Multifunctional fecal waste and garbage disposer and related methods

Abstract

At least one aspect of the present technology provides a self-contained treatment plant for converting organic and high-water waste, such as fecal sludge and garbage, into electricity while also generating and collecting potable water.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the Chinese national phase application with application number 201580061893.3 filed on November 9, 2015 and entitled “Multifunctional fecal waste and garbage processor and related methods”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a multifunctional fecal waste and garbage treatment system, apparatus and related methods. Background Art

[0003] In many parts of the world, open sanitation systems are used to handle human excrement and other rubbish, and in other places, unsatisfactory purification systems or other systems are used to discharge raw sewage into open sewers or surface waters. This backward purification situation can aggravate the health problems in these areas. Many aforementioned areas with unqualified purification systems are also making efforts in maintaining clean drinking water, except potential health problems. These areas usually only have limited water sources for power generation, or the cost for power generation is too high. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to remove waste from the environment, provide and maintain the approach of clean drinking water and to produce a suitable purification system of cheap electricity. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention provides a multifunctional system for treating waste, generating electricity, and producing potable water in a manner that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art and provides other advantages. At least one aspect of the present invention provides a self-contained treatment plant configured to convert organic and high-water content waste, such as fecal sludge and garbage, into electricity while also generating and collecting potable water. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] Many aspects of the present invention may be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not shown to scale. Instead, emphasis is placed on clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. For ease of reference, throughout the present invention, the same reference numerals are used to represent the same, at least substantially the same, or similar components or features.

[0006] Figure 1 is a schematic flow chart of components of a multifunctional waste treatment system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0007] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Isometric view of a multifunctional waste treatment system;

[0008] Figure 3 is an isometric view of a sludge containment and conveying system according to one aspect of the present invention;

[0009] Figure 4is an isometric view of a feed assembly of one embodiment of a sludge containment and conveying system;

[0010] Figure 5 is from Figure 2 An isometric view of the sludge dryer components with the components removed;

[0011] Figure 6 is connected to Figure 4 a partially enlarged isometric view of an end portion of a sludge dryer assembly of a feed assembly of a conveyor assembly;

[0012] Figure 7 is Figure 5 An isometric schematic diagram of the flow of sludge processed in a sludge dryer assembly;

[0013] Figure 8 is a partial isometric view of a sludge heater assembly having a steam heated spiral portion rotatably positioned in a steam heated tank containing a sludge flow;

[0014] Fig. 9 is displayed as Figure 8 An enlarged isometric view of the flume with the spiral section separated;

[0015] Fig.10 is displayed as Figure 8 An enlarged isometric view of the spiral portion of the flume separation;

[0016] Fig.11 is a partial isometric view of another embodiment of a sludge drying section assembly having a steam heated spiral section rotatably positioned within a steam heated tank containing a sludge flow;

[0017] Fig.12 is displayed as Fig.11 An enlarged isometric view of a steam-heated spiral portion separated from a water tank;

[0018] Fig.13A and Fig. 13B is an isometric view of a high pressure single stage sludge dryer assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Fig.14 is a schematic flow chart of a two-stage sludge dryer system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Fig.15 yes Figure 1 Schematic flow chart of a drinking water treatment system of a water treatment system;

[0021] Fig.16 yes Figure 1 A schematic flow chart of a drinking water treatment system according to another embodiment of a water treatment system;

[0022] Fig.17 is attached to Figure 5 an isometric view of a dry fuel tank assembly of a sludge dryer assembly;

[0023] Fig.18 Removed from the sludge dryer assembly Fig.17 a transparent isometric view of an enlarged portion of a dry fuel tank assembly;

[0024] Fig.19 is attached to Figure 1 System of fluidized bed combustor Fig.18 A side schematic diagram of a dry fuel tank assembly;

[0025] Fig. 20 yes Fig.19 A partially cutaway isometric view of a combustion chamber and a discharge box of a fluidized bed combustor;

[0026] Fig.21 is from Fig. 20 An enlarged isometric view of the combustion chamber with the gas compressor and in-line burner assembly removed;

[0027] Fig. 22 is from Fig. 20 An enlarged isometric view of the combustion chamber with the gas distribution grid removed;

[0028] Fig.23 yes Figure 1 an enlarged and partially cut-away isometric view of a dry fuel burner and boiler of a system of FIG. 1 showing the path of heated exhaust gases through the boiler;

[0029] Fig.24 is from Fig.23 an enlarged partial isometric view of a dry fuel burner with the economizer housing and multi-tube cyclone assembly removed;

[0030] Fig.25 is from Fig.23 an enlarged partial isometric view of a dry fuel burner assembly with the economizer housing and ash spiral removed;

[0031] Fig.26 yes Fig.23 an enlarged and partially cut-away isometric view of a dry fuel burner and heater assembly of FIG. 1 showing a first water path through the heater;

[0032] Fig. 27 is a partially cutaway isometric view of a tube assembly of a boiler according to another embodiment;

[0033] Fig.28is an isometric view of a fluidized bed combustor and boiler according to another embodiment, wherein the modular boiler assembly is shown in an open and exposed state;

[0034] Fig.29 yes Fig.28 An isometric view of a fluidized bed combustor and boiler of FIG. 1 , wherein the modular boiler assembly is shown in a stowed and operational state;

[0035] Fig.30 is from Figure 1 An isometric view of a power plant with steam engines and generators removed from the system;

[0036] Fig.31 is a cutaway and enlarged top isometric view of a portion of an engine head having a crankshaft, cam, rocker arms, and valve structure according to one embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Fig.32 yes Fig.31 An isometric view of an enlarged partial cross-section of a head assembly of a steam engine having an intake cam, intake valves, exhaust valves and associated rocker arms;

[0038] Fig.33 It is roughly along Fig.31 An enlarged cross-sectional view of the head assembly of the steam engine taken along line 33-33.

[0039] Appendix A includes additional information and calculations for various aspects of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0040] This disclosure describes a multifunctional waste treatment system for generating electricity and producing drinking water according to certain embodiments of the present invention. Many specific details of the present technology will be described in the following description and Figures 1 to 33 The present invention is described in order to provide a thorough understanding of specific embodiments of the present technology. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present technology may have other embodiments, and other embodiments of the present technology may still be implemented without having the following specific features.

[0041] Figure 1 is a schematic flow diagram of components of the multifunctional waste treatment system 10, Figure 21 is an isometric view of a waste treatment system 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As discussed in detail below, the system 10 is used to receive and process a mud stream of wet waste sludge 12 to produce dry solid fuel materials, electricity and potable water. One or more embodiments of the system 10 are discussed and shown here in conjunction with waste in the process including water, feces and / or other garbage such as organic waste. However, the system 10 can also be used to treat other wet waste streams. In one embodiment, the system is used to treat a mixture of water-based liquids and more than about 50% total solids, which can be separated from the water and dried to provide a combustible solid fuel material. In some configurations, the system 10 can be used for wet sludge with more than 15% total solids, and in other embodiments, the system 10 can be used for sludge with 20% to 50% total solids. The system 10 of other embodiments can be used for other ranges of total solids contained in the sludge.

[0042] The sludge 12 flows through a sludge dryer assembly 14 that evaporates water from the sludge to produce steam, so that the solid matter can be fully dried to provide a combustible solid fuel. For the purpose of the current description, the steam evaporated from the sludge is referred to as sludge steam. The released sludge steam will be very hot in a sufficient time, so the sludge steam is sterile (i.e., does not contain pathogens). The system 10 will contain and compress the sterile sludge steam in the water treatment system 16 to provide clean drinking water. The system 10 will also burn dry solid fuel materials in a burner such as a fluidized bed burner 18. In some embodiments, other dry fuels such as coal, wood chips, garbage or other organic materials can be added to provide other fuels to the burner 18 when necessary. The system 10 of the illustrated embodiment is configured to continuously generate more than about 150kW (about 200hp) of electricity per day, process about 8500kg or 8.5m 3 of fecal sludge and 1,100kg or more of garbage.

