Patent ID: 11885243
Assignee: BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION
Field: Chemical engineering (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC F  B  C  Y | IPC B  C  F

Claim 6:
7. A dryer assembly for drying waste material having water and solid fuel material therein, the dryer assembly comprising:
first and second tubular shells respectively containing first and second hollow carriers that each defines a bore, each of the hollow carriers receiving a conveyance assembly in the bore thereof, the conveyance assemblies being drivingly coupled to be driven in rotation by one or more drive motors and configured to advance the waste material through the first and second tubular shells;each of the first and second tubular shells comprising a waste path and a steam path therein, each steam path having a steam inlet, and the steam path in each of the first and second tubular shells being isolated from the waste path therein and being in thermal communication with an interior of the tubular shell to heat the waste and thermally separate the water from the solid fuel material as the waste moves through the interior of first and second hollow carriers, and the steam path being in communication with an interior area of a hollow auger to heat the hollow auger in the respective first and second hollow carriers;a first transfer housing connecting the hollow carriers of the first and second tubular shells at first ends of the first and second hollow carriers and a second transfer housing connecting the hollow carriers of the first and second tubular shells at second ends of the first and second hollow carriers;an inlet open to the bore of the first hollow carrier near the first end of the first hollow carrier;one or more outlets formed in the second hollow carrier and positioned to receive dried solid fuel material after the water has been thermally separated therefrom,wherein the one or more drive motors are connected to drive the hollow auger of the first hollow carrier to convey material in a first direction from the inlet toward the second end of the first hollow carrier and to drive the first and second hollow augers to carry material in the first and second hollow carriers in different directions.