Method for the continuous thermal hydrolysis of sludges containing organic matter, said method comprising the steps of: simultaneously injecting pressurized steam (100) into said sludges and mixing said sludges with said steam by means of a dynamic mixer-injector (4) so as to obtain a single-phase mixture, conveying said single-phase mixture towards a tube reactor (4) under pressure and bringing about the plug flow of this mixture into said reactor for a retention time that is sufficient and at a temperature that is sufficient to enable the thermal hydrolysis of the organic matter present in said sludges, cooling said single-phase mixture at its exit from said tube reactor to a temperature enabling the subsequent digestion of the hydrolyzed organic matter that it contains, depressurizing said cooled single-phase mixture.

Disclosed are: a treatment method comprising (1) a step in which an aqueous solution containing urea, ammonia and carbon dioxide is introduced into a first stripper (PCS1) and subjected to stripping, and the aqueous solution after stripping is introduced into a urea hydrolyzer (UHY), (2) a step in which urea in the aqueous solution is hydrolyzed in the urea hydrolyzer (UHY), and the aqueous solution after hydrolysis is introduced into a second stripper (PCS2), (3) a step in which the aqueous solution is subjected to stripping in the second stripper (PCS2), and (4) a step in which a part of the aqueous solution before being stripped in the first stripper (PCS1), and/or, a part of the aqueous solution after being stripped in the first stripper (PCS1) but before being hydrolyzed in the urea hydrolyzer (UHY) is introduced into an exhaust gas treatment equipment equipped with an ammonia scrubbing equipment (ASCR); and a treatment equipment therefor.

The invention relates to a method of separating and purifying products from a high pressure processing system adapted for processing a feed mixture comprising carbonaceous material(-s) at a pressure of from about 150 bar to about 400 bar and a temperature from about 300 C. to about 430 C. in the presence of homogeneous catalysts in the form of potassium and/or sodium in a concentration of at least 0.5% by weight and liquid organic compounds in a concentration from about 5% to about 40% by weight in a predefined time thereby producing a converted feed mixture, wherein the converted feed mixture is cooled to a temperature in the range 50 to 250 C., and depressurized to a pressure in the range 1 to 150 bar, and where the converted feed mixture is separated in to a gas phase comprising carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and methane, an oil phase comprising oil phase liquid organic compounds, and a water phase comprising water phase liquid organic compounds, dissolved salts and optionally suspended particles, where the water phase liquid organic compounds and dissolved homogenous catalysts in the form of potassium and/or sodium are at least partly recovered from said water phase thereby producing a first water phase stream enriched in water phase liquid organic compounds and homogeneous catalysts in the form of potassium and sodium, and a second water phase stream depleted in water phase liquid organic compounds and homogeneous catalysts in the form of potassium and sodium, where the first water phase is at least partly recycled to said the feed mixture to provide at least part of said liquid organic compounds and homogeneous catalysts in the feed mixture, and where further a bleed stream is withdrawn from said water phase enriched in water phase liquid organic compounds and homogeneous catalysts in the form of potassium and sodium prior to recycling said first recycle stream to the feed mixture.

A method for treating a urea aqueous solution includes a first stripping step of steam stripping an aqueous solution containing urea, ammonia and carbon dioxide at 0.2 to 0.6 MPaA in a first stripper to separate ammonia and carbon dioxide from this aqueous solution into a gas phase; a hydrolysis step of hydrolyzing urea in the solution obtained from the first stripping step at an LHSV of 10 to 20 h.sup.1, at 1.1 to 3.1 MPaA and 180 to 230 C. in a catalytic hydrolyzer; and a second stripping step of steam stripping a liquid obtained in the hydrolysis step in a second stripper to separate ammonia and carbon dioxide from this liquid into a gas phase. The residual urea concentration can be reduced to 1 ppm or lower; the residual ammonia concentration can be decreased; LHSV can be increased; and an increase in apparatus size is minimized.

