TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to alkaline hydrolysis, in particular, to an alkaline hydrolysis apparatus and process for disposing of human or animal bodies.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Alkaline hydrolysis is a process that is used to dispose of human and animal remains as a general alternative to burial and cremation. The process involves dissolving the soft tissues of a human or animal body in a heated alkali solution. The resulting ‘waste fluid’ can be subsequently disposed of, leaving only bone and any implants, fillings, etc.

[0003] Alkaline hydrolysis can be used to safely dispose of disease-contaminated bodies. Some may prefer alkaline hydrolysis to burial and cremation on the basis that it is cheaper, more gentle on the body, and/or causes less harm to the environment.

[0004] Although alkaline hydrolysis apparatuses are commercially available, there remains room for improvement. It is desired, therefore, to overcome or ameliorate one or more disadvantages or limitations associated with the prior art, or to at least provide a useful alternative.

SUMMARY

[0005] In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, there is provided an alkaline hydrolysis apparatus, including: a vessel configured to receive at least one body of a deceased human or animal; at least one basket configured to receive a corresponding body, and being operable to lower the body into the vessel in preparation for alkaline hydrolysis, and to raise the body or solid body remains from the vessel after alkaline hydrolysis; a lid operable to seal the vessel and contain vapour within the sealed vessel; a fluid inlet configured to allow fluid into the sealed vessel; a fluid outlet configured to allow fluid to flow out of the sealed vessel; a heating component configured to heat fluid contents of the vessel; and at least one of:

(i) a pump configured to circulate fluid contents of the vessel via the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet; and

(ii) a vapour release valve configured to prevent pressure build up within the vessel by controlling release of vapour from the sealed vessel.

[0006] In some embodiments, the alkaline hydrolysis apparatus includes the vapour release valve.

[0007] In some embodiments, the alkaline hydrolysis apparatus includes the pump.

[0008] In some embodiments, the alkaline hydrolysis apparatus further includes a heat exchanger configured to absorb heat from the heated fluid contents flowing from the vessel after an alkaline hydrolysis process, and to heat fresh fluid flowing into the vessel in preparation for a subsequent alkaline hydrolysis process.

[0009] In some embodiments, at least one of the lid and the at least one basket is remotely controlled and motorised.

[0010] In some embodiments, the at least one basket is a plurality of baskets configured to receive respective bodies of deceased animals.

[0011] In some embodiments, the alkaline hydrolysis apparatus includes removable partitions to define a plurality of regions within the vessel to receive respective ones of the baskets.

[0012] In some embodiments, the alkaline hydrolysis apparatus includes spray nozzles configured to spray alkaline fluid onto the at least one body within the vessel.

[0013] In some embodiments, the vessel contains between 150 and 400 litres of the alkaline fluid in which a plurality of animal bodies are partially submerged. [0014] In accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, there is provided an alkaline hydrolysis process, including spraying an alkaline fluid onto a human or animal body to dissolve tissues of the body by alkaline hydrolysis.

[0015] In some embodiments, the alkaline hydrolysis process includes spraying the alkaline fluid onto a plurality of animal bodies to dissolve tissues of the animal bodies by alkaline hydrolysis, wherein the alkaline fluid is pumped from a reservoir of between 150 and 400 litres of the alkaline fluid in which the animal bodies are partially submerged.

[0016] In some embodiments, the tissues of the animal bodies are dissolved over a duration of between 3.5 and 8 hours.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Some embodiments of the present invention are hereinafter described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0018] Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of an alkaline hydrolysis apparatus for disposal of human bodies in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, shown with a lid in a closed position and an open position, respectively;

[0019] Figures 3A and 3B are perspective and cross-sectional side views, respectively, of a vapour release valve and flue of the alkaline hydrolysis apparatus in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, shown in a closed position and an open position;

[0020] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the alkaline hydrolysis apparatus of Figures 1 and 2, shown with the lid in the open position, and an internal basket in a raised position;