[0043] The heat generated by the combustion of fuel in the burner 18 is used to heat a boiler 20, which is used to pressurize water in a substantially closed primary water loop 21 to produce steam for use in a steam-driven power generation section 22 for power generation. The water in the primary water loop 21 is referred to as estimated water and can be primary steam or primary liquid water depending on the location in the primary water loop. The primary steam exhausted from the power generation section 22, which includes a steam engine 26 and a generator 25, is used as a heat source for the fuel dryer 14 before the primary steam flows through a condenser 24 and is converted into primary liquid water and pumped back to the boiler 20. Part of the power from the power generation section 22 powers the electrical components of the system 10, and the remaining power can be provided to the grid or used locally, such as to power external power products.

[0044] The treatment system 10 of the illustrated embodiment is a self-contained system for treating wet sludge, while generating electricity and producing potable water, requiring substantially no external electricity, water, or drainage. In one embodiment, the illustrated system 10 can be configured to occupy an area of ​​approximately 15 m x 3 m, which corresponds to the area of ​​a commonly used container, so that the system 10 can be transported. Therefore, the system 10 is well suited for use in a wide range of geographic locations, such as underdeveloped urban locations that do not have adequate sewer systems and can obtain additional sources of electricity and clean, fresh potable water.

[0045] The various components of the system 10 of the illustrated embodiment are discussed in further detail below.

[0046] Sludge containment and conveying systems

[0047] Figure 3 The system 10 of the illustrated embodiment includes a sludge containment and conveying system 30. The sludge containment and conveying system 30 has a holding tank 32 for holding substantially untreated wet sludge. The holding tank 32 is sized to hold a selected volume of wet sludge for continued operation of the system 10 over a number of days before the holding tank 32 needs to be refilled. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the holding tank 32 is designed to hold approximately 30 m3 of wet sludge to provide three days of operation. 3 of wet sludge, wherein the system 10 can process about 9-10 m per day 3 The top of the holding tank 32 may be close to the ground to allow a sludge transporter to easily empty the sludge 12 into the tank. The bottom of the holding tank 32 is sloped toward an outlet connected to a sludge feed assembly 34. In one embodiment, the feed assembly 34 may include a fully or partially enclosed conveyor 38, such as a screw conveyor or a belt conveyor, that transports the wet sludge from the holding tank 32 to an inlet 40 of the sludge dryer assembly 14.

[0048] Figure 4 1 is an isometric view of a sludge feed assembly 34 of one embodiment wherein a holding box 32 includes a drag chain deployment box having an outlet 36 that deposits wet sludge onto a conveyor 38. The conveyor 38 extends upward at a selected angle relative to the ground and connects to the sludge dryer assembly 14 adjacent an inlet 40. In the illustrated embodiment, the conveyor 38 is inclined upward at an angle of approximately 30 degrees relative to the ground, but other angles may be used in other embodiments.

[0049] Sludge dryer components

[0050] Figure 5 is from Figure 2 An isometric view of the sludge dryer assembly 14 shown removed from the components of the sludge containment and conveying system 30 ( Figure 3) is supplied to the sludge inlet 40 of the sludge dryer assembly 14. Figure 6 It can be seen that a sludge transfer screw 52 connected to one end of the conveyor 38 of the sludge feed assembly 34 supplies wet sludge to the dryer inlet 40. The flow of sludge entering the sludge dryer assembly 14 is generally continuous. Figure 6 FIG. 4 is an enlarged isometric view of a portion of an end portion of the sludge dryer assembly 14 including the inlet 40. In addition to receiving wet sludge, the sludge dryer assembly 14 also receives power from the power generation section 22 ( Figure 1 ) of the steam engine 26. The primary steam discharged from the steam engine 26 at a pressure of about 207 kPa (about 30 psia) flows into one or more tubular shells 42, each of which contains a tubular sludge carrier 44. The heat from the discharged primary steam causes the sludge in the sludge carrier 44 to evaporate, thereby causing water to evaporate from the sludge (to produce sludge steam), which can dry the sludge to provide a solid fuel material.

[0051] The sludge dryer assembly 14 of the illustrated embodiment includes two enclosed large diameter pipes, each of which forms a housing 42 surrounding a small diameter pipe forming a hollow sludge carrier 44. Each sludge carrier 44 contains a rotatable hollow spiral portion 46, and the sludge carrier 44 contains sludge flowing through the inlet 40 so that the sludge at least partially surrounds the hollow spiral portion 46. In the illustrated embodiment, each housing 42 includes a steam inlet 48, which receives steam from the steam engine 26 ( Figure 1 ) so that the high-temperature primary steam flows into the internal area of ​​the shell and surrounds the sludge carrier 44, thereby heating the sludge in the sludge carrier 44. Therefore, the primary steam is physically separated from the sludge, while heat can still be transferred to the sludge, which can cause the sludge to boil and cool the primary steam at the same time. In addition, a portion of the primary steam entering the sludge dryer assembly 14 flows into the internal area in the hollow spiral portion 46, so that the sludge can also be heated by the spiral portion 46. In the illustrated embodiment, each hollow spiral portion 46 is connected to a drive motor 47, which causes the spiral portion 46 to rotate in the sludge carrier 44 and continuously moves the wet sludge axially through the sludge carrier 44 during the sludge drying process. In one embodiment, each drive motor 47 is a dedicated five-horsepower variable frequency three-phase electric motor controlled by an independent variable frequency drive.

[0052] The two sludge carriers 44 are interconnected at their ends by an adapter housing 50, wherein each adapter housing 50 has a through sludge channel that allows sludge to flow axially in one direction through the sludge carrying portion 44, the sludge channel in the adapter housing 50, and axially through the other sludge carrier 44 in the other direction.

[0053] Figure 7 4 is an isometric diagram of the sludge flow in the sludge dryer assembly from the inlet 40. As the sludge circulates within the sludge carrier 44, the water in the sludge evaporates. When the solid fuel from the sludge is sufficiently dry, it is discharged through one or more dry fuel outlets 54 formed in the sides of the sludge carrier 44 and the corresponding shell 42. The dry fuel outlet 54 is enclosed between the sludge carrier 44 and the shell 42 to maintain the isolation of the sludge material from the primary steam. In the illustrated embodiment, the dry fuel outlet 54 is a rectangular opening, although the dry fuel outlet can have other shapes (i.e., square, circular, oval, etc.) and sizes.

[0054] In operation, when additional wet sludge passes through the transition spiral 52 ( Figure 6 ) is transported to the sludge carrier 44, the sludge level in the sludge dryer assembly 14 rises. The solids in the sludge moving through the sludge carrier 44 are generally fully dried when they reach the dry fuel outlet 54, and the fully dried solid fuel material flows out of the dry fuel outlet 54 and enters the dry fuel hopper 56 ( Figure 2 ), as discussed below. To ensure that the sludge flowing through the sludge carrier 44 by the rotating hollow spiral 46 remains in a friable state, a sufficient amount of dried sludge is recirculated to the starting point of the drying system adjacent to the inlet 40. Figure 2 ), some sludge will flow through the sludge components for multiple cycles.

[0055] The circulation of dry sludge also prevents the sludge from reaching a state known as sticky, wherein the moisture content of the sludge is 0.3523 kg of water per kg of dry matter, or 25% to 75% dry solids. Unlike the sludge in the wet or mushy zone, which exhibits fluid properties, in the sticky state, the contact between the sludge and the heated walls of the sludge carrier 44 is significantly reduced, which can adversely affect the evaporation rate. As the sludge dries from the sticky state to the granular state, the dried sludge further maintains uniform contact with the heated walls of the sludge carrier 44, which allows the evaporation rate to return to its initial value. In addition to the lower heat transfer efficiency, the material in the sticky zone exhibits considerable shear strength, so that the sludge material further adheres to the rotating rotating portion 46 rather than being transported by it. The circulation of some dry sludge material will help ensure that the contents of the sludge dryer assembly always maintain or approach the "granular" zone, thereby avoiding the "sticky" zone.

