Patent ID: 7645382

Claim:
A converter that converts municipal waste-water sludge, animal wastes or plant wastes into a gas product, the converter comprising: a pulsed electric field station, the pulsed electric field station comprising an inlet adapted to receive municipal waste-water sludge, animal wastes or plant wastes, a treatment chamber through which municipal waste-water sludge, animal wastes or plant wastes received via the inlet passes and including at least two spaced electrodes between which is generated a pulsed electric field with a nonarcing voltage and pulses with a pulse width of 2 to 8 microseconds, a peak field strength of 20 to 60 kV/cm and a frequency of 2000 to 10000 pps and which define at least one treatment zone therebetween, and an outlet adapted to pass treated municipal waste-water sludge, animal wastes or plant wastes; and a digester, the digester comprising an inlet coupled to the outlet of the pulsed electric field station, at least one chamber in which the treated municipal waste-water sludge, animal wastes or plant wastes is processed into a gas product, a first outlet adapted to pass the gas product and a second outlet adapted to pass processed treated municipal waste-water sludge, animal wastes or plant wastes.