[0021] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a heat exchanger of the alkaline hydrolysis apparatus (shown with the cylindrical side surface removed to expose the heat exchanger pipework) in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 shows the fluidic connections to the heat exchanger of Figure 5;

[0023] Figure 7 is an illustration of a fluid circuit of the alkaline hydrolysis apparatus in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention; [0024] Figures 8 and 9 are perspective views of an alkaline hydrolysis apparatus for pet disposal in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, shown with a lid in the closed and open positions, respectively;

[0025] Figure 10 is a perspective view of a plurality of baskets of the alkaline hydrolysis apparatus of Figures 8 and 9;

[0026] Figures 11 to 13 are perspective, side and end views of an alkaline hydrolysis apparatus for pet disposal, showing details of the spray nozzle arrangement;

[0027] Figure 14 is a flow diagram of a method for using the alkaline hydrolysis apparatuses; and

[0028] Figure 15 is a flow diagram of an alkaline hydrolysis process.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Overview

[0029] The inventor has identified a number of shortcomings with existing apparatuses for disposing of bodies using alkaline hydrolysis. For example, these apparatuses rely on natural circulation generated in the fluid by the heating elements, which can make the process undesirably slow. Although some existing apparatuses include a circulation agitator to push the fluid from the bottom to the top of the apparatus to increase the speed of the alkaline hydrolysis process compared with natural circulation, the resulting circulation is uneven because the agitator is positioned only at one end of the apparatus. Additionally, the circulation agitator is also too gentle to substantially accelerate the decomposition process.

[0030] Another difficulty is that existing apparatuses include a manually operated mechanism for lifting the lid of the apparatus, requiring the user to come into close proximity to the apparatus. In the event that the user needs to open the lid during or soon after completion of an alkaline hydrolysis process, the user may be undesirably exposed to dangerous vapours generated inside the apparatus. These vapours also have an unpleasant odour, and can cause serious health effects such as blindness and lung issues. Consequently, a user required to manually open such a lid must usually wear full protective personal equipment (PPE), and take great care when opening the lid to reduce the risk of injury. [0031] To prevent the vapour from escaping from the apparatus while the lid is closed, some existing apparatuses include a lid seal and a vent pipe or flue to prevent the apparatus from becoming pressurised. However, the inventor has identified that the vent pipe or flue causes rapid loss of heat from the fluid inside the apparatus such that the fluid may take a long time (or may even be unable) to reach the temperature required for the alkaline hydrolysis process, and causing the process to be inefficient. The lid seals on available apparatuses can also leak vapours due to joins in the seal used to accommodate the shape of the apparatus body and/or the shape of the lid. While mechanical latches could be used to hold the lid closed and prevent such leaks, they would make the process of opening and closing the lid more cumbersome.

[0032] To address one or more of these difficulties, some embodiments of the present invention include an alkaline hydrolysis apparatus for disposing of a deceased body such as a human or animal body, including: a vessel configured to receive a body of a deceased human or animal; a basket configured to receive the body; a lid operable to seal the vessel and contain vapour within the sealed vessel; a fluid inlet configured to allow fluid into the sealed vessel; a fluid outlet configured to allow fluid to flow out of the sealed vessel; a heating component configured to heat fluid contents of the vessel; and at least one of:

(i) a pump configured to circulate fluid contents of the vessel via the fluid inlet and the fluid outlet, and

(ii) a vapour release valve configured to prevent pressure build up within the vessel by controlling release of vapour from the sealed vessel.

[0033] In some embodiments, the lid is a remotely controlled motorised lid, and in some embodiments the basket is a remotely controlled motorised basket operable to selectably lower the body into the vessel in preparation for alkaline hydrolysis, or raise the body or solid body remains from the vessel after alkaline hydrolysis. The apparatus includes a controller to control operation of the apparatus.

[0034] In the described embodiments, certain operations of the apparatus are remotely operated by a user to improve efficiency and safety. [0035] Some embodiments of the present invention include a method for using an alkaline hydrolysis apparatus, and an alkaline hydrolysis process performed by the apparatus.

