Energy salvaging system

Claim 1

An energy salvaging system for use in conjunction with buildings having non-pressurized drainpipes for gravitationally conducting wet and substantially non-homogeneous sewage including solids from one or more points of entry toward a discharge station into a public sewer system, or the like, comprising, in combination: rotatable means communicatively disposed within said drainpipe intermediate said entry points and said discharge station, for salvaging otherwise wasted kinetic energy associated with moving substantially non-homogeneous sewage including solids, said rotatable means comprising a housing, a shaft extending through said housing journalled for rotation within said housing, and a plurality of impellers integrated with said shaft and positioned to intercept the flowing sewage, said impellers being formed with impact surfaces normally contacted by the moving sewage at an impact location with a force sufficient to impart rotary movement to said integrated impellers and shaft, and cleaning means disposed at a position spaced from said impact location for forcibly directing a jet of cleaning matter at said impact surfaces at a time when they are facing the flow direction of the moving sewage, thereby causing a dislodging of solid sewage remaining on the impact surfaces after initial contact so as to utilize gravitational forces to draw the dislodged sewage toward the public sewer system, and accumulation means communicating with said shaft for storing useful potential energy generated from said kinetic energy.