METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF PARTICULATE BIODEGRADABLE ORGANIC WASTE

摘要

A method for treating particulate biodegradable organic waste includes adjusting the pH as necessary to provide an acidic pH prior to introducing the waste to a thermal hydrolysis reactor and hydrolyzing the waste at a temperature of about 130° C. or greater and a pressure greater than the saturated water vapor pressure to produce a slurry including solubilized organic material and residual solids. The solubilized organic material is separated from the residual solids using a liquid/solid separator and the solubilized organics are subjected to anaerobic digestion to produce a methane gas. The method may further include preheating the particulate biodegradable organic waste with latent heat of the separated solubilized organic material prior to thermal hydrolysis.