[0056] exist Figure 5In the illustrated embodiment shown, the concentric tube design of the sludge dryer assembly 14 is very durable. However, the dry fuel outlet 54 penetrates the side wall of the pressurized tubular shell 42, which can weaken the tubular structure. Therefore, one or more reinforcing ribs 64 are attached to the shell 42 around the dry fuel outlet 54 to help maintain the integrity of the structure and prevent the tubular structure from plastic deformation under the heat and pressure of the primary steam in the dryer.

[0057] In addition to removing the dried solid fuel from the sludge holding sections 44, sludge vapor released from the sludge is removed from the sludge dryer assembly 14 via a steam outlet 66 that communicates with the interior area of ​​each sludge holding section 44. The sludge vapor flowing from the steam outlet 66 flows through a loop to the water treatment system 16 ( Figure 1 ), which will be discussed in further detail below. In the illustrated embodiment, at least one steam outlet 66 is provided at each end of the sludge dryer assembly, although the outlets may be provided at other locations.

[0058] When the heat of the primary steam is transferred to the sludge, the primary steam cools, and the sludge dryer assembly 14 acts as a condenser, wherein the primary steam condenses into primary liquid water in the shell 42. The condensed water remains separate from the sludge and is removed from the shell 42 by a condensate siphon member, wherein the condensate siphon member extracts the primary liquid water and directs it into one or more primary water lines 62, which transfer the primary liquid water along the primary water circuit 21 ( Figure 1 ) is taken away from the sludge dryer assembly 14. Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment shown, the sludge dryer assembly 14 is installed in the system 10 so that the housing 42 and the sludge carrier 44 are inclined relative to the horizontal plane, for example, about 1 degree, to facilitate the siphon member to extract the primary water. Before returning to the sludge dryer assembly 14 as steam again, the extracted primary liquid water is recirculated along the primary water circuit 21 for use in the heater 20 and the steam engine 26.

[0059] Figure 8 7 is a partial isometric view of another embodiment of a sludge dryer assembly 70 including a plurality of rotating and stationary pressure vessels heated by exhaust primary steam at in excess of about 100 psig and 328°F to mix and dry the sludge. The dryer 70 shown has a closed sealed trough 72 housing a rotatable screw 74 that moves the sludge axially along the trough 72 toward an outlet at one end of the trough 72. The trough 72 receives a flow of moist sludge through an inlet at one end so that at least a portion of the screw 74 is disposed in the sludge. To clearly illustrate the components in the trough 72, the trough 72 is shown in FIG. Figure 8, no cover or ends are shown. The cover and ends are sealed to the tank body 76 to fully contain the sludge and released sludge vapor during the drying process. In one embodiment, the hydraulically operated cover allows full and convenient access to all internal components of the sludge dryer assembly 70, as well as sealing all vapors, suspended particles and gases within the tank 70. Thus, sludge vapors and volatiles from the head space of the tank 72 are captured and reprocessed for purification (i.e., water vapor) and / or re-combustion (i.e., gases and / or volatiles).

[0060] Fig. 9 7 is an enlarged isometric view of the steam heating water tank 72 with the spiral portion 74 removed. The water tank 72 contains a plurality of fixedly spaced steam elbows 78 interconnected by an elongated manifold 80, which receive steam from the steam engine 26 ( Figure 1 ) and distributes the primary steam uniformly to the steam bend pipe 78. Therefore, when the sludge enters the water tank 72 near the inlet and moves along the water tank 72 via the spiral portion 74, the sludge moves on at least a portion of the steam bend pipe 78, thereby evaporating and drying the sludge. When the sludge reaches the outlet at one end of the water tank body 76, the sludge is sufficiently dried. In addition, the primary steam is condensed in the steam bend pipe 78, and the condensed water is collected in the return manifold 82 connected to the primary water circuit 21.

[0061] Fig.10 FIG. 7 is an enlarged isometric view of the steam heated, pressurized spiral 74 separated from the water tank 72. The spiral 74 has a hollow central shaft 84 that receives the discharged primary steam. The spiral 74 also has a plurality of steam elbows 86 that communicate with the interior of the central shaft 84 and extend axially away from the central shaft 84 in a rotational manner. Thus, the steam elbows 86 receive the primary steam from the central shaft 84.

[0062] The spiral 74 is arranged to rotate in the water tank 72 so that the steam bend 86 passes through the space between the steam pipes 78 located in the water tank 72. The steam bend 86 of the spiral can be slightly inclined relative to the central axis 84 to act as an axial engagement and push the sludge through the water tank on the steam bend 78, thereby heating and evaporating the sludge. The hot primary steam in the central axis 84 and the steam bend 86 also heats the sludge, which causes the primary steam to condense in the spiral 74. One end of the central axis 84 of the spiral has a condensed water as the first liquid water along the primary water circuit 21 ( Figure 8) outlet spiral. In the illustrated embodiment, the rotatable spiral 74 can produce a mixing action that produces a self-leveling effect that causes the sludge to move from one end of the trough 72 to the other end. The spiral 74 also calculates the dry solid fuel material flowing out of the dry fuel outlet. In at least one embodiment, one or more dry fuel spirals can be connected to the trough 72 adjacent to the dry fuel outlet to transport the dry solid fuel material to the dry fuel spiral 56.

[0063] Fig.11 and Fig.12 is an isometric view of another embodiment of a sludge dryer assembly 70 having a water tank 72 including a water tank body 76 and a steam coil 78, an axially extending manifold 80 being combined with the above Figure 8 The sludge dryer assembly 70 discussed is substantially the same. Thus, the water tank 72 with the steam elbow 78 and the manifold 80 defines a fixed pressure vessel heated by primary steam. In this alternative embodiment, the screw 90 is rotatably positioned in the water tank 72 and driven by a drive motor 92.

[0064] The spiral 90 has a generally hollow central shaft 94 connected to a plurality of hollow straight fingers 96 protruding axially from the central shaft 94. Each finger 96 includes a support mesh 98 secured to the central shaft 94 to provide additional strength and rigidity to the respective finger 96 as the spiral 90 rotates and the steam heated fingers 96 move through the sludge and slowly move the dried sludge axially toward the dry fuel outlet. In one embodiment, the support mesh 98 may also be angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the central shaft to which a portion of the sludge may be attached to facilitate mixing and / or incremental removal of the dried sludge along the length of the flume 72.

[0065] For purposes of illustration, the central shaft 94 of the spiral 90 is a rigid, 24-inch diameter pipe that is operably connected to approximately 140 protruding 5-inch vials 96 distributed around the pipe along its length. The vials 96 extend inwardly into the steam-filled central shaft 94 to ensure that condensed water is properly removed when the primary steam condenses during operation. Each vial 96 and associated support mesh 98 are configured to withstand the full torque of the drive motor if it is fully applied to the end of a single vial 96 while maintaining actual material stress below the allowable stress of the material in order to achieve the design pressure and temperature of the spiral, such as approximately in excess of 100 psig and 328°F. In one embodiment, the vials 96 are positioned in a generally spiral arrangement along the length of the central shaft 94 so that no two vials 96 initially have sludge attached to them at the same time, thereby evenly distributing the impact load over the full rotation of the spiral. In addition, the finger groups in adjacent planes are offset by about 45 degrees in the direction of rotation to facilitate the flow of sludge through the water trough 72 during the drying process.

[0066] As described above, the sludge vapor generated in the water tank 72 is discharged through the steam outlet. In one embodiment, the steam outlet is located adjacent to the end plate of the water tank, wherein the sludge will move toward this end plate during the drying process. The sludge vapor removed from the water tank 72 will flow into the water treatment system 16 that purifies and collects the sludge vapor, as discussed in further detail below.

[0067] In one embodiment, the system 10 is used to process very wet sludge (e.g., sludge having a solids content of about 15% or less solid matter). The system 10 dries wet sludge by using a two-stage sludge drying system including a high pressure first stage dryer assembly 200 and a low pressure second stage dryer assembly 220. Fig.13A and Fig. 13B 2 is an isometric view of a high pressure first stage dryer assembly 200 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The first stage dryer assembly 200 includes an elongated large diameter outer tube 202 housing a plurality of spaced axially aligned flights 204 structurally interconnected to one another by one or more tie rods 205. For clarity of discussion, the outer tube 202 is shown in a generally transparent manner. Fig.13A and Fig. 13B to avoid hiding internal components from view.

