The present invention is a composting bioreactor system that continually receives biodegradable solid wastes, waste waters and exhaust gases, automatically recycles the biodegradable wastes into nutrients and heat energy, and automatically supplies the nutrients and heat into an integrated hydroponic or aquaponic system. This invention together with integrated food growing system may be installed onsite such as balconies, backyards and premises of restaurants and food factories etc. therefore may lead to zero mileage targets both for recycling wastes and for supplying foods. This invention integrates composting process and aquaponic technology together and may establish a closed-loop recirculation of both water and gases therefore upgrades aquaponics into compoponics. A compoponic system has both soil and soilless growing beds and mimics nature recirculating nutrients, carbon and energy among human being, animals, microorganisms and plants by way of photosynthesis, slow burning by cellular respiration and burning by combustion.

The present invention is a method for producing a water absorbent resin which method is a method for producing surface cross-linked water absorbent resin particles, the method including the successive steps of: (a) adding a surface cross-linking agent and water to a particulate water absorbent resin in a mixer; and (b) reacting the resulting water absorbent resin mixture taken out from the mixer with the surface cross-linking agent in a reactor by heating or active energy ray irradiation, water vapor being used as part or all of the water added in the mixer. This makes it possible to provide a method for producing a water absorbent resin in which method a surface cross-linked water absorbent resin that has excellent properties can be obtained efficiently at low cost with high productivity.

The present invention relates to an in-line mixing apparatus and use therein for adding a polymer solution and dewatering an aqueous mineral suspension. Said method comprises statically mixing the aqueous mineral suspension with a poly(ethylene oxide) (co) polymer to form a dough-like material. The viscous mixture material is then dynamically mixed in an in-line reactor 40 to reduce the mixture viscosity and to form microflocs and release water. Said method is particularly useful for the treatment of suspensions of particulate material, especially waste mineral slurries, especially for the treatment of tailings and other waste material resulting from mineral processing, in particular, the processing of oil sands tailings.

In a rapid stirrer that stirs sludge and a flocculant in a tank with a stirring blade, the rotation speed of the stirring blade is increased at a set rate with an increase in the amount of charged sludge, the rotation speed of the stirring blade is reduced at the set rate with a decrease in the amount of charged sludge, and flocculated flocs having a fixed floc diameter are stably generated even when operating conditions change so as to fluctuate the amount of charged sludge.

The present invention relates to an in-line mixing apparatus and use therein for adding a polymer solution and dewatering an aqueous mineral suspension. Said method comprises statically mixing the aqueous mineral suspension with a poly(ethylene oxide) (co)polymer to form a dough-like material. The viscous mixture material is then dynamically mixed in an in-line reactor to reduce the mixture viscosity and to form microflocs and release water. Said method is particularly useful for the treatment of suspensions of particulate material, especially waste mineral slurries, especially for the treatment of tailings and other waste material resulting from mineral processing, in particular, the processing of oil sands tailings.

The present invention relates to a multistage stirred reactor, comprising a multiplicity of mutually adjacent reaction chambers and stirring elements for mixing the contents of at least one of the reaction chambers, wherein, between adjacent reaction chambers, there is in each case provided at least one opening that can be closed by means of closure means, such that in the open state there is a fluidic connection between the adjacent reaction chambers and in the closed state the adjacent reaction chambers are separated from one another. At least one of the closure means (300, 310, 320) is connected to an actuation rod (500, 510, 520) that is guided out of the stirred reactor. The actuation rod (500, 510, 520) can be moved back and forth between at least one first position and a second position, by rotation and/or displacement, wherein in the first position closure means (300, 310, 320) that are connected to the actuation rod (500, 510, 520) effect an open state of the opening assigned to them and in the second position closure means (300, 310, 320) that are connected to the actuation rod (500, 510, 520) effect a closed state of the opening assigned to them.

A rapid stirring machine including a tank for stirring sludge and a flocculant; a drive shaft disposed in the tank; and an edged turbine blade attached to the drive shaft, the edged turbine blade including turbine blades that are disposed along a virtual circle centered around the axis of the drive shaft, on at least one of the front and back sides of the edged turbine blade in the axial direction of the drive shaft, the turbine blades being raised in the axial direction of the drive shaft.

An apparatus and method for mixing a concentrated product and a liquid. The apparatus includes a body defining an internal volume. A mixing device is positioned at least partially within the internal volume. The mixing device includes one or more vanes that separate the internal volume into a first portion and a second portion when the mixing device is in a first position. The first portion and the second portion are in fluid communication with one another when the mixing device is in a second position.

The present invention is a composting bioreactor system that continually receives biodegradable solid wastes, waste waters and exhaust gases, automatically recycles the biodegradable wastes into nutrients and heat energy, and automatically supplies the nutrients and heat into an integrated hydroponic or aquaponic system. This invention together with integrated food growing system may be installed onsite such as balconies, backyards and premises of restaurants and food factories etc. therefore may lead to zero mileage targets both for recycling wastes and for supplying foods. This invention integrates composting process and aquaponic technology together and may establish a closed-loop recirculation of both water and gases therefore upgrades aquaponics into compoponics. A compoponic system has both soil and soilless growing beds and mimics nature recirculating nutrients, carbon and energy among human being, animals, microorganisms and plants by way of photosynthesis, slow burning by cellular respiration and burning by combustion.

Provided is a continuous reaction apparatus which can precisely control the path of flow of the liquid reaction mixture in the reaction vessel. Further, provided is a continuous reaction apparatus which can efficiently mix the liquid reaction mixture in the reaction vessel. The continuous reaction apparatus comprises a plurality of mixing vessel units and a plurality of partition units. These units are connected in the state of being alternately stacked on one another. Each mixing vessel unit has an agitating blade disposed in the inner space thereof. The relationship between the inner diameter D1 of the mixing vessel unit, the height H of the mixing vessel unit, and the outer diameter d1 of the agitating blade satisfies the formula (1): 10(D1/H)1.5, and the formula (2): 0.99(d1/D1)0.7. The agitating blade is a circular disc-type agitating blade.