Apparatus

[0036] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, an alkaline hydrolysis apparatus 100 for disposal of a human body includes a vessel 102 configured to receive the body, a lid 104 operable to seal the vessel 102, and a user interface 106. Figure 1 shows the lid 104 in a closed position, while Figure 2 shows the lid 104 in an open position.

[0037] The vessel 102 has a substantially rectangular shape with an opening at an upper surface thereof, the opening being suitable for receiving human bodies. As shown, the vessel may be elevated slightly above the ground by supporting legs 107. This allows air to flow underneath the apparatus 100, and thereby may prevent components of the apparatus 100 from overheating.

[0038] The lid 104 is configured to cooperatively interface with the opening of the vessel 102 in order to seal the vessel 102 and contain vapour within the sealed vessel 102. In the described embodiment, the lid 104 is a remotely controlled motorised lid so that a user of the apparatus 100 need not come into physical contact with, or otherwise in close proximity to, the lid 104 in order to open or close the lid 104.

[0039] The apparatus 100 includes a controller in communication with one or more linear actuators (not shown) to control movement of the lid 104 between an open position and a closed position. The user can operate the lid 104 (to open and close the lid 104) using a remote control device 108 in communication with the controller. When the remote control device 108 receives a lid operation user input, it communicates with the controller, which in turn causes the lid 104 to move in accordance with the user input. For example, following receipt of user input to open the lid 104 at the remote control device 108, the controller moves the lid 104 from the closed position to the open position. In the described embodiments, the remote control device 108 communicates with the controller via a wired connection 110. However, in other embodiments, the remote control device 108 may communicate with the controller via a wireless connection, e.g., WiFi, Bluetooth, or other suitable wireless communication protocol. [0040] The lid 104 includes a lid seal 112 to seal the vessel 102. The lid 104 is configured to prevent or minimise leaks from the lid seal 112 when the lid 104 is in the closed position. For example, in the described embodiment the lid 104 has rounded corners such that material of the lid seal 112 can be shaped around the corners of the lid 104 without the lid seal 112 requiring joins and thus introducing potential leak points. The vessel 102 may include a seal face 114 configured to receive the lid seal 112 when the lid 104 is in the closed position. The seal face 114 is substantially flat in a (generally horizontal) plane parallel to the opening of the vessel 102 and is configured to minimise leakage from the lid seal 112 around corners of the seal face 114 corresponding to the corners of the lid 104. Downward force applied by the one or more linear actuators applies pressure to the seal 112 to prevent or minimise leakage of vapour within the sealed vessel 102. This avoids the need for mechanical latches to apply pressure to the lid seal 112.

[0041] The apparatus 100 includes a heating component (not shown) inside the vessel 102 to heat fluid contents of the vessel 102 to a temperature of at least 97 °C under control of the controller. The heating component may be located under a basket of the apparatus 100 (described below). The heating component may include multiple heating elements configured such that the controller can independently activate and deactivate each of the heating elements to improve temperature control of the fluid within the vessel 102.

[0042] The apparatus 100 includes at least one fluid level sensor (not shown) within the vessel 102 to detect a fluid level of the fluid contents of the vessel 102 and prevent overfilling, as described below.

[0043] In the described embodiment, the user interface 106 is in the form of a panel with switches and a keypad for receiving user input from the user. The user input provides control commands in relation to the operation of the apparatus 100, including a control command to cause the apparatus 100 to perform an alkaline hydrolysis process as shown in Figure 12 and as described herein. The user interface 106 is also configured to display information or messages relating to the operation of the apparatus 100 to the user.