[0068] Each scraper 204 has a plurality of holes 206 axially aligned with the holes 206 on the other scrapers 204. A plurality of steam pipes 208 extend generally along the length of the outer tube 202 and penetrate the aligned holes 206 of the scrapers 204. The scrapers 204 also include bearings 209 that engage with the inner surface of the outer tube. The ends of the outer tube 202 are connected to manifold sections 210 that communicate with the interior of the steam pipes 208. One of the manifold sections 210 (i.e., the inlet manifold 210a) has a steam inlet 212 that is connected to the primary water circuit and is used to receive steam from the steam engine 26 ( Figure 1 The primary steam from the inlet manifold 210a flows into the steam pipe 208 in the outer pipe 202.

[0069] The outer tube 202 has a sludge inlet 211, which introduces a very wet sludge flow into the inner space of the pipe so that the wet sludge can directly adhere to the high-temperature steam pipe 208. The structurally interconnected scrapers 204 are connected to a reciprocating drive shaft 212, which extends through the inlet manifold 210a in a closed manner and is connected to an actuator 213, such as a hydraulic cylinder. The actuator 213 can be operated to push and pull back the drive shaft 212 so that the scraper 204 as a whole moves axially back and forth through the wet sludge in the outer tube 202. The high-temperature primary steam in the steam pipe 208 evaporates the water in the sludge to produce sludge steam to reduce the water content in the sludge.

[0070] The elongated spiral assembly 214 extends through the inlet manifold 210a in a closed manner and to the interior area of ​​the outer tube for combining with the sludge. As the sludge is concentrated due to water evaporation, the spiral assembly 214 helps move the concentrated sludge through the outer tube 202 to the sludge outlet 215 located at the end of the outer tube 202 facing the inlet 211 of the dryer 200. The discharged concentrated sludge then passes through the throttle valve 220 to reduce the pressure and is introduced into the second stage dryer assembly 220 ( Fig.14 ), as discussed in further detail below.

[0071] When the primary steam in the steam pipe 208 heats and boils the wet sludge, the primary steam condenses and the resulting first liquid water flows from the steam pipe 208 to the collection area in the outlet manifold 210b. The first liquid water flows out of the collection area through the primary water outlet and flows to a loop connected to the radiator 190 (as discussed below), where the radiator 190 cools the liquid water in the primary water loop 21. During the drying process, the sludge steam released from the sludge is heated and maintained at a higher temperature, which sterilizes the sludge steam in the outer pipe 202. Fig.14As can be seen in FIG, the sludge vapor is removed from the outer pipe 202 via the recovery section 216 and enters the sludge vapor outlet loop 218 that transmits the sludge vapor to the water treatment system 16. The sludge vapor is then filtered by a cyclone, one or more pre-filters (~25 micron filters) and one or more fine filters (~1 micron). The filtered and sterilized sludge vapor is then introduced into the second stage dryer 220.

[0072] In the illustrated embodiment, the second stage dryer assembly 220 is Figures 8 to 10 or Figure 11 to Figure 12 The sludge dryer assembly of the present invention is substantially the same as that of the present invention, except that the high temperature steam flowing into the steam elbow 78 in the water tank 72 and entering the rotatable spiral portion 74 or 90 is the filtered and sterilized sludge steam from the first stage dryer assembly 200 (FIG. 13), rather than the high temperature primary steam from the steam engine. In this embodiment, the heat of the filtered and sterilized sludge steam from the first stage dryer assembly 200 is used to dry the fecal sludge in the second stage dryer assembly 220. Therefore, the two-stage sludge drying system allows twice the amount of sludge to be processed with approximately the same amount of primary water.

[0073] As the filtered and sterilized sludge vapor flows through the curved tube 78 and / or spiral 74 / 90, the sludge vapor condenses. The condensed water is discharged from the return manifold 82 and the hollow central shaft 84 of the spiral and flows into the water treatment system 16. In addition, the drying process in the second stage dryer assembly 220 causes the water to evaporate from the dried fecal sludge and the sludge vapor is discharged from the water tank 72 of the dryer 70 and flows into the water treatment system 16 ( Fig.15 ).

[0074] Water treatment system

[0075] Fig.151 is a schematic flow chart of the water treatment system 16. The sludge steam flows into the steam filtration system 100 including a cyclone, wherein the cyclone separates the steam from other particulate matter present in the sludge steam. The remaining gas and all particulate matter (such as volatiles or volatile organic compounds, etc.) can be re-transmitted to the burner 18 for re-combustion so that the volatile organic compounds are treated without being released into the atmosphere, which can significantly reduce or alleviate the release of odors into the atmosphere during the sludge treatment process. The separated sludge steam then passes through one or more pre-filters, such as a large-pore filter (i.e., a 25-micron filter), and then enters a steam fine filter (i.e., a 1-micron filter). The filtered sludge steam then flows into the condenser 104, which condenses the sludge steam and collects sterile liquid water. Although the filtered sludge steam and the resulting condensed water will include some impurities, the filtered steam and condensed water do not contain pathogens because the sludge steam is exposed to a particularly high temperature for a long enough time to kill all pathogens in the sludge steam.

[0076] The sterile water is then purified by aeration, bleaching and filtration through selected purification filters such as one or more charcoal filters. The purified clean drinking water is then obtained from the purified water storage tank 108, where the purified water is distributed from the purified water storage tank 108.

[0077] Fig.16 1 is a schematic flow diagram of the water treatment system 16 in conjunction with an embodiment using a two-stage dryer. As described above, in this embodiment, the high-pressure sludge vapor from the first stage dryer assembly 200 flows through the water treatment system 16 and is filtered and used in the second stage dryer assembly 220. The condensed water from the sludge vapor from the second stage dryer 220 is collected and flows through the water treatment system 16, wherein the condensed water is aerated, bleached and filtered in the water treatment system 16, as discussed above. The sludge vapor from the second stage dryer 220 entering the water treatment system 16 is also filtered (i.e., passed through a cyclone, a prefilter and a fine filter) and condensed, and the condensed water is purified and concentrated in the storage tank 108.

[0078] Dry solid fuel handling systems

[0079] Returning now to the dry solid fuel material, the dry solid fuel material enters the dry fuel hopper 56 as it is discharged from the sludge dryer assembly 14 , 70 , 200 , 220 as discussed above. Fig.17 is an isometric view of the dry fuel hopper 56 attached to the sludge dryer assembly 14 adjacent the reinforcing ribs 64 . Fig.181 is a partially enlarged transparent isometric view of the dry fuel hopper 56 after removal from the sludge dryer assembly 14. The dry fuel hopper 56 of the illustrated embodiment includes a tank that receives the dry solid fuel through an open top side. A heating coil 110 is attached to one side of the tank and heats the tank to ensure that condensed water from any source of liquid water does not enter the dry solid fuel material. In one embodiment, the fuel tank heating coil 110 can be a steam coil that receives the dry solid fuel material from the sludge dryer assembly 14 ( Fig.17 ) to preheat the interior of the tank to about 120°C (240°F).

[0080] In the event that water or moisture enters the hopper 56 and soaks the dry solid fuel material or if the dry solid fuel material is too wet to burn adequately, the hopper 56 will need to be emptied. Therefore, the hopper 56 includes a method for redirecting the wet fuel to the wet sludge holding tank 32 ( Figure 1 ) in the wet fuel discharge spiral portion 115.

[0081] from Fig.18 and Fig.19 It can be seen that the hopper 56 of the illustrated embodiment includes a dry fuel conveyor 112 connected to the bottom of the hopper housing. The conveyor 112 is connected to a dry solid fuel conveyor 112 for conveying dry solid fuel to the burner 18 ( Fig.19 ) of a combustion chamber or fluidized bed 116, wherein the dry solid fuel is fed into the fluidized bed burner 18 in the form of a suspension of sand particles. In the illustrated embodiment, the feed screw 114 supplies the dry solid fuel to the fluidized bed burner 18 approximately 12 cm (4.5 inches) above the fluidized bed and at approximately the same height as the flow of combustion gases received from the combustion air fan, as discussed in further detail below. Although the illustrated embodiment uses a dry fuel supply screw 114, other fuel delivery systems may also be used, including a gravity supply system or other delivery system for supplying solid fuel to the burner.

