Patent ID: 7975398
Filing Date: 2011-07-12
Classification: F26B,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A method for producing a dried product from a waste material feedstock comprising: operating a gas turbine generator to produce electricity and exhaust gases; providing waste material feedstock having a moisture content of at least about 30% by weight; directly contacting the exhaust gases flowing from the gas turbine with the waste material feedstock having a moisture content of at least about 30% by weight, in a rotary dryer for a contact time sufficient to produce a dried material having a moisture content less than about 20% by weight, wherein the gas turbine exhaust gases do not pass through an intermediate heat exchanger as the gas turbine exhaust gases flow from the gas turbine to the rotary dryer; passing the dried material output from the rotary dryer through a solids/gas separator to separate the solids and the gases, wherein the gases separated by the solids/gas separator are released to the atmosphere through a first path and the solids separated by the solids/gas separator are conveyed for further processing through a second path; drawing air from the rotary dryer with an air moving device to reduce pressure in the rotary dryer; adding moisture to the solids conveyed from the solids/gas separator to re-moisturize the solids; and processing and forming the re-moisturized solids through an extrusion process into a granular, pellet or prill form of product suitable for conventional handling, transport or use, wherein the solids are re-heated during the extrusion process.