[0044] The apparatus 100 may include a vapour release valve to prevent pressure build up within the vessel 102 by controlling release of vapour from the sealed vessel 102 to a vent pipe or flue. Although the lid 104, when closed, seals the vessel to contain vapour within the sealed vessel 102 (and thereby reduce the user’s exposure to those vapours), the heat required for alkaline hydrolysis causes the sealed vessel 102 to become undesirably pressurised if no vapour is able to escape. To address this issue, the vapour release valve provides a small aperture configured to allow vapour to escape the sealed vessel 102 in a controlled manner while minimising the loss of heat from the fluid. This also prevents hot vapour from escaping the otherwise sealed vessel 102 at a rate that creates a slight vacuum inside the sealed vessel 102, and thus facilitates maintaining the liquid contents of the sealed vessel 102 at a temperature within a range required for the alkaline hydrolysis process ( e.g ., 90-99 °C). The vapour release valve is configured to open in response to elevated pressure within the vessel, thereby allowing vapour to flow through the vent pipe or flue. This ensures that the pressure inside the sealed vessel 102 never reaches an unacceptable level, e.g., due to the liquid inside the sealed vessel 102 boiling.

[0045] As shown in Figures 3A, in the described embodiments the vapour release valve 300 is in the form of upper 302 and lower 304 concentric stainless steel discs loosely coupled together by a post 306 that runs through a hole in the centre of each disc 302, 304. The lower disc 304 is fixed to the post 306, but the upper disc 302 is free to slide along the post 306 between the lower disc 304 and a flange 308 at the upper end of the post 306. As shown in Figure 3B, the vapour release valve 300 is configured to fit within the vent pipe or flue 310 and is attached thereto at the lower end of the post 306. The upper disc 302 is solid (apart from the central hole occupied by the post in a close fit arrangement), whereas the lower disc 304 has concentric openings 312 such that, in response to sufficiently elevated pressure within the sealed vessel 102 (in the described embodiments, being approximately 0.05 kPa or 0.007 PSI), the upper disc 302 is lifted away from the lower disc 304 to allow vapour to escape from the pressurised vessel 102. Figures 3A and 3B both show the valve 300 in a closed position (left-hand image) with the upper disc 302 resting upon the lower disc 304, and in an open position (right-hand image) with the upper disc 302 lifted away from the lower disc 304 to expose the openings 312 therein. It will be apparent that the pressure required to open the vapour release valve 300 is determined by the weight of the upper disc 302 and the total area of the openings 312 in the lower disc 304. In the described embodiments, the post 306 has a diameter of approximately 5 or 6 mm and is welded to the lower disc 304. The weight of the upper disc 302 (about 10 g in the described embodiments) effectively creates a seal over the openings 312 in the lower disc 304. As the liquid gets hotter and the pressure inside the sealed vessel 102 increases, the pressure within the vessel 102 eventually creates a force greater than the weight of the upper disc 302, thereby lifting it away from the lower disc 304 so that the valve 300 is in the open position and releasing the excess pressure by allowing vapour to escape through the openings 312 and the vent pipe or flue 310.

[0046] As shown in Figure 4, the apparatus 100 may include a remotely controlled motorised basket 116 configured to receive the body, and being operable to selectably lower the body into the vessel 102 in preparation for alkaline hydrolysis, and raise the (body or) solid body remains from the vessel 102 after alkaline hydrolysis.

[0047] The controller controls operation of the remotely controlled motorised basket 116, such that it can operate the basket 116 to lower the body into the vessel 102, and raise the body or solid body remains from the vessel 102. The controller may operate the basket 116 in response to receiving user input. User input to raise or lower the basket may be received by the controller from the user interface 106 or the remote control device 108. In contrast to manual basket operation, which might, for example, require a user to turn a wheel operably coupled to a gearbox, the remotely controlled motorised basket 116 can be raised and lowered without strenuous manual input from the user. The controller may control one or more linear actuators to raise and lower the basket 116.

[0048] Once the body has been substantially dissolved inside the sealed vessel 102 using alkaline hydrolysis, the resulting waste fluid can be removed from the apparatus 100 and appropriately disposed of. As the waste fluid is typically at a temperature between 90 and 99 °C, it is generally too hot to be disposed of down an ordinary drainage system composed of PVC plastic (which has a maximum service temperature of 45-50 °C), requiring an extended cooling period before the fluid can be disposed of.