[0082] In one embodiment, the waste treatment system 10 ( Figure 1 ) can have multiple dry fuel reserve buckets 118 ( Figure 1 ), the reserve hopper 118 contains reserve fuel, such as coal, wood chips, organic waste or other suitable dry fuel that can be burned in the fluidized bed burner 18 together with the dry solid fuel material when needed. The dry fuel reserve hopper 118 also includes a feed screw 120 (connected to the burner 18 for conveying the reserve fuel to the fluidized bed 116 for combustion. Fig.19 The feed screw 120 may also be used to add sand, limestone, or other selected bed materials to the fluidized bed 116 of the combustor 18 .

[0083] Burner components

[0084] like Fig.19 As shown, a fluidized bed combustor 18 is connected to the lower portion of a boiler 20 to combust dry solid fuel material and heat the boiler 20. The combustor 18 of the illustrated embodiment has a combustion chamber 122 surrounding a fluidized bed 116 and associated heat transfer means. Fig. 20 is a partially cut away isometric view of a combustion chamber 122 connected to an ash discharge box 126 by a discharge spiral 128 . Fig. 22 1 is an enlarged isometric view of the gas distribution grid after it has been removed from the combustion chamber 122. The gas distribution grid 130 shown is configured to fluidize the bed 116 in a uniform and stable manner. The fluidized bed 116 shown includes sand, but limestone, other suitable materials, or mixtures thereof may be used. The gas distribution grid 130 is configured to operate for long periods of time without warping, blocking, or clogging. The gas distribution grid 130 is also integrally formed with the combustion chamber 122 in a manner that allows for easy and rapid replacement or maintenance, thereby reducing any downtime of the burner 18 and associated system 10.

[0085] The gas distribution grid 130 includes a plurality of spray-type manifolds 144 having gas inlets 142 and gas distribution pipes 140 connected to the gas inlets 142 downstream. The manifolds 144 are parallel to each other and spaced very close to each other to allow ash and small sand particles to easily fall between the manifolds 144 and be removed by the discharge spiral 128 to the discharge box 126 ( Fig. 20 ). However, the spaced manifolds 144 prevent slag and larger unburned materials from falling into the discharge spiral inlet. Each manifold 144 is connected to a plurality of bubble cap gas nozzles 146 distributed in a grid. The bubble cap gas nozzles 146 provide smooth and uniform gas distribution to the free space portion above the bed 116 for uniform fluidization in the combustion chamber.

[0086] exist Fig.21 In the illustrated embodiment shown, the gas distribution grid 130 is connected to a linear burner assembly 138 that can be actuated to generate a plurality of gas streams in the fluidized bed 116 ( Fig. 20 ) during the initial startup and preheating process, preheating the incoming combustion-supporting gas or fluidizing gas. The linear burner assembly 138 includes a closed heater 150 that receives the gas flow from the combustion blower 148. The heater 150 is connected to the gas distribution pipe 140 ( Fig. 22 ) through the gas distribution grid 130 ( Fig. 20 ) provides the combustible gas to the fluidized bed 116. The combustion fan 148 of the illustrated embodiment provides a flow rate of approximately over 750 ft 3 / min and compressed to about 50 inches of water column. The heater 150 can use natural gas, propane, butane or other suitable fuels to preheat the combustible gas when necessary. Once the burner 18 is heated to near operating temperature, the linear burner assembly 138 is no longer needed, and the combustion fan 148 will provide unheated gas to the fluidized bed 116 for combustion with the solid fuel.

[0087] boiler

[0088] The burner assembly 18 is positioned in the boiler 20 and the heat generated by burning the dry solid fuel material provides a continuous heated exhaust gas flow that is directed along the exhaust gas path 158 ( Fig.23 ) flows through the boiler 20 and heats a continuous primary liquid water flow, wherein the first liquid water flow follows the primary water path 160 ( Fig.24 ) flows through boiler 20 in a generally opposite direction to generate steam for steam engine 26 ( Figure 1 ) to provide high pressure steam. The boiler 20 and its components will be combined with the exhaust gas path 158 ( Fig.23 ) and primary water path 160 are discussed.

[0089] Fig.23 1 is an enlarged, partially cut-away isometric view of the dry fuel burner 18 and the boiler 20, showing a heated exhaust gas path 158 through the boiler. The lower portion of the boiler 20 includes an evaporator 162 at least partially embedded in the fluidized bed 116 and located directly above the fluidized bed 116. Therefore, the high temperature heat generated by the combustion of the solid fuel in the fluidized bed 116 flows around the evaporator 162 and effectively heats the evaporator 162. The exhaust gas path 158 flows upward from the evaporator 162 over a first stage superheater 164 connected to the evaporator 162, and then over a second stage superheater 166 connected to the first stage superheater 164. The exhaust gas path 158 flows from the second stage superheater 166 above the first stage economizer 168 and above the second stage economizer 170. The heated exhaust gas flowing along the exhaust path 158 cools as heat is transferred sequentially to the evaporator 162, the first stage superheater 164, the second stage superheater 166, the first stage economizer 168, and the second stage economizer 170. The second stage economizer 170 is housed in an economizer housing 172 and is connected to an exhaust gas outlet 174. As the exhaust gas reaches and flows over the second stage economizer 170, the exhaust gas transfers only low-grade heat to the second stage economizer 170 before being discharged from the exhaust gas outlet 174.

[0090] Fig.241 is an enlarged partial isometric view of the economizer housing 172 and the multi-tube cyclone assembly 176 connected to the exhaust gas outlet 174. The exhaust gas enters the multi-tube cyclone assembly 176 and flows through one or more conventional cyclones to remove all remaining ash or particles from the exhaust gas flow, thereby providing a purified exhaust gas discharged from the multi-tube cyclone assembly 176. The exhaust gas can also be blown into a chemical treatment water column to remove all other pollutants before being released into the atmosphere. The substantially particle-free exhaust gas is discharged from the multi-tube cyclone assembly 176 and flows through an exhaust pipe 178 that is connected to the atmosphere. In the embodiment shown, the exhaust fan 180 is positioned between the multi-tube cyclone assembly 176 and the exhaust pipe 178 and is configured to facilitate the exhaust gas flow along the entire exhaust gas path 158 and be discharged from the exhaust pipe 178. In the illustrated embodiment, the fan 180 is capable of pulling approximately 8 inches of vacuum water at a flow rate of approximately 775 scfm, although other embodiments may use other fans or exhaust extraction systems for controlling the flow and flow rate of the exhaust along the exhaust path 158 .

[0091] Fig.25 An enlarged partial isometric view of an economizer housing 172 having an ash collection area 182 at the bottom of the housing and an ash auger 184 connected to the ash collection area 182. As the flue gases enter the economizer housing 172, the flue gases are substantially cooled and any heavier ash particles flowing with the flue gases fall and are collected in the ash collection area 182. The ash auger 184 is configured to convey the collected ash out of the economizer housing 172 and to a collection box or other collection system (not shown).

[0092] Primary water circuit before the boiler

[0093] Turning now to the primary water circuit 160, the primary water enters the boiler 20 in a liquid phase. As discussed above in conjunction with the sludge dryer assembly 14, the primary water flowing from the steam engine 26 is condensed to a liquid state in the sludge dryer assembly. Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment shown, the primary liquid water flow from the sludge dryer assembly 14 flows through the radiator 190 to facilitate cooling the primary liquid water before continuing to flow along the primary water circuit 21.

[0094] As primary water (sometimes referred to as "feed water") flows through the primary water circuit 21 in both a vapor / steam and liquid state, some of the primary water is lost. For example, some of the primary water is lost due to steam purge in the steam engine 26, where the steam blows past the piston along the cylinder wall in the steam engine. In addition, some of the primary water is removed from the system 10 and discarded to the lowest point in the system 10 to remove all used chemicals or minerals that are called waste that are deposited from the primary water. Depending on the water quality and the system 10, the above-mentioned waste constitutes about 5% of the total primary water flow. Therefore, the feed water can be pumped into the primary water circuit 21 through the water purifier 192 located downstream of the radiator 190.

