An apparatus for treating
waste material that comprises four major cooperating subsystems, namely a pyrolytic converter, a two-stage
thermal oxidizer, a steam generator and a
steam turbine driven by steam generated by the steam generator. In operation, the pyrolytic converter is uniquely heated without any
flame impinging on the reactor component and the
waste material to be pyrolyzed is transported through the
reaction chamber of the pyrolytic converter by a pair of longitudinally extending, side-by-side
material transfer mechanisms. Each of the transfer mechanisms includes a first
screw conveyor section made up of a plurality of
helical flights for conveying the heavier waste and a second
paddle conveyor section interconnected with the first section for conveying the partially pyrolyzed waste, the second section comprising a plurality of
paddle flights. Once operating, the apparatus is substantially self-sustaining and requires a minimum use of outside energy sources for pyrolyzing the waste materials.