[0049] To alleviate this difficulty, in some embodiments the apparatus 100 includes a heat exchanger 500, as shown in Figures 5 (shown with its cylindrical side surface removed to expose the inner heat transfer coil 504), configured to absorb heat from the waste fluid so that it can be disposed of more rapidly. Moreover, the heat exchanger 500 can also heat fresh water for filling the vessel 102 in preparation for a subsequent alkaline hydrolysis process performed by the apparatus 100, thus improving the energy efficiency of the apparatus. The heat exchanger 500 includes a heat heat transfer coil 504 disposed within a heat storage tank 502. [0050] The heat storage tank 502 stores waste fluid received from the vessel 102. As shown in Figure 6, the heat storage tank 502 is generally cylindrical in shape, but with an outwardly projecting conical base. Figure 6 shows the fluidic connections between the heat exchanger 500 and the vessel 102. Since the waste fluid received by the heat storage tank 502 from the vessel 102 typically has a temperature over 90 °C, the heat storage tank 502 includes an insulating material (not shown). For example, the heat storage tank 502 can be formed from stainless steel wrapped in an insulating material. The heat storage tank 502 includes one or more tank vents 506 to allow vapour to escape from the tank and thereby prevent pressure build up. The waste fluid stored within the heat storage tank 502 is allowed to cool to a temperature at which it can be disposed of.

[0051] The heat transfer coil 504 is substantially enclosed by the heat storage tank 502 so that when the heat storage tank 502 contains waste fluid, the heat transfer coil 504 is at least partially submerged in the waste fluid. Hence, water within the heat transfer coil 504 can be heated by the transfer of heat from the waste fluid, through the heat transfer coil 504, to the water. Pre-heating the fresh water in the heat exchanger for a subsequent alkaline hydrolysis process reduces the time and energy required to heat the fluid contents of the sealed vessel 102 (i.e., by the heating component) to the required temperature for performing a subsequent alkaline hydrolysis process.

[0052] Embodiments of the apparatus that include the heat exchanger also include a fluid circuit 700 with a network of interconnected tubes configured with pumps and valves to control fluid flow between the components of the apparatus.

[0053] As shown in Figure 7, the fluid circuit 700 includes the following components:

(a) a water inlet 702;

(b) an input control valve 704;

(c) a fluid inlet 706;

(d) a fluid outlet 708;

(e) a dispersion jet 710;

(f) a pump 712;

(g) a circuit control valve 714; (h) a waste fluid outlet 716;

(i) a drain (to a waste system) 718;

(j) the heat storage tank 502 and the heat transfer coil 504 of the heat exchanger 500;

(k) a heat transfer tank evacuation pump 719; and

(l) a fluid check valve 722.

[0054] Fresh water is introduced into the fluid circuit 700 via the water inlet 702.

[0055] The input control valve 704 can be opened to allow water to flow into the vessel 102 in order to fill the vessel 102 to a required level, including a selected maximum fluid level. The input control valve 702 may be a solenoid valve controlled (i.e., opened and closed) by the controller of the apparatus 100.

[0056] The pump 712 is configured to pump fluid out of the vessel 102 from the fluid outlet 708 towards the circuit control valve 714 under control of the controller. The pump 712 can be a magnetic drive pump including a motor, a magnetic drive and an impeller. The pump 712 may include stainless steel contact parts. The use of a magnetic drive pump allows the pump 712 to be stopped, e.g. , in the event of a jam or blockage, without impacting the motor, since the magnetic drive allows the motor to ‘slip’ while the impeller is stopped. Also, the user may easily access and clear the magnetic drive pump in the event of a jam or blockage without requiring special tools or equipment.

[0057] In some embodiments, the impeller of the pump 712 is an open impeller. Use of an open impeller (rather than a closed impeller) minimises the risk of blockages in the pump 712, e.g., due to hair and other particles, because unlike a closed impeller, the open impeller does not have narrow gaps susceptible to being jammed or blocked by solid matter.

