Apparatus for the treatment of waste

Claim 1

A retort for treating waste, comprising: a sloped rotating drum having a front end and a back end, the front end being in a higher position with respect to the back end; rotating means being mounted to the drum for rotating the drum; fins being affixed to the exterior surface of the drum; scrapers being mounted in the drum for scraping material from the surface of the drum; baffles mounted in the interior surface of the drum; a drum enclosure for enclosing the drum and forming a chamber therebetween, the chamber being isolated from the interior of the drum; a burner being mounted apart from the drum and having a fire tube, the burner generating hot exhaust gases; a first conduit for conveying the hot exhaust gases to the chamber where the exhaust gases release heat to the drum whereby the exhaust gases are cooled; a second conduit for returning cooled exhaust gases from the chamber to the burner, flowing the returned cooled exhaust gases over the fire tube to cool the fire tube, and mixing the returned cooled exhaust gases with hot exhaust gases generated by the burner; a fan being mounted in the second conduit for providing the driving force for conveying the exhaust gases from the burner to the chamber and for returning the cooled exhaust gases to the burner; a damper being mounted in the second conduit for regulating the amount of cooled exhaust gases being returned to the burner from the chamber; an exhaust line for exhausting exhaust gases to the atmosphere; a seal for sealing the chamber from the atmosphere whereby fluid communication between the chamber and the atmosphere is provided through the exhaust line only; a screw conveyor being connected to the back end of the drum by a collection chamber, the screw conveyor having an inlet and an outlet; a conveyor enclosure enclosing a portion of the conveyor and forming a flow passage therebetween, the flow passage having an inlet and an outlet; an air compressor being connected to the inlet of the flow passage; an air conduit for connecting the outlet of the flow passage to the air inlet of the burner; a collector being connected to the outlet of the screw conveyor; a bucket elevator being connected to the collector and having a bucket elevator discharge; a storage tank being connected to the bucket elevator discharge; a vapor conduit being in fluid communication with the front end of the drum; an accumulator being connected to the outlet of the vapor conduit; an overhead line connecting the overhead of the accumulator with the fuel burning side of the burner; a compressor for providing a driving force for vapors slowing in the overhead line; a first liquid line for removing liquid from one section of the accumulator; a second liquid line for removing liquid from another section of the accumulator; a first pump being connected to the first liquid line; a second pump being connected to the second liquid line; a pressure equalizing line connecting the second exchanger and the accumulator; a feed conduit being connected to the front end of the drum; a first heat exchanger for providing heat exchange between the feed conduit and the vapor conduit; a second heat exchanger for providing heat exchange between the feed conduit and the vapor conduit; a centrifuge being connected to the feed conduit; and a feed pump being connected to the feed conduit.