Patent ID: 8043558

Claim:
An apparatus for the thermal treatment of organic materials, said apparatus comprising: a. a tank having a bottom portion and comprising a inner wall made of heat conductive material and an outer wall made of insulating material, said inner wall and said outer wall defining a passage; b. a roof closing said tank and forming, with said inner wall, a treatment chamber adapted to receive organic materials; c. at least one access opening in communication with said chamber through which said organic materials can be introduced into said chamber; d. a burner opening into said passage and configured for sustaining a flame adapted to generate combustion gases, said combustion gases circulating through said passage for heating said organic material via said inner wall; e. a first conduit extending between said chamber and said burner for carrying gases evolving from said organic materials to said flame; f. a second conduit extending between said chamber and the exterior of said apparatus for introducing fresh air into said chamber; g. a mixer located inside said chamber; h. a heat exchanger connected to said passage and to said second conduit for transferring a portion of the heat of said combustion gases to said fresh air and to the ambient air inside said chamber, said heat exchanger being located inside said chamber.