[0095] The water purifier 192 can also add chemicals or additives to the primary water in a liquid state. In some embodiments, the chemicals and / or additives are added to the feed water introduced into the primary water loop 21. For example, the feed water can be softened by chemical additives before entering the primary water loop to reduce scale in the pipes in the boiler 20. Chemical additives can also be used to reduce impurities and corrosion products that negatively affect heating performance or may shorten the service life of the loop for primary water to flow in the primary water loop 21. In addition, the water purifier 192 can be used to treat the incoming water, which can be public hard water, before the feed water is added to the primary water loop 21.

[0096] Before the first liquid water is introduced into the boiler 20, the primary water begins to flow from the water purifier 192 and is collected in the supply water tank 194. The supply water tank 194 may include a level switch so that when the primary liquid water flows back, the system has a method to measure and add the appropriate amount of makeup water and chemicals to make up for any losses in the primary water loop 21. The primary liquid water is removed from the supply water tank 194 by the supply water pump 196 which pumps the primary water to the boiler 20.

[0097] Primary water path in boiler

[0098] Now back to boiler 20, Fig.26 1 is a partially cutaway enlarged isometric view showing the primary water path 160 through the boiler 20. The self-supplied water pump 196 ( Figure 1 ) is introduced into the heater 20 in the form of pressurized cooling water via the water inlet 198 adjacent to the second economizer 170. The cooled primary water from the pump 196 is pressurized to about 4130 kPa (600 psia) and flows through the second economizer 170, which is in the exhaust path 158 ( Fig.23 ) is heated by the exhaust gas at the coldest part of the reactor. In the illustrated embodiment, the second stage economizer 170 heats the primary liquid water to its saturation point of about 525K at about 4.135MPa.

[0099] The primary water from the second economizer 170 flows through the second economizer 168, where the primary water is heated to its boiling point. The primary water flows out of the first economizer 168 in the form of steam and flows into the steam drum 199, where dry saturated steam is separated from all saturated water. All saturated water in the steam drum 199 will flow back and be reintroduced into the evaporator 162. The dry primary steam flows out of the steam drum 199 and passes through the second superheater 166 and the first superheater 164 once. The primary steam is discharged from the first superheater 164 in the form of high-temperature superheated steam flowing out of the boiler 20 and enters the steam engine 26 along the downstream portion of the primary water path 160.

[0100] Although Fig.23 and Fig.26 The boiler 20 shown includes two superheaters 164, 166 and two economizers 168, 170, and the boiler 20 of other embodiments may include only one superheater and / or one economizer. Fig. 27 is a partially cutaway isometric view of the piping assembly of another embodiment of a boiler assembly 222 including only one superheater 224 and economizer 226 connected to an evaporator 228 and a steam cylinder 199. In this alternative embodiment, the steam cylinder 199 is connected to a plurality of risers that form a water wall 232 located on opposite sides of the evaporator 228, which helps protect the evaporator, fluidized bed 116, and combustion chamber 122 to retain heat between the water walls and to help heat the saturated water flowing through the water walls 232. Thus, the use of the water wall 232 helps reduce or minimize the amount of refractory material required in the heater.

[0101] Fig.28 and Fig.29 is an isometric view of a boiler 240 according to another embodiment. The boiler 240 has Fig. 27 A similar component structure, in which one superheater 224 and one economizer 226 are positioned next to the evaporator 228, allows significantly more free space in the evaporator portion above the fluidized bed 116. This embodiment also includes a water wall 232 extending from the steam cylinder 199. In addition, the boiler 240 has a shell 241, and the superheater 224, the economizer 226 and the evaporator 228 are all mounted on a frame structure 242, which carries one or more guide rails or slides 244 connected to the shell 241 in a movably manner.

[0102] Each frame structure 242 and its respective boiler components (i.e., superheater 224, economizer 226, and / or evaporator 228) can be arranged as a whole to resemble an open, exposed position ( Fig.28 ) and closed, operating position ( Fig.29) can be moved relative to the housing 241 in a transferable manner by a pulling motion between the housing 241 and the housing 241. Any or all of the superheaters 224, economizers 226 and / or evaporators 228 can be moved in a modular manner to an open, exposed position, such as when the system 10 ( Figure 1 ) when not in operation for maintenance or replacement. When the boiler assembly is moved to an open, exposed position, some of the interconnected pipes defining the primary water path 160 need to be separated. The superheater 224, economizer 226, and / or evaporator 228 can be slid back into the housing 241 and into a closed, operational position, and the interconnected pipes can be reconnected. This modular approach can greatly reduce the downtime of the system 10 and the cost of performing routine maintenance of the boiler 240.

[0103] In another embodiment, the boiler 20 may be a coaxial heater having a central combustion chamber and a fluidized bed. A generally cylindrical evaporator is coaxially disposed with the combustion chamber, and a superheater and an economizer are coaxially disposed outside the axis of the evaporator. Other embodiments may use boilers having other structures and / or components and / or component arrangements.

[0104] Power Generation Department

[0105] Fig.30 2 is an isometric view of the power generation section assembly 22 having a generator 28 driven by a steam engine 26. In the embodiment shown, the generator 28 is a 175 kW induction generator having an operating output in excess of about 150 kW (200 hp). The electricity generated by the generator 28 is used to power any additional loads, including the blower, any pumps, the motors that turn the rotating parts, etc. Excess electricity can be used locally or supplied to a selected power grid.

[0106] The steam engine 26 driving the generator 28 receives the steam from the heater 20 ( Figure 1 ) of superheated primary steam, and the primary steam is expanded to 207 kPa (~30 psia) in the steam engine. The steam engine is a cylinder reciprocating piston engine with a head assembly 300, wherein the head assembly 300 is configured to use hot steam at a temperature exceeding about 480°C (900°F) and will operate for a long time at a high pressure, such as about 4130 kPa (600 psia). In the embodiment shown, the steam engine 26 is a six-cylinder steam engine, although other steam engines such as a V-8 reciprocating piston steam engine can also be used.

[0107] Fig.3130 is an enlarged top isometric view of a portion of a steam engine head 301 removed from the engine body. The head assembly 300 shown includes a head 301 made of steel and includes a steam inlet portion 302 for each cylinder. The steam inlet portion is positioned approximately above the cylinder head. The head assembly 300 includes a valve train 304 having a poppet valve 306 and an associated rocker arm 308 for each cylinder. The crankshaft 310 has a plurality of precisely curved cams 312 for each intake poppet valve 306a and exhaust poppet valve 306b. The rotation of the crankshaft 310 and the associated cams 312 can control the opening and closing of the intake poppet valve 306a and the exhaust poppet valve 306b to provide specific operating parameters of the steam engine 26.

[0108] The reciprocating steam cycle of the steam engine 26 consists of four different events occurring in the two strokes of the steam piston in its cylinder. Starting from the top dead center (TDC), the cylinder's intake valve 306a opens and superheated high-pressure steam (received from the heater) flows through the steam inlet 302 and into the cylinder while the piston moves downward toward the bottom dead center (BDC). At a specified critical volume of steam, the intake valve 306b closes and the piston completes the power stroke to BDC. At BDC, the exhaust valve 306b opens, and the exhaust stroke opens as the piston moves upward toward TDC. At a specific point in time before TDC, the exhaust valve 306b closes, so the cylinder pressure rises to close to the heater pressure. This reduces throttling losses when the intake valve 306a opens.

