Continuous wet oxidation system for the home

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, including the step of introducing the pressurized air into the stream of inluent after preheating the influent in a heat exchanger and before introducing the influent into the coil in the reacting zone.

Claim 4

The method of handling waste, organic trash and garbage in a home as defined in claim 1 and further characterized by the additional step of directing the hot effluent through a heat exchanger through which the influent is directed prior to supplying the air for oxidation, thereby to preheat the influent.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 and further characterized by the step of passing the influent through a reverse osmosis filter to remove approximately 80 percent of the water from the stream prior to oxidation of the influent in the reacting zone.

Claim 8

A system according to claim 5, including a heat exchanger through which the influent is directed prior to supplying air to the influent by said means for supplying pressurized air for oxidation, whereby to preheat the influent.

Claim 9

A system according to claim 5, including a reverse osmosis filter for removing approximately 80 percent of water from the stream and located downstream from the reacting zone.

Claim 10

A system according to claim 5, including a heat exchanger through which the influent stream is directed and which is located in the system before said pressurized air supplying means introduces the air into the stream of influent.

Claim 11

A system according to claim 5, including a tube-in-tube heat exchanger having an inner tube connected in said system between said pumping means and said coil to receive the influent on its way to the coil, and an outer tube surrounding the inner tube connected with outlet from the coil and leading to said separating means, and conducting the effluent in the heat exchanger in counter-current flow relationship to the influent stream in the inner tube, whereby the inflUent is efficiently heated by the effluent from the reacting means coil and the effluent is correspondingly cooled by the heat exchange thus effected.

Claim 12

Apparatus for handling waste, organic trash and garbage in a home, and comprising: a conduit system provided with a common receiving tank in the system for collecting flushed material waste generated in the home and containing solid and liquid contents; means for macerating and mixing the solid and liquid contents of the tank to form an influent which can be circulated through the system; means for metering a supply of pressurized air to a point in the system for oxidation of the influent; means in the system for pumping the influent to drive the influent as a stream through the system; means providing a reacting zone comprising a pair of reactor filter units each having an elongated vertical bed of activated carbon for retaining solid waste material by filtration and disolved organic materials, colors and odors by adsorption; switching means for alternately switching the stream of influent to one or the other of the filter units to flow in one direction therethrough and in the opposite direction through the other of the filter units, selectively; means extending longitudinally through the bed of activated carbon in each of said filter units for heating the influent passing through the respective filter units by radiant electrical thermal energy throughout the entire effective flow path length through the units to a temperature in the order of 550* F. and operating to maintain such tmeperature throughout the travel of the influent through the units to oxidize solids during residence of the influent stream in the units to form a completely oxidized effluent before leaving the units; and means for separating the effluent after leaving the units into harmless gas, sterile residual ash and clarified water.

Claim 13

Apparatus for handling waste, organic trash and garbage in a home, and comprising: a conduit system provided with a common receiving tank in the system for collecting flushed material waste generated in the home and containing solid and liquid contents; means for macerating and mixing the solid and liquid contents of the tank to form an influent which can be circulated through the system; means for metering a supply of pressurized air to a point in the system for oxidation of the influent; means in the system for pumping the influent to drive the influent as a stream through the system; means providing a reacting zone comprising a pair of reactor filter units each having an elongated vertical bed of activated carbon for retaining solid waste material by filtration and disolved organic materials, colors and odors by adsorption; switching means for alternately switching the stream of influent to one or the other of the filter units to flow in one direction therethrough and in the opposite direction through the other of the filter units, selectively; means extending longitudinally through the bed of activated carbon in each of said filter units for heating the influent passing through the respective filter units by radiant electrical thermal energy throughout the entire effective flow path length through the units to a temperature in the order of 550* F. and operating to maintain such tmeperature throughout the travel of the influent through the units to oxidize solids during residence of the influent stream in the units to form a completely oxidized effluent before leaving the units; and means for separating the effluent after leaving the units into harmless gas, sterile residual ash and clarified water.

Claim 14

Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said means for metering a supply of pressurized air to the influent is located to introduce the air to the influent in passing from one of said units alternately to the other unit in either direction of flow of the influent from one unit to the other.