[0058] The pump 712 can include a ‘no flow’ cut-out switch that deactivates the pump 712 if the flow of fluid from the fluid outlet 708 is below a minimum level. The minimum level is set to correspond to a minimum flow below which the pump 712 is unable to operate effectively and/or is likely to suffer damage.

[0059] The circuit control valve 714 can be in a first configuration or a second configuration. When in the first configuration, the circuit control valve 714 allows fluid received from the pump 712 to be circulated from within the vessel 102 to the dispersion jet 710 via the fluid inlet 706. When in the second configuration, the circuit control valve allows fluid received from the pump 712 to be transferred to the waste fluid outlet 716.

[0060] When the circuit control valve 714 is in its first configuration, the pump 712 can circulate the fluid contents of the sealed vessel 102 using the dispersion jet 710. The dispersion jet 710 sprays the fluid contents downwards onto the body or bodies contained within the vessel 102. The spraying may be realised using a plurality of nozzles 720 of the dispersion jet 710. This spraying increases the speed of the alkaline hydrolysis process taking place within the apparatus 100 by “cutting open” the body or bodies contained within the sealed vessel 102 and thereby increasing a surface area upon which the alkaline hydrolysis takes place.

[0061] Moreover, relative to a flooded and unpressurised apparatus, the use of overhead spray nozzles 720 significantly reduces the required volumes of water and alkali (as the body does not need to be completely submerged), which in turn reduces the energy required to heat the fluid to the required temperature for hydrolysis, which in turn further reduces the time required for hydrolysis (and subsequent cooling), and also the volume of liquid waste and the volume of acid required to neutralise the liquid waste prior to disposal. These are significant practical and commercial advantages, reducing the cost and environmental impact of the apparatus, and increasing throughput. Although a pressurised apparatus operating at a pressure of around 65 PSI and a temperature of 95-150°C can use about the same volume of water, a major disadvantage of such a pressurised apparatus is the relatively high cost and the dangers associated with the high pressure and high temperature water, including risks of explosion.

[0062] The controller is in communication with a sensor of the circuit control valve 714 that detects the valve 714 changing from its first configuration to its second configuration. Upon the sensor detecting this event, the controller activates the pump (/.<?., to pump fluid from the vessel 102 to the heat storage tank 502.

[0063] Following an alkaline hydrolysis process inside the sealed vessel 102, waste fluid can be transferred to the heat transfer tank 502 of the heat exchanger 500 to cool before it is disposed of via the drain 718. The heat transfer tank 502 receives the waste fluid from the vessel 102 via the circuit control valve 714 and the waste fluid outlet 716. The heat storage tank 502 may receive the waste fluid via the fluid check valve 722 that prevents the waste fluid from flowing back into the vessel 102. Furthermore, the heat transfer coil 504 is configured to receive water from the fresh water inlet 702 such that the heat exchanger 500 can simultaneously pre-heat the water while the waste fluid cools.

[0064] Once the waste fluid stored in the heat storage tank 502 has cooled to a temperature at which it can be disposed of via the drain 718, the waste fluid can exit the heat storage tank 502 through a tank outlet 726. The heat transfer tank evacuation pump 719 pumps the waste fluid exiting the tank 502 through the tank outlet 726 to the drain 718.

[0065] The apparatuses described above are configured for disposing of human bodies. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, an alkaline hydrolysis apparatus 800 for disposal of animal bodies includes a plurality of baskets 802 configured to receive respective bodies of deceased animals. Each of the baskets 802 includes one or more handles for a user to lift the basket to introduce the basket into the vessel 102 and to remove the basket from the vessel 102. The baskets 802 may be configured such that a smaller one of the baskets 802 can be accommodated within a larger one of the baskets 802.

[0066] The apparatus 800 includes a recycled fluid distribution spray manifold 902, which provides the dispersion jet 710 (not shown) with fluid to be sprayed onto the animal bodies.

