Systems and methods for combining and converting solid and liquid organic waste materials into useful products
Systems and methods are provided for converting organic waste materials from a municipal waste stream to useful products, such as fuels. Through the use of a biomixer and a hydropulper, as well as through sorting and screening, the organic waste materials are progressively reduced in size and cleaned of contamination. The resulting uniform biomass is suitable for anaerobic digestion to produce biogas and a residual solid that is suitable for producing a high quality compost. A quantity of liquid organic waste material can be added to the biomixer, to the hydropulper and/or to the anaerobic digester. The quantity of liquid organic waste material can be obtained by separating the liquids from any containers and can be stored in a holding tank prior to being added to the biomixer, the hydropulper and/or the anaerobic digester.
1. A method for converting organic waste materials, comprising:
processing a first portion of the organic waste materials and a quantity of liquid organic waste material in a biomixer to create a partially hydrolyzed biomass;
screening the partially hydrolyzed biomass into unders that pass through a first screen mesh;
hydropulping the unders to remove heavier and lighter materials and to create a slurry of the remainder; and
removing grit from the slurry.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising separating the quantity of liquid organic waste material from any containers prior to processing the first portion of the organic waste materials and the quantity of liquid organic waste material in the biomixer.
3. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the quantity of liquid organic waste material in a holding tank prior to processing the first portion of the organic waste materials and the quantity of liquid organic waste material in the biomixer.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising screening a second portion of the organic waste materials into unders that pass through a second screen mesh and overs that do not pass through the second screen mesh, wherein the unders from the second portion of the organic waste materials are hydropulped with the unders from the partially hydrolyzed biomass to create the slurry.
5. The method of claim 4 further comprising processing the overs with the first portion of the organic waste materials in the biomixer.
6. The method of claim 4 further comprising grinding the unders from the second portion of the organic waste materials prior to hydropulping.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising sorting the organic waste materials prior to processing the first portion of the organic waste materials in the biomixer.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising anaerobically digesting the slurry to produce biogas and a residual solid.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising dewatering the residual solid and composting the dewatered residual solid.
10. The method of claim 9 further comprising recycling water from dewatering the residual solid back to hydropulping.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the organic waste materials include source separated organic waste materials.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the organic waste materials include municipal solid waste.
13. A method for converting organic waste materials, comprising:
processing a first portion of the organic waste materials in a biomixer to create a partially hydrolyzed biomass;
screening the partially hydrolyzed biomass into unders that pass through a first screen mesh;
hydropulping the unders and a quantity of liquid organic waste material to remove heavier and lighter materials and to create a slurry of the remainder; and
removing grit from the slurry.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising separating the quantity of liquid organic waste material from any containers prior to hydropulping the unders and the quantity of liquid organic waste material.
15. The method of claim 13 further comprising storing the quantity of liquid organic waste material in a holding tank prior to hydropulping the unders and the quantity of liquid organic waste material.
16. The method of claim 13 further comprising screening a second portion of the organic waste materials into unders that pass through a second screen mesh and overs that do not pass through the second screen mesh, wherein the unders from the second portion of the organic waste materials are hydropulped with the unders from the partially hydrolyzed biomass to create the slurry.
17. The method of claim 16 further comprising processing the overs with the first portion of the organic waste materials in the biomixer.
18. The method of claim 16 further comprising grinding the unders from the second portion of the organic waste materials prior to hydropulping.
19. The method of claim 13 further comprising sorting the organic waste materials prior to processing the first portion of the organic waste materials in the biomixer.
20. The method of claim 13 further comprising anaerobically digesting the slurry to produce biogas and a residual solid.
21. The method of claim 20 further comprising dewatering the residual solid and composting the dewatered residual solid.
22. The method of claim 21 further comprising recycling water from dewatering the residual solid back to hydropulping.
23. The method of claim 13 wherein the organic waste materials include source separated organic waste materials.
24. The method of claim 13 wherein the organic waste materials include municipal solid waste.
25. A method for converting organic waste materials, comprising:
processing a first portion of the organic waste materials in a biomixer to create a partially hydrolyzed biomass;
screening the partially hydrolyzed biomass into unders that pass through a first screen mesh;
hydropulping the unders to remove heavier and lighter materials and to create a slurry of the remainder;
removing grit from the slurry; and
anaerobically digesting the slurry and a quantity of liquid organic waste material to produce biogas and a residual solid.
26. The method of claim 25 further comprising separating the quantity of liquid organic waste material from any containers prior to anaerobically digesting the slurry and the quantity of liquid organic waste material.
27. The method of claim 25 further comprising storing the quantity of liquid organic waste material in a holding tank prior to anaerobically digesting the slurry and the quantity of liquid organic waste material.
28. The method of claim 25 further comprising screening a second portion of the organic waste materials into unders that pass through a second screen mesh and overs that do not pass through the second screen mesh, wherein the unders from the second portion of the organic waste materials are hydropulped with the unders from the partially hydrolyzed biomass to create the slurry.
29. The method of claim 28 further comprising processing the overs with the first portion of the organic waste materials in the biomixer.
30. The method of claim 28 further comprising grinding the unders from the second portion of the organic waste materials prior to hydropulping.
31. The method of claim 25 further comprising sorting the organic waste materials prior to processing the first portion of the organic waste materials in the biomixer.
32. The method of claim 25 further comprising dewatering the residual solid and composting the dewatered residual solid.
33. The method of claim 32 further comprising recycling water from dewatering the residual solid back to hydropulping.
34. The method of claim 25 wherein the organic waste materials include source separated organic waste materials.
35. The method of claim 25 wherein the organic waste materials include municipal solid waste.