the predetermined temperature in order to promote microbially-facilitated hydrolysis and acidogenesis to produce the hydrocarbon vapors.   
     
     
         14 . The method of treating organic waste, according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the second anaerobic digestion process includes moving the slurry from the pressurizeable tank to another pressurizeable tank where the slurry undergoes further biological degradation at the predetermined temperature in order to reduce total solids and odor and mineralize nutrients and metals in the slurry.   
     
     
         15 . The method of treating organic waste, according to  claim 9 , the method further comprising
 a post processing process that includes separating the digested slurry into a dewatered organic material and produce recyclable water.   
     
     
         16 . The method of treating organic waste, according to  claim 15 , wherein
 the recyclable water is used in the step of combining organic waste materials with water.   
     
     
         17 . The method of treating organic waste, according to  claim 15 , wherein
 a post processing process that includes subjecting the digested slurry to a first pH adjustment in which mineral acids such as H 2 SO 4 , HCl, or combinations of mineral and organic acids are added to the digested slurry material in an optionally pressurizeable and/or temperature adjusted tank or a plurality of such tanks until the pH is at or below 6.0.   
     
     
         18 . The method of treating organic waste, according to  claim 17 , wherein
 after the subjecting of the digested slurry to the first pH adjustment, the resulting slurry is further processed by a first solids separation process in which particulate matter inherent in the slurry and larger than about 0.5-1.5 mm is removed via sieves, gravity screens, centrifuges, auger presses, or other dewatering devices to produce a stable, dewatered organic material and a filtrate.   
     
     
         19 . The method of treating organic waste, according to  claim 18 , wherein
 after the first solid separation process, the filtrate is processed in a second solids separation process, optionally facilitated by the addition of a filtration aid, in which particulate matter smaller than about 0.5-1.5 mm is removed using a mechanical or membrane-based dewatering device to produce a salable organic product and a second filtrate.   
     
     
         20 . The method of treating organic waste, according to  claim 19 , wherein
 after the second solids separation process, the second filtrate is subjected to a second pH adjustment process in which the pH is adjusted above pH 7 with a caustic chemical in an optionally pressurizable and/or temperature adjustable tank or plurality of such tanks to increase nutrient content and colloidize the soluble nutrients in solution, and   the second filtrate is then subjected to a third solids separation process in which the colloidal material is removed using a mechanical or membrane-based dewatering device to produce a nutrient enhanced media and a recyclable water, which is then either reintroduced into a waste treatment process, used as a fertilizer, or directed towards a further membrane filtration process in which the salinity is reduced, resulting in recyclable water.   
     
     
         21 . An organic material comprising:
 nitrogen;   phosphorus;   potassium; and   sulfur,   an elemental ratio of nitrogen: phosphorus: potassium: sulfur in the organic material being approximately 5:1:2:3.   
     
     
         22 . The organic material according to  claim 21 , wherein a content of sulfur in the organic material is approximately 0.5% by weight on a dry basis. 
     
     
         23 . An organic product comprising:
 nitrogen;   phosphorus;   potassium; and   sulfur,   an elemental ratio of nitrogen: phosphorus: potassium: sulfur in the organic product being approximately 7:1:1:3.   
     
     
         24 . The organic product according to  claim 23 , wherein a content of sulfur in the organic product is approximately 1.3% by weight on a dry basis. 
     
     
         25 . The organic product according to  claim 24 , wherein an organic carbon content in the organic product is approximately 16.6% by weight on a dry basis. 
     
     
         26 . A nutrient enhanced media comprising:
 nitrogen;   phosphorus; and   calcium,   a content of calcium in the nutrient enhanced media being at least 5.0% by weight on a dry basis, and   a content of phosphorus in the nutrient enhanced media being at least 5.0% by weight on a dry basis.   
     
     
         27 . The nutrient enhanced media according to  claim 26 , wherein an organic carbon content in the nutrient enhanced media is approximately 4.7% by weight on a dry basis.