[0067] When more than one body is concurrently dissolved within the apparatus 800 using alkaline hydrolysis, it is desirable for the solid remains (e.g., bones) of each respective body to remain separate from the remains of the other bodies, e.g., so that bones of each animal can be returned to its owner(s).

[0068] As shown, the baskets 802 may be of varying shapes and sizes to accommodate animals of different shapes and sizes. For example, the baskets 802 may include baskets of different sizes classified as ‘small’, ‘medium’ and ‘large’. The ‘large’ size basket may be capable of accommodating a large canine. The baskets 802 may be configured such that they can be nested within each other, e.g., so that the medium size basket can be accommodated within the large size basket, and the small size basket can be accommodated within the medium size basket. The user is able to arrange the baskets 802 in the vessel 102 in a variety of configurations, including using only a portion of the baskets 802, to suit the specific bodies to be loaded into the vessel 102 for a specific hydrolysis process.

[0069] As shown in Figure 10, in some embodiments the baskets 802 include two large size baskets 1002, three medium size baskets 1004, and three small size baskets 1006. [0070] Figures 11 to 13 are perspective, side and end views of a further embodiment of an alkaline hydrolysis apparatus for pet disposal, showing details of the spray nozzle arrangement. This embodiment also includes removable partitions or dividers 1102 that define separate regions 1104 to receive respective baskets 1302. Being removable, the partitions 1102 can be arranged to define a range of different sizes of the regions 1104 to receive baskets 1302 of respective sizes, here being shown with all partitions 1102 in place to receive a maximum number of baskets 1302 of the smallest size. A liquid manifold 902 carries the alkaline hydrolysis fluid from a flexible inlet hose to a plurality of nozzles arranged along the manifold to spray the alkaline hydrolysis fluid down onto the centre of each basket 1302.

[0071] As described above in the context of human body disposal, the use of spray nozzles greatly reduces the volume of fluid required, as the animal bodies do not need to be completely submerged in the fluid. For example, an apparatus configured to completely submerge and simultaneously process 14 animal bodies requires approximately 1000 litres of water per batch, whereas the apparatus described herein requires only between 150 and 400 litres of water, depending on the operator’s preference: a saving of between 874 and 622 litres of water.

[0072] This in turn reduces: a. the volume of alkaline chemical required to reach the desired alkaline concentration for the process (by about 15 - 40 %); b. the volumes of liquid waste to be neutralized and acid chemical required to neutralise that waste (also by about 15 - 40 %); c. the power required to heat the liquid up to 90 - 97 °C for hydrolysis (for example, to heat 1000 litres of water from 15 °C to 97 °C = 95.35 kW-h, compared to only 14.3 kW-h (for 150 litres) and 38.14 kW-h (for 400 litres); d. the time required to heat the fluid, meaning that more batches can be processed. For example, from 18 - 20 hours to 3.5 - 8 hours, depending on the fluid volume selected by the operator. Method

[0073] As shown in Figure 14, a method 1400 for using an alkaline hydrolysis apparatus as described herein includes the following steps performed by the user:

(i) loading one or more bodies into the vessel 102 (step 1402);

(ii) adding alkali over the one or more bodies (step 1404);

(iii) closing the lid 104 of the alkaline hydrolysis apparatus to seal the vessel 102 (step 1406);

(iv) setting a temperature for an alkaline hydrolysis process (step 1408);

(v) setting a duration for the alkaline hydrolysis process (step 1410);

(vi) selecting a hot or cold fresh water supply using a manual valve (not shown) (step 1412);

(vii) selecting one of a plurality of maximum fluid levels (step 1414); and (viii) activating the apparatus to perform alkaline hydrolysis (step 1416).

[0074] The alkali may be sodium hydroxide (NaOH).

[0075] Loading the one or more bodies at step 1404 includes loading each respective body into a respective basket of the apparatus, and lowering the basket(s) into the vessel 102 (by remote control or manual insertion, as required).