[0109] When the steam engine 26 of the illustrated embodiment is operated with steam based on a boiler pressure of about 4130 kPa (600 psia), the intake valve 306a and the exhaust valve 306b must be accurately operated by a precise cam profile and valve mechanism to maximize the efficiency and power of the steam engine at a given boiler pressure and steam engine torque limit. In the illustrated embodiment, when the boiler pressure is about 4130 kPa (600 psia), the cut-off ratio of each cylinder (i.e., the ratio of the cut-off volume of the cylinder to the total volume) is about 11%. Therefore, the intake valve 306a must be opened to a sufficient length to fill the high-pressure primary steam to 11% of the cylinder. The steam engine 26 ( Fig.30 ) is arranged to provide a clearance volume of about 17.7cc, rather than the conventional clearance volume of about 70cc commonly used for steam engines with a compression ratio of about 9.8. This clearance volume of 17.7cc enables the required critical ratio of 11% to be achieved with 28 degrees of crankshaft rotation. Since the rotation speed of the crankshaft 310 is twice that of the crankshaft, the crankshaft 310 and cam 312 must open and close each intake valve 306a in 14 degrees of rotation. This rapid movement is controlled by the cam profile and the intake valve 306a structure.

[0110] Fig.31 and Fig.32 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the head assembly 300 showing the intake cam 312a, intake valve 306a and associated rocker arm 308a. Because the critical ratio of the steam engine of the illustrated embodiment is only 11%, the cam profile of each intake cam 312a includes a very small lobe 314 configured to quickly and accurately rotate the corresponding rocker arm 308a to open and close the associated intake valve 306a. The shape of the small lobe must have a relatively inclined transition area 316 located on the cam profile, which produces a generally protruding small radius bend that the cam follower 318 must follow. In the illustrated embodiment, the cam follower 318 is a rolling cam follower rotatably carried by a pair of bearings 320 in the rocker arm 308a above the corresponding intake cam 312a. This arrangement of the rolling cam follower 318 and the bearing 320 in the rocker arm 308a allows the cam follower 318 to control inertial loads during operation of the steam engine 26.

[0111] like Fig.33 As shown, when the intake valve 306a is closed, its valve head 319 is arranged above the valve seat 321 of the head 301 in a sealed manner, and the steam inlet portion 302 transmits primary steam to the upper part of the intake valve 306a (i.e., the upper part of the valve head). The valve structure 304 is arranged in a cam follower 318 vertically positioned above the corresponding cam 312, and the cam follower 318 is spaced apart from the pivot pin 322 of the rocker arm. In addition, the distal end of the rocker arm 308 is positioned and snapped under the bottom surface of the shaft ring 324 threadedly attached to the upper part of the intake valve shaft 326. When the intake cam 312a rotates and the cam follower 318 snaps the small convex angle 314, the rocker arm 308 rotates upward around the pivot pin 322 and pulls the intake valve 306a upward to pull the valve head 319 in the direction away from the valve seat 321, thereby temporarily opening the intake valve 306a. Therefore, the intake valve 306a is a pull-type poppet valve. The intake valve 306a closes quickly when the cam lobe 314 passes the cam follower 318. Unlike the intake valve 306a, the exhaust valve 306b does not require such a fast reaction action and can be a push-type poppet valve.

[0112] The cylinder head structure shown will cause the heated high pressure steam to be located above the cylinder head, and the intake valve 306a needs to be located on the same side as the high pressure steam, otherwise the intake valve 306a will be opened by the steam pressure. When the intake valve is located above the head below the steam inlet portion 402, the high pressure steam closes the intake valve 306a. In the embodiment shown, the intake valve 306a is connected to a spring 328, which provides additional power to help lift and open the intake valve to allow steam to enter the cylinder when the piston moves from TDC until the critical volume (~11%) is reached.

[0113] The arrangement of the steam engine 26 of the illustrated embodiment can also provide improved temperature control of the steam engine during operation, especially when at higher RPM (i.e., ~1850) for a long time. Unlike conventional steam engines using double-acting cylinders, where steam pressure is applied to either side of the piston and discharged from either side of the piston, the steam engine 26 of the illustrated embodiment has a single-acting cylinder. In order to avoid steam leakage around the piston, especially at lower operating temperatures (i.e., during startup), the current steam engine 26 uses a liquid coolant input to the steam engine, and a radiator and heater are used to control the temperature of the steam engine. When the steam engine 26 is started but not preheated, the heater will keep the cylinder of the steam engine above the boiling temperature of water, so the steam will not condense. Because the high-pressure steam is heated, the temperature control system will be in cooling mode once the steam engine is running. Therefore, the temperature control system accurately controls the steam engine temperature and prevents the steam engine 26 from overheating and overcooling (i.e., below about 160°F) causing oil loss, where the oil in the crankcase and the water that leaks through the piston will mix and form an emulsion that is difficult to separate.

[0114] control

[0115] The fecal sludge waste treatment system 10 of the illustrated embodiment also includes a plurality of automatic, one-piece computer controllers that are interconnected and used to control the entire system 10 while requiring only minimal operator monitoring during normal operation. The control and monitoring of the devices and steps are primarily achieved by a central programmable controller (PLC) that collects input values ​​from sensors and sets the output levels of control devices such as valves and motors. The central programmable controller can also be configured to divide the entire system into management subsystems, such as a purified water / steam subsystem, a combustion subsystem, a fuel processing subsystem, and a power generation subsystem. Control input values ​​are provided to decoupled subsystems relative to each other to the desired extent. The subsystems can also be divided into control loops that provide set values ​​for each output value.

[0116] The purified water / steam subsystem is configured to provide steam to the power generation section 22 at a constant temperature and pressure and to provide heat (in the form of steam) to the sludge dryer assembly 14 for producing a sufficient amount of dry solid fuel. The control loop is used to adjust the amount of make-up water entering the system, the amount of condensed water entering the evaporator, the amount of steam passing through the steam engine, and the heat applied to the sludge dryer assembly. The purified water / steam subsystem is also configured to monitor and process external water such as city water entering the system and control the overall dissolved solids content of the heater water flowing through the discharge system.

[0117] The combustion subsystem is configured to provide sufficient heat to enable the purified water / steam system to produce steam at the correct amount and temperature. Control loops are provided for regulating gas flow through the fluidized bed, operating the propane burner during startup, and controlling gas pressure within the combustion chamber. The system also monitors combustion emissions, waste gas treatment, and maintenance operations such as removal and replacement of fluidized bed materials.

[0118] The fuel handling subsystem is configured to provide the correct amount of dry fuel to the combustion process and to handle the wastewater generated by the drying system. Control loops are used to provide the correct amount of wet fuel, to adjust the residence time of the dry fuel in the sludge dryer assembly, to measure the dry solid fuel entering the combustion chamber, and to handle water condensation and treatment processes.

[0119] The power generation subsystem is configured to supply power to the grid when conditions permit. The subsystem has control loops that regulate power output and adjust engine speed and torque through modulation of the engine throttle. The control subsystem and secondary loops can be integrated into a high-level controller that controls startup and shutdown sequences and properly controls emergency and alarm conditions.

[0120] In summary, it can be understood that the specific embodiments of the present invention described herein are only for examples, and various improvements can be made without departing from the present invention. In addition, the various aspects of the present invention described in the specific embodiments or examples can be combined in other embodiments or eliminated from other embodiments. Although the advantages related to some embodiments of the present invention have been described in these embodiments, other embodiments may also embody these advantages. In addition, not all embodiments need to embody these advantages to fall within the scope of the present invention. Therefore, unless limited by the claims, the present invention is not limited.

Claims

1. A multifunctional wet sludge treatment system, include: a sludge dryer assembly having a sludge inlet configured to receive sludge including a mixture of water and solid waste material, the sludge dryer assembly having a drying portion with a housing and a sludge advancing assembly located in the housing, wherein the sludge advancing assembly is rotatable to move the moist sludge within the housing along a waste path, the sludge dryer assembly having a heating portion adjacent the waste path and configured to dry the sludge and thermally separate at least some of the water from the solid waste material to provide a dry solid fuel, the sludge dryer assembly having a first steam inlet and a first steam outlet and a dry waste outlet; a burner assembly coupled to the dry waste outlet of the sludge dryer assembly, the burner assembly having a combustion portion that receives the solid fuel from the dry waste outlet and combusts the solid fuel to generate heat, and the burner assembly having a boiler that is heated by the heat generated from the combustion of the solid fuel, the boiler having a first water inlet and a second steam outlet; a steam driven generator coupled to said second steam outlet of said boiler and configured to generate electricity, said generator having a water outlet coupled to said first steam inlet of said sludge dryer assembly, wherein steam from said generator enters said first steam inlet, remains separate from said sludge in said waste path, and evaporates said water in said sludge moving in said drying section; a water pump having a second water inlet coupled to the water outlet of the steam driven generator, wherein the water pump is coupled to the first water inlet and the boiler is configured to convert a flow of water entering the boiler into a flow of steam to power the steam driven generator; Wherein, the sludge dryer assembly is a two-stage dryer having a first dryer section and a second dryer section in sequence, each dryer section being configured to dry the sludge by evaporating water from the sludge using heat from exhaust steam from the steam driven generator.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a condenser coupled between the sludge dryer assembly and the boiler, wherein the condenser is configured to receive steam from the sludge dryer assembly and provide liquid water to the boiler.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a clean water collection system coupled to the first steam outlet and configured to collect the water thermally separated from the wet sludge.

