Pyrolytic waste treatment system having dual knife gate valves

Abstract

Apparatus for treating waste material having a thermal chamber, a feed-stock inlet coupled to the thermal chamber and feeds waste material into the thermal chamber, a heater that heats the thermal chamber, and at least one dual knife gate valve positioned in the apparatus for restricting the passage of the waste material through an interior space of the apparatus and limits the introduction of gas into the thermal chamber. The dual knife gate valve has at least one movable blade that moves toward another blade.

1 . An apparatus for treating waste material comprising: 
 a thermal chamber;    a feed-stock inlet operatively coupled to the thermal chamber to feed the waste material to the thermal chamber;    a first knife gate valve coupled to the feed-stock inlet to substantially restrict a passage way of the waste material through an lumen of the inlet; and    wherein the first knife gate valve includes a first blade and a second blade.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first blade is a moveable knife blade, capable of moving towards and make contact with the second blade such that a portion of the waste material passing through the interior space of the apparatus is severed by such contact.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  further comprising an actuator coupled to the first blade, wherein the actuator is driven by at least one of electric force, hydraulic force, and pneumatic force.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second blades each has a longitudinal axis, upper side, a lower side, a blade side, and a blade edge.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the blade edge is angled at 75 degrees to the longitudinal axis.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the first blade is capable of moving towards the second blade such that the blade side of the first blade makes contact and abuts with a portion of the blade side of the second blade, so as to substantially block the passage way of the waste material passing through the interior space of the apparatus.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the first blade is capable of moving towards the second blade such that the lower side of the first blade makes contact with a portion of the upper side of the second blade to decrease a cross sectional area of the lumen.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the lower side of the first blade is angled at 45 degrees to the edge side of the first blade.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first knife gate valve is coupled to the feed-stock outlet such that the first and second blades are movably disposed within an interior lumen of the feed-stock outlet.  
   
   
       10 . A pyrolytic waste treatment system, comprising; 
 a pyrolytic chamber that receives a waste material and subjects the material to heat, and sufficiently limits gas presence in the chamber such that the material is substantially pyrolized; and    a first valve having first and second blades, and disposed upstream of the chamber such that at least a portion of the waste material passes through the valve before entering the chamber.    
   
   
       11 . The pyrolytic waste treatment system of  claim 10 , wherein the first blade mates with second blade.  
   
   
       12 . The pyrolytic waste treatment system of  claim 11 , wherein the first blade mates with second blade at their ends.  
   
   
       13 . The pyrolytic waste treatment system of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second blades mate at overlapping surfaces.  
   
   
       14 . The pyrolytic waste treatment system of  claim 12  further comprising a second valve having third and forth mating blades, wherein the second valve is operatively disposed between the first valve and the chamber.  
   
   
       15 . The pyrolytic waste treatment system of  claim 11 , wherein the first blade has a beveled leading edge.  
   
   
       16 . The pyrolytic waste treatment system of  claim 15 , wherein the beveled leading edge is angled at between 40 degrees and 80 degrees.  
   
   
       17 . The pyrolytic waste treatment system of  claim 12 , wherein first and second blades have mating beveled edges  
   
   
       18 . The pyrolytic waste treatment system of  claim 10 , wherein the first blade is moveable and the second blade is stationary.  
   
   
       19 . The pyrolytic waste treatment system of  claim 10 , wherein each of the first and second blades are moveable in opposing directions.  
   
   
       20 . The pyrolytic waste treatment system of  claim 10 , wherein the first blade has an end orthogonal to its direction of motion.  
   
   
       21 . The pyrolytic waste treatment system of  claim 10 , wherein the first blade has an end not orthogonal to its direction of motion.  
   
   
       22 . The pyrolytic waste treatment system of  claim 21 , wherein first blade has an end angled at least 70° to its direction of motion.