Patent ID: 7160442

Claim:
An apparatus for reducing a biological wasted sludge, said apparatus comprising: a hydrolysis reactor for hydrolyzing the biological wasted sludge to become a hydrolyzed sludge; a neutralization reactor for neutralizing the hydrolyzed sludge to result in production of an intermediate feed; and a membrane bioreactor for effecting a biological decomposition of the intermediate feed; wherein said membrane bioreactor comprises a filtration module having a permeate side and a contact side in contact with the intermediate feed, wherein liquid contained in the intermediate feed is in fluid communication with the permeate only through the filtration module; and a negative pressure source to enable the liquid to flow out of said membrane reactor via said permeate side as an effluent; wherein said hydrolysis reactor is provided with an agitator for stirring the biological wasted sludge, and a heater for heating the biological wasted sludge; said neutralization reactor is provided with an agitator for stirring the hydrolyzed sludge, and a heat exchanger for lowering temperature of the hydrolyzed sludge.