4. The system according to claim 1, in, The sludge advancing assembly is a steam heated spiral in the waste path and is configured to move and heat the sludge during the drying process.

5. The system according to claim 1, in, The first dryer section produces first dryer water from water separated from the sludge, and the second dryer section has a first water carrier coupled to the first dryer section and configured to carry the first dryer water to the sludge adjacent to and independently of the second dryer section, and the second dryer section has a second water carrier independent of the first water carrier and configured to carry the exhaust steam from the steam-driven generator adjacent to the sludge, wherein heat from the first water carrier and the second water carrier dries the sludge moving therein.

6. A sludge treatment system for generating clean water, include: a sludge dryer assembly having a dryer housing having a sludge inlet configured to receive a sludge flow along a waste path, the sludge comprising a mixture of water and solid waste material, the sludge dryer assembly having a heater system coupled to the dryer housing, and a water vapor passage adjacent to and independent of the waste path; the heater system configured to heat the sludge in the dryer housing and thermally separate water vapor from the solid waste material to provide dried waste material, the dryer housing having a water vapor outlet and a solid fuel outlet, the heater system having a water vapor inlet and a water outlet; and; a water vapor collection assembly connected to the water vapor outlet of the dryer housing to receive the water vapor thermally separated from the solid waste material, and the water vapor collection assembly connected to the water vapor inlet of the heater system and configured to direct the water vapor from the dryer housing to the heater to heat the sludge in the dryer housing moving along the waste path; and a water collection system connected to the water outlet of the heater system and configured to transport water in vapor and / or liquid phase away from the heater system; wherein the sludge dryer assembly is a two-stage dryer having a first dryer stage and a second dryer stage in series, wherein the heater system includes a first heater formed as part of the first dryer stage and a second heater formed as part of the second dryer stage, wherein the first dryer stage heats the sludge to provide concentrated sludge to the second dryer stage, wherein the second dryer stage heats the concentrated sludge to form the dried waste material, wherein the first dryer stage includes the water vapor outlet, and wherein the second heater includes the water vapor inlet which receives water vapor from the water vapor collection assembly and uses the water vapor to heat the sludge provided to the second dryer stage.

7. The sludge treatment system according to claim 6, further comprising: include: a burner assembly coupled to the solid fuel outlet of the dryer housing and configured to receive the dried waste material from the second dryer stage, the burner assembly having a burner configured to receive and combust the dried waste material, and having a boiler configured to receive heat from the burner; a primary water circuit that carries primary water to the boiler that heats the primary water to form steam, wherein the boiler includes a first steam outlet; and a power generation section, comprising a steam engine and a generator driven by the steam engine, the steam engine being coupled to the first steam outlet to receive steam therefrom, the generator being configured to generate electricity, the first heater having a fluid path with a steam inlet and a fluid outlet, the steam-driven generator using the steam inlet to discharge steam to the fluid path, wherein heat from the exhaust steam in the fluid path boils the water in the sludge to form the concentrated sludge, wherein the steam in the fluid path is condensed into liquid, and wherein the boiler receives the liquid through the fluid outlet and is configured to convert liquid water into steam to drive the generator.

8. The sludge treatment system of claim 6, wherein the sludge dryer assembly includes a sludge advance assembly rotatably positioned within the dryer housing and configured to move the sludge along the waste path during the drying process.

9. The sludge treatment system of claim 6, wherein the sludge advancement system is a steam heated spiral in the waste path and is configured to heat the sludge moving along the waste path during the drying process.

10. A method for treating wet sludge for power generation and clean water using a multifunctional waste treatment system, include: directing a flow of wet sludge to an inlet of a fuel path of a fuel dryer assembly, wherein the sludge comprises a mixture of water and solid fuel material, directing the sludge flow along the fuel path through a heater portion of the fuel dryer assembly and boiling the moist fecal sludge and thermally separating the water from the solid fuel material to provide a dry fuel, the fuel dryer assembly having a first steam outlet and a dry fuel outlet; condensing steam released from the moist fecal sludge in a condenser, wherein the condenser has a fresh water condenser assembly coupled to the first steam outlet and is configured to condense the steam released from the moist fecal sludge for use as drinking water; receiving a dry fuel from the dry fuel outlet of the fuel dryer assembly in a dry fuel burner assembly having a burner portion and having a boiler configured to receive heat from the burner portion, the boiler having a water inlet and a second steam outlet; a steam inlet of a fluid path directing steam from the boiler to a condenser portion of the fuel dryer assembly, wherein the fluid path through the condenser is independent of the fuel path and has a fluid outlet; burning the dry fuel in the burner section to generate heat which boils water in the boiler to generate steam; generating electricity using the steam received from the second steam outlet of the boiler using a steam driven generator having a third steam outlet coupled to the steam inlet of the condenser section; directing condensed steam from said fresh water condenser assembly through a water treatment system which receives said condensed steam in a vapor phase or a liquid phase or both, wherein said condensed steam passes as liquid water through a purifier and a filter to provide said drinking water; and pumping water from the fluid outlet of the condenser portion of the fuel dryer using a water pump; wherein the water is pumped from the water outlet of the water pump to the water inlet of the boiler; wherein the boiler converts a water flow entering the boiler into a steam flow to drive the steam driven generator; and wherein the fuel dryer is a two-stage dryer having a first dryer stage and a second dryer stage in sequence, each dryer stage is coupled to the condenser section, and the sludge in each of the first dryer stage and the second dryer stage is dried by evaporating water from the fecal sludge using heat from exhaust steam from the steam driven generator.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising moving and heating the sludge in the fuel dryer with a steam heated spiral in the fuel carrier during the drying process.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating sludge steam from the fecal sludge using the first dryer stage and drying the sludge in the second dryer stage using the sludge steam from the first dryer stage.

13. The method according to claim 10, in, The first dryer stage generates first dryer steam from evaporation of water in the fecal sludge, and the second dryer stage has a first steam bearing section coupled to the first dryer stage and the first steam bearing section carries the first dryer steam adjacent to the fecal sludge, and the second dryer stage has a second steam bearing section independent of the first steam bearing section and the second steam bearing section carries the exhaust steam from the steam driven generator adjacent to the fecal sludge, wherein heat from the first steam bearing section and the second steam bearing section dries the fecal sludge moving therein.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising receiving exhaust steam from the steam driven generator in the condenser portion of the fuel dryer assembly, the fuel dryer having a first dryer stage connected to a fuel inlet and having a first heater portion coupled to the condenser, the first heater portion utilizing heat from the exhaust steam to evaporate a first portion of water from the fecal sludge, a second dryer stage connected to the first dryer stage utilizing heat from the exhaust steam to evaporate a second portion of water from the concentrated fecal sludge received by the first dryer stage.

15. The method according to claim 10, in, The condenser of the fuel dryer assembly receives exhaust steam from the steam driven generator through the steam inlet, and the fuel dryer assembly has a single-stage dryer section connected to the fuel inlet and adjacent to the condenser section, the single-stage dryer section using heat from the exhaust steam in the condenser to evaporate water from the fecal sludge.

16. The method according to claim 10, in, The combustor section is a fluidized bed combustor assembly.

17. The method according to claim 10, in, Power generation involves the use of single-acting liquid-cooled steam engines to generate electricity.

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