Pretreatment of high solid microbial sludges
A process and apparatus are disclosed for pretreating microbial sludges in order to enhance secondary anaerobic digestion. The pretreatment process involves disrupting the cellular integrity of municipal sewage sludge through a combination of thermal, explosive decompression and shear forces. The sludge is pressurized and pumped to a pretreatment reactor where it is mixed with steam to heat and soften the sludge. The pressure of the sludge is suddenly reduced and explosive decompression forces are imparted which partially disrupt the cellular integrity of the sludge. Shear forces are then applied to the sludge to further disrupt the cellular integrity of the sludge. Disrupting cellular integrity releases both soluble and insoluble organic constituents and thereby renders municipal sewage sludge more amenable to secondary anaerobic digestion. 1 fig.
- Research Organization:
- Midwest Research Institute, Kansas City, MO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-83CH10093
- Assignee:
- Midwest Research Inst., Kansas City, MO (United States)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 5,785,852/A/
- Application Number:
- PAN: 8-418,592
- OSTI ID:
- 672486
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 28 Jul 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Pretreatment of microbial sludges