PROCESS AND PRODUCTS USING A ROTARY COMPRESSION UNIT

摘要

A fertilizer/soil conditioner or a fuel source material is formed by processing animal waste by-products through the use of a rotary biomass dryer system. The animal waste by-product includes without limitation manure obtained from cattle or swine; feed lot bedding, poultry litter, a digestate of animal waste by-products obtained from an anaerobic digester, municipal waste, waste meat renderings, waste meat, or a mixture thereof. The processed material may comprise a higher amount of ash and a lower amount of volatile material than the animal waste by-product. The processed material may be stored as a powder or processed into pellets, logs, pucks, briquettes or another convenient shape form.

主权项

1. A method of converting an animal waste by-product into a fertilizer/soil conditioner or a fuel source material, the method comprising:
providing an animal waste by-product having a moisture content between about 2 wt. % and about 90 wt. %; providing a rotary biomass dryer system comprising:
a feeding mechanism;a rapid compression unit (RCU) having a screw and a barrel, and optionally, one or more flow disruptors;at least one of a reflux condenser and a gas management manifold;an aftercooler stage; andan exit mechanism; feeding the animal waste by-product through the feeding mechanism; mixing and heating the animal waste by-product in the RCU; separating the animal waste by-product into steam and a fertilizer/soil conditioner or fuel source material; removing the steam from the rotary biomass dryer system; cooling the fertilizer/soil conditioner or fuel source material in the aftercooler stage; and collecting the fertilizer/soil conditioner or fuel source material after the fertilizer/soil conditioner or fuel source exits through the exit mechanism.