[0076] Where the lid 104 is a remotely controlled motorised lid 104, at step 1406 the lid 104 is closed using the remote control device 108. Otherwise, the lid 104 is manually closed. [0077] At step 1408, the user sets the temperature to which the heating component will heat the fluid contents of the sealed vessel 102. At step 1410, the user sets a duration of time for the alkaline hydrolysis process to be performed within the sealed vessel 102. The setting at steps 1408 and 1410 may be via the user interface 106. Typically, setting the temperature at step 1408 includes setting the temperature to 97 °C.

[0078] The plurality of maximum fluid levels are maximum levels to which the vessel 102 is filled with water from the input control valve 704. In some embodiments, the plurality of maximum fluid levels includes three maximum fluid levels, which may be labelled as low, middle and high. The inclusion of three maximum fluid levels allows the user to select an appropriate maximum fluid level at step 1416 based on the size of the one or more bodies loaded at step 1402. [0079] The controller of an alkaline hydrolysis apparatus as described herein causes the apparatus to automatically perform an alkaline hydrolysis process 1500, as shown in Figure 15. The process 1500 can include the following steps:

(a) opening the input control valve 704 to allow fresh water to flow into the vessel 102 (step 1502);

(b) once fluid contents of the vessel 102 reach a predetermined minimum level, activating the heating component to start heating the fluid contents (as water continues to flow into the vessel via the input control valve 704) (step 1504);

(c) once the fluid contents of the vessel 102 reach the selected fluid level:

(i) closing the input control valve 704, (step 1506)

(ii) starting a timer for the set duration (step 1508), and

(iii) activating the pump 715 (step 1510);

(d) once the fluid contents of the vessel 102 reach the set temperature, deactivating a portion of the heating component such that the portion ceases to heat the fluid contents (step 1515);

(e) once the timer reaches the set duration:

(i) deactivating the pump 715 (step 1514), and

(ii) deactivating the remaining active portion of the heating component (step 1516).

[0080] The process 1500 is initiated by the activation of the apparatus at step 1416 of Figure 14.

[0081] The predetermined minimum level is a minimum level of fluid contents inside the vessel 102 required to safely activate the heating component. The sensor inside the vessel 102 is configured to detect that the fluid level has reached the predetermined minimum level and communicate this to the controller.

[0082] Once the alkaline hydrolysis process 1500 concludes, the user may cause the circuit control valve 714 to change from its first configuration to its second configuration so that the circuit control valve 714 allows fluid received from the pump 712 to be transferred to the waste fluid outlet 716 from which it can be disposed of via the drain 718 (or via the heat exchanger 500, if present). The pump 712 is automatically deactivated by the no flow cut out switch when the vessel 102 is substantially empty. The user then opens the lid 104 and raises the basket(s) 116, 802 accommodated within the vessel 102 of the apparatus. The user can subsequently remove any solid remains such as bones from the vessel 102 and/or the basket(s) 116, 802.

[0083] With regard to the method of use 1100 described above and shown in Figure 11, each of steps 1402-1418 need not occur consecutively or separately. For example, in some embodiments, one or more of steps 1402-1418 may be performed in an integrated or simultaneous manner, performed in an alternative order to that shown and described, or omitted. Similarly, in accordance with the alkaline hydrolysis process 1200 shown in Figure 15, each of steps 1502-1516 need not occur consecutively or separately. In some embodiments, one or more of steps 1502-1516 may be performed in an integrated or simultaneous manner, performed in an alternative order to that shown and described, or omitted.

Interpretation

[0084] Many modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0085] The presence of "/" in a FIG. or text herein is understood to mean "and/or" unless otherwise indicated. The recitation of a particular numerical value or value range herein is understood to include or be a recitation of an approximate numerical value or value range, for instance, within +/- 20%, +/- 15%, +/- 10%, +/- 5%, +/-2.5%, +/- 2%, +/- 1%, +/- 0.5%, or +/- 0%. The term "essentially all" or "substantially" can indicate a percentage greater than or equal to 90%, for instance, 92.5%, 95%, 97.5%, 99%, or 100%.