Continuous single-zone thermophilic phase composting process

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS SINGLE PHASE PROCESS FOR AEROBIC DECOMPOSITION OF ORGANIC MATERIAL OPERATED CONTINUOUSLY IN THE THERMOPHILLIC PHASE WHICH INCLUDES THE STEPS OF: (A) INTRODUCING UNDECOMPOSED ORGANIC MATERIAL AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURE DIRECTLY INTO COMPOSTING VESSEL CONTAINING A MASS OF DECOMPOSING MATERIAL ALL OF WHICH DECOMPOSING MATERIAL IN SAID COMPOSTING VESSEL IS CONTINUOUSLY MAINTAINED IN THE THERMOPHILLIC PHASE AT A TEMPERATURE RANGE BETWEEN ABOUT 130 DEGREES AND ABOUT 160 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, (B) AGITATING SAID DECOMPOSING MASS IN SAID COMPOSTING VESSEL SO THAT SAID INTRODUCED UNDECOMPOSED ORGANIC MATERIAL IS THOROUGHLY INTERMIXED WITH SAID DECOMPOSING MASS IN SAID COMPOSTING VESSEL, (C) WITHDRAWING PRODUCT AT A TEMPERATURE RANGE BETWEEN ABOUT 130 AND 160 DEGREES FARENHEIT DIRECTLY FROM SAID MASS OF DECOMPOSING MATERIAL MAINTAINED IN SAID THERMOPHILLIC PHASE SO THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF SAID UNDECOMPOSED ORGANIC MATERIAL INTO SAID COMPOSTING VESSEL AND THE WITHDRAWAL OF SAID PRODUCT FROM SAID COMPOSTING VESSEL IS BALANCED TO MAINTAIN SAID THERMOPHILLIC TEMPERATURE RANGE IN SAID DECOMPOSING MASS AND TO MAINTAIN A PRESET COMPOSTING LEVEL OF SAID DECOMPOSING MASS IN SAID COMPOSITING VESSEL, SO THAT SUBSTANTIALLY EVERY PARTICLE REMOVED FROM SAID VESSEL HAS BEEN SUBJECTED TO SAID THERMOPHILLIC TEMPERATURE RANGE FOR A MINIMUM OF 24 HOURS, AND (D) SUPPLYING OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS TO SAID DECOMPOSING MASS IN SAID COMPOSTING VESSEL AT A RATE SUCH THAT THE EXHAUST GAS FROM SAID DECOMPOSING MASS CONTAINS RESIDUAL OXYGEN.