Patent ID: 7694523

Claim:
A material treatment apparatus comprising: a gas turbine having combustion air and fuel inlets; a dryer vessel connected to and adapted for receiving exhaust gases from the gas turbine and adapted for receiving feedstock material for treatment in the dryer vessel with heat from the exhaust gases, wherein the treated material output of the dryer vessel includes a gas phase and a solid phase; a first temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the exhaust gases entering the dryer vessel; a first flow rate sensor for detecting the flow rate of the exhaust gases entering the dryer vessel; a second temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the feedstock material entering the dryer vessel; a first moisture content sensor for detecting the moisture level of the feedstock material entering the dryer vessel; a second flow rate sensor for detecting the flow rate of the feedstock material entering the dryer vessel; a third temperature sensor for detecting the temperature within the dryer vessel; a second moisture content sensor for detecting the moisture level within the dryer vessel; a fourth temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the solid phase treated material output from the dryer vessel; a fifth temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the gas phase treated material output from the dryer vessel; a third moisture content sensor for detecting the moisture level of the solid phase treated material output from the dryer vessel; a fourth moisture content sensor for detecting the moisture level of the gas phase treated material output from the dryer vessel; a third flow rate sensor for detecting the flow rate of the solid phase treated material exiting the dryer vessel; a fourth flow rate sensor for detecting the flow rate of the gas phase treated material exiting the dryer vessel; and a controller responsive to at least one of the temperature sensors, the flow rate sensors, and the moisture content sensors for controlling the flow rate of the feedstock material entering the dryer vessel, wherein the controller is also responsive to at least one of the temperature sensors, the flow rate sensors, and the moisture content sensors for controlling the combustion air flow into the combustion air inlet of the gas turbine or the fuel flow into the fuel inlet of the gas turbine.