The invention pertains to a method for the continuous thermal hydrolysis of sludge to be treated, containing organic matter, said method comprising the steps of simultaneously carrying out the injection of recovered steam into said sludge and mixing said sludge with said recovered steam by means of a primary dynamic injector-mixer so as to obtain a primary uniform mixture; simultaneously carrying out the injection of fresh steam into said primary uniform mixture and mixing said primary uniform mixture with said fresh steam by means of a secondary dynamic injector-mixer so as to obtain a secondary uniform mixture of sludge; conveying said secondary uniform mixture towards a tube reactor under pressure and prompting an essentially plug-type flow of this secondary uniform mixture into said reactor for a residence time that is sufficient and at a temperature that is sufficient to enable the thermal hydrolysis of the organic matter present in this secondary uniform mixture; producing said recovery steam within means for the production of recovered steam from said secondary uniform mixture obtained at exit from said tubular reactor; cooling said secondary uniform mixture when it exits said means for producing recovery steam to a temperature enabling the subsequent digestion of the hydrolyzed organic matter that it contains.

Method and plant to implement the continuous thermal hydrolysis of sludge to be treated containing organic matter, the method comprising at least: a. a step for de-structuring said sludge to be treated producing de-structured sludge; b. a step for the thermal hydrolysis of said de-structured sludge within a thermal hydrolysis reactor producing hydrolyzed sludge; c. a step for cooling said hydrolyzed sludge; said step for de-structuring consisting in: introducing said sludge to be treated into a dynamic mixer; heating said sludge coming from said dynamic mixer, this heating being obtained by the introduction, into a heat exchanger, on the one hand of said sludge coming from said dynamic mixer and, on the other hand, of said hydrolyzed sludge, this introduction inducing said cooling.

A method for the continuous thermal hydrolysis of organic material, which includes at least the stages of: a) pressurizing starting organic material at a pressure setpoint P1; b) inline mixing organic material with steam to obtain a mixture at a controlled temperature setpoint T1, selected below the steam saturation temperature of the mixture; c) continuously introducing the mixture obtained, which is in a liquid phase, into a hydrolysis reactor; d) continuously extracting hydrolyzed mixture from the hydrolysis reactor; and e) suddenly depressurizing the hydrolyzed mixture separating a liquid fraction from a steam fraction, which is recovered. The steam employed to produce the mixture in stage b) includes steam recovered in operation e) which is recompressed.

A process of treatment of carbonaceous material, such as wastewater sludge or organic waste, includes performing a thermal treatment of the carbonaceous material, thereby providing thermally treated carbonaceous material, cooling the thermally treated carbonaceous material, thereby providing cooled carbonaceous material, the cooling being performed using a vacuum cooling procedure, and performing a post-treatment of the cooled carbonaceous material, and at least one carbonaceous material degassing.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention a testing procedure, a processing procedure and a resulting product are provided whereby sewage sludge is primarily or firstly pre-hydrolyzed in whole or in part by means other than alkali. The alkali is then added to the pre-hydrolyzed product. The pre-hydrolyzed product from step one has a reduced potential for further hydrolysis and is more effectively stabilized in step 2 as a liquid biosolids-containing product or BSP. As a result, in accordance with the invention less of the alkali is used up in the step 2 further alkali-based hydrolysis of the pre-hydrolyzed product. The pH of the BSP product after the step 2 alkali treatment drops less over the period of storage and the BSP product will be better preserved against microbial regrowth.

Disclosed are an organic waste treatment apparatus and method with improved energy consumption efficiency and increased heating rates. An aspect of the present embodiment provides an organic waste treatment method and apparatus with improved energy consumption efficiency and increased heating rates. The apparatus includes a preheating tank configured to receive and preheat organic waste to be treated; a plurality of thermal hydrolysis reactors; a steam-water separator; a decompression tank; a post-treatment unit; and a control unit.