Patent ID: 8586898
Filing Date: 2013-11-19
Classification: C10G,C10L,H05B

Abstract:
1. A process for simultaneously degrading both a liquid and a solid organic-containing feedstock comprising the steps of: supplying a liquid feedstock through a liquid flow meter horizontally into a microwave-transparent ceramic tube; controlling an amount of said liquid feedstock fed into at least one microwave chamber through said microwave-transparent ceramic tube; supplying a solid feedstock through an entry port in longitudinal communication with a closed- mesh, continuous, metal conveyor belt; simultaneously and independently with said step of controlling an amount of liquid feedstock fed into said at least one microwave chamber, controlling an amount of solid feedstock fed horizontally into said at least one microwave chamber on said closed-mesh metal conveyor belt; simultaneously exposing said liquid and solid feedstock to at least two sources of microwaves operating at a center frequency of 915 MHz which are out-of-phase with respect to each other, said step of exposing being non-pyrolytic and requiring no externally-applied heat; transmitting said at least two sources of microwaves through waveguides and entering said at least one microwave chamber through at least two quartz pressure window assemblies each having two flanges separated by one wavelength of waveguide and into respective microwave entry ports, each of said microwave entry ports comprise a diffuser matrix after said quartz pressure window assemblies, said matrix comprising at least four essentially parallel beveled entry channels, said matrix providing microwaves for use in degrading both said liquid feedstock in said microwave-transparent ceramic tube and said solid feedstock on said conveyor belt; and wherein a total amount of both said liquid and solid feedstock is controlled to maintain maximum power density within said at least one microwave chamber by use of a directional coupler system which monitors forward and reflected microwave power.