초록 ▼

A process and apparatus for recycling municipal domestic waste comprises subjecting the waste to steam at 150° C.-200°. After steam treatment, the resultant material is separated into constituent parts and biomass and/or plastics subjected to further treatment. The further treatment preferably produ

A process and apparatus for recycling municipal domestic waste comprises subjecting the waste to steam at 150° C.-200°. After steam treatment, the resultant material is separated into constituent parts and biomass and/or plastics subjected to further treatment. The further treatment preferably produces bioethanol from the biomass and diesel from the plastics. As an alternative, some or all of the biomass may be gasified in order to produce hydrogen which may, in turn be fed to a fuel cell to produce an electrical output. The bio diesel or bioalcohol can also be used to produce electricity.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An apparatus for continuously treating solid waste material comprising: a) a non-pressurized vessel, wherein the non-pressurized vessel is a vessel that operates at a pressure under 2 bar, with an inlet for waste material to be introduced at a predetermined rate so that, in use, the waste materia

1. An apparatus for continuously treating solid waste material comprising: a) a non-pressurized vessel, wherein the non-pressurized vessel is a vessel that operates at a pressure under 2 bar, with an inlet for waste material to be introduced at a predetermined rate so that, in use, the waste material only fills the non-pressurized vessel to a known fill level, the vessel including, i) an outlet for treated waste;ii) conveyor means for transferring treated waste material at a predetermined rate to the outlet such that the known fill level is maintained during operation of the apparatus, andiii) a plurality of steam inlets fixed at the non-pressurized vessel for selectively injecting steam in to the interior of said non-pressurized vessel, the interior of the non-pressurized vessel comprising a first zone and a second zone wherein, in use, the first zone is mainly filled with waste material and the second zone is largely empty of waste material;b) a drive arranged to rotate the non-pressurized vessel and thus move the steam inlets between the first zone and the second zone such that only some of the steam inlets are in said first zone at any time;c) a distributor valve for directing steam from a steam generator to the steam inlets, said distributor valve comprising a valve body having an inlet opening fluidly connectable to the steam generator and a plurality of outlet openings fluidly connectable to the steam inlets, wherein the valve is arranged so that at any time at least one of the outlet openings is fluidly disconnected from the inlet opening, whereby steam is supplied only to at least one steam inlet in the first zone of the vessel interior; andd) heating means for heating and/or maintaining the temperature of the interior of the non-pressurized vessel to a temperature of 150° C. to 200° C., the heating means consisting of means for heating of air at the non-pressurized vessel. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outlet is connected to a sorting chamber where the treated waste material is separated into plastics, ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals and biomass of cellulose material. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the biomass is transferred to a hyperbaric engine or a fuel cell or to a conversion unit for converting the biomass into biodiesel or an organic alcohol, such as bio-ethanol or bio-butanol, or an aviation fuel. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the apparatus further includes electrical generators powered by the biodiesel or organic alcohol. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inlet opening of the distributor valve is arranged to be fluidly connected to only one outlet opening of the distributor valve at a time. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inlet opening is in an inlet manifold of the distributor valve, with a fluid connection extending in an axial direction through a rotatable valve chamber of the distributor valve to the valve body. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the rotatable valve chamber has further includes a steam feed for supplying steam to a heating jacket and a condensate return for receiving condensate from the heating jacket, and the steam feed is fluidly connected to a steam line in the inlet manifold and the condensate return is fluidly connected to a return line in the inlet manifold. 8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the inlet manifold is non-rotatable. 9. A method for treating waste material comprising the steps of: a) inputting particulate waste material into the non-pressurized vessel of claim 1,b) heating via the heating means and maintaining the interior of the non-pressurized vessel at a temperature of between 150° C. and 200° C., andc) treating the particulate waste material with steam at a temperature of 150° C. and 200° C., wherein the steam is injected only in to the particulate waste material. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the method is a continuous method with waste material being input at the inlet of the non-pressurized vessel and treated waste material being output at the outlet of the non-pressurized vessel. 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the treated waste material comprises a biomass of cellulose, plastics, ferrous metals and non-ferrous metals.