Screenings washer

1. A method of processing screenings using a screenings washer having a hopper; a grinder coupled to the hopper downstream of the hopper; and a washer coupled to the grinder downstream of the grinder; wherein the washer includes an auger rotor that rotates about an auger rotor axis, a spray wash system, a perforated trough disposed at a bottom of said auger rotor, and a tubular casing directly coupled to a discharge end of said auger rotor, the tubular casing having a severe bend proximate to the discharge end of said auger rotor; said method comprising:

(1) feeding the screenings into the hopper for conveyance directly to the grinder;

(2) grinding the screenings in the grinder to produce ground screenings;

(3) feeding the ground screenings directly to the auger rotor;

(4) washing the ground screenings in the auger rotor by spraying a wash fluid under pressure directly onto a portion of the auger rotor and the ground screenings and operating the auger rotor in a forward sequence, in which the auger rotor rotates in a direction that transports the ground screenings towards the discharge end of the auger rotor;

(5) transporting the ground screenings by the auger rotor directly to the severe bend; and

(6) compacting and de-watering the ground screenings by forcing the ground screenings through the severe bend which partially obstructs transportation of the ground screenings therethrough.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said compaction and de-watering removes about 50 percent of liquid from the ground screenings discharged from severe bend.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said step of compaction and de-watering reduces a volume of the ground screenings by about 75 to 80 percent.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising controlling the auger rotor to:

(1) first, operate in a first forward sequence, in which the auger rotor rotates in a direction that transports the ground screenings towards the discharge end, for a first predetermined amount of time;

(2) next, operate in a reverse sequence, in which the auger rotor rotates in a direction opposite to that of the forward sequence, for a second predetermined amount of time; and

(3) next, operate in a second forward sequence, in which the auger rotor rotates in the direction that transports the ground screenings towards the discharge end, for a third predetermined amount of time.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising controlling the auger rotor to stop rotating for a fourth period of time between the reverse sequence and the second forward sequence so that the ground screenings are subjected to multiple washings.

6. The screenings washer according to claim 4 , further comprising continuously cycling through the first forward sequence, reverse sequence and second forward sequence.

7. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising monitoring at least one of a current and a voltage corresponding to a power consumption of the screenings washer; and, when the power consumption exceeds a maximum allowable threshold value, changing a run sequence of the auger rotor to a forward only sequence, in which the auger rotor only rotates in a direction that transports the ground screenings towards the discharge end.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the spray wash system is positioned below the grinder, so that the ground screenings are washed as they first contact the auger rotor.

9. A method of processing screenings using a screenings washer having a hopper; a grinder coupled to the hopper downstream of the hopper; and a washer coupled to the grinder downstream of the grinder; wherein the washer includes an auger rotor that rotates about an auger rotor axis, a spray wash system, a perforated trough disposed at a bottom of said auger rotor, and a tubular casing directly coupled to a discharge end of said auger rotor, the tubular casing having a severe bend proximate to the discharge end of said auger rotor; said method comprising:

(1) feeding the screenings into the hopper for conveyance to the grinder;

(2) grinding the screenings in the grinder to produce ground screenings;

(3) feeding the ground screenings directly to the auger rotor;

(4) washing the ground screenings in the auger rotor by spraying a wash fluid under pressure directly onto a portion of the auger rotor and the ground screenings and operating the auger rotor in a forward sequence, in which the auger rotor rotates in a direction that transports the ground screenings towards the discharge end of the auger rotor;

(5) transporting the ground screenings by the auger rotor directly to the severe bend; and

(6) compacting and de-watering the ground screenings by forcing the ground screenings through the severe bend which partially obstructs transportation of the ground screenings therethrough, and further comprising:

monitoring at least one of a current and a voltage corresponding to a power consumption of the screenings washer; and, when the power consumption exceeds a maximum allowable threshold value, setting a run sequence of the auger rotor to the forward sequence only, in which the auger rotor only rotates in a direction that transports the ground screenings towards the discharge end, and wherein

when the power consumption exceeds a maximum allowable threshold value, the control unit causes the spray wash system to spray wash fluid onto the auger rotor.

10. A method of processing screenings using a screenings washer having a hopper; a grinder coupled to the hopper downstream of the hopper, the grinder comprising two or more counter-rotating shafts with intermeshing cutters; and a washer coupled to the grinder downstream of the grinder; wherein the washer includes an auger rotor that rotates about an auger rotor axis, a spray wash system, a perforated trough disposed at a bottom of said auger rotor, and a tubular casing directly coupled to a discharge end of said auger rotor, the tubular casing having a severe bend proximate to the discharge end of said auger rotor; said method comprising:

(1) feeding the screenings into the hopper for conveyance to the grinder;

(2) grinding the screenings between the counter-rotating shafts with intermeshing cutters, to produce ground screenings;

(3) feeding the ground screenings directly to the auger rotor;

(4) washing the ground screenings in the auger rotor by spraying a wash fluid under pressure directly onto a portion of the auger rotor and the ground screenings and operating the auger rotor in a forward sequence, in which the auger rotor rotates in a direction that transports the ground screenings towards the discharge end of the auger rotor;

(5) transporting the ground screenings by the auger rotor directly to the severe bend; and

(6) compacting and de-watering the ground screenings by forcing the ground screenings through the severe bend which partially obstructs transportation of the ground screenings therethrough.