The invention relates to the field of sustainable utilization of natural resources. More particularly, the invention relates the field of environmentally safe conversion of waste into valuable products using supercritical technology (SCT).

There is a well-known combined method (RU, patent 2480423, published 27. 04. 2013) of treatment wastewater containing organic pollutants, including primary treatment of influent wastewater with a coagulant and a flocculant separation of treated wastewater into silt and clarified wastewater, selection of sludge for subsequent treatment, treatment of clarified wastewater with nano-structured boehmite with absorption of organic pollutants by nano-structured boehmite particles until a specified degree of purification of clarified wastewater is achieved; separation of treated clarified wastewater into treated wastewater and solid sediment, containing contaminated nano-structured boehmite, collection of solid sediment containing contaminated nano-structured boehmite, regenerating of nano-structured boehmite, to which effect the collected solid sediment is subjected to supercritical water oxidation until complete oxidation of organic compounds absorbed by nano-structured boehmite, is achieved, and collecting of regenerated nanostructured boehmite for subsequent recycling. It should be recognized that a narrow field of application (processing of only sewage sludge) is a disadvantage of this well- known method.

There is a known line (RU, patent 2570331, published 10.12.2015) for processing of solid household and industrial waste containing a plant for sorting solid domestic and industrial waste, a pyrolysis plant, a plant for processing organic manure, an installation for plasma-chemical processing, a plant for processing molten slag, a unit for purification of biogas, a unit for production of synthetic gas, a unit for CO2 processing, a unit for receiving carbon dioxide, a unit for power generation and a unit for catalytic processing and at the same time the plant for sorting solid waste concerning the yield is connected to the pyrolysis plant and to the plant for processing organic manure, but the output of the pyrolysis plant is connected to the input of the installation for plasma-chemical processing, the outputs of which are connected to the inputs of the plant for processing molten slag, the unit for power generation and the unit for catalytic processing, but the output of the plant for processing organic manure is connected to the input of the unit for purification of biogas the output of which is connected to the input of the unit for CO2 processing, the outputs of which are connected to inputs of the unit for receiving carbon dioxide, the unit for production of synthetic gas and the unit for power generation. It should be recognized that a narrow field of application (only solid household and industrial waste) is a disadvantage of this known line.

There is a known (RU, patent 2659924, publ. 04.07.2018) garbage processing complex for processing solid household and industrial waste, containing a solid waste reception area, a conveyor line for semi-automatic waste sorting, a section for grinding of sorting tailings, a section for preliminary drying of crushed waste. Besides, the complex contains a pyrolysis section, including at least two pyrolysis plants, a conveyor line for delivery of prepared waste to the reactors, a conveyor line for transportation of carbon residue to the receiving bin, besides, in the barrel-type reactor a cylindrical combustion chamber is placed coaxially outside the limits of the reaction zone and is adjacent to the internal heating circuit of the reactor useful volume, made in the form of horizontally and radially arranged pipes of various diameters; near the inner wall of the reactor cylinder along its entire length there is a auger conveyer with a separable drive and a gastight gate valve, and under the reactor there is a auger conveyor-cooler; the steam-gas mixture condensation section contains an impact-inertial scrubber, at least two nozzle-type scrubbers with an automatic irrigation process control system and a shell-and-tube heat exchanger. It should be recognized that usage of pyrolysis processing of waste, which does not allow obtaining many useful products, is a disadvantage of this known device. It can be recognized that the most similar analogue of the developed technical solution (RU, patent 2655838, publ. 29.05.2018) is a module implementing supercritical technology of running recycling carbon-containing waste of any humidity, which contains a loading section, a section for carrying out supercritical technologies and a section for processing gas produced according to supercritical technology, and besides, the loading section includes at least a unit for transportation of solid waste, a grinding mill, a feed unit of fugates / drains, at the same time outputs of the grinding mill and the feed unit of fugates / drains are connected to a unit of mixing to obtain a suspension, a reaction mass; and the section for carrying out supercritical technologies includes at least a unit for periodical loading of obtained reaction mass into a supercritical technology reactor designed to provide the continuity of the process; at least one supercritical technology reactor designed to carry out the process of thermal decomposition of the reaction mass complete with gas vortex separators and water disposal, as well as with the possibility of periodical discharging the mineral residue into the receiving bin; the section for processing gas produced according to supercritical technology, includes at least a monitoring and control system for measuring the actual flow and composition of gas, produced according to supercritical technology, and a unit for flameless burning of SCT gas on catalytic burners. It should be recognized that insufficient variety of goods received is a disadvantage of this nearest analogue.

The invention has for its object to remedy or to reduce at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art, or at least provide a useful alternative to prior art.

The object is achieved through features, which are specified in the description below and in the claims that follow.

General description of the invention

When disclosing the claimed invention, the term "problematic wastes and effluents" is used. Within the scope of this application, the term "problematic waste" means: food waste; contaminated plant substances, including seaweeds; personal hygiene products; unreclaimable food containers; hazardous waste (batteries, mercury lamps, thermome- ters); waste from electronics and household appliances; tires; polyethylene terephthalate, containers for ready-made food; pots and containers for plants; bottles from cosmetics; blisters; folders (files) made of polyvinyl chloride; plastic windows; stretch ceilings; parts for furniture; tablecloths; bathroom curtains; floor coverings; linoleum (polycarbonate, polyamide, etc.), baby bottles; disposable tableware; water bottles (reusable and for coolers); toothpaste tubes; CD and CD boxes; plastic without marking, sludge from municipal treatment plants, slags, including slags from incinerators, filters, including filters from incinerators, etc. Within the scope of this application, the term "problematic effluents" means: industrial effluents; effluents from livestock complexes; effluents from aquaculture complexes; drainage effluents; storm effluents; household effluents; sewage effluents; discharge effluents; bilge waters; fugates, including landfill filtrates; sludge, including oil sludge; sea-floor sediments; silt of various types, etc.

Problematic waste may as an alternative be referred to as a solid waste or as a mixed solid waste. Problematic effluent may as an alternative be referred to as an effluent fluid or as an effluent in need of treatment, or as an effluent in need of cleaning.

The technical problem, solvable with usage of the developed technological line, is in development of new technologies for an environmentally safe and pure conversion of waste into energy and a number of valuable products.

The technical result, achievable with realization of the developed technological line, is in improving the environmental impact of a cleaning installation in the area of its operation.

To achieve the specified technical result it is proposed to use the developed processing line for simultaneous processing of different problematic waste and effluents, which is characterized by containing a module of supercritical technology, the input of which is connected to a pulp preparation section, made with capability to receive an effluent, a solid phase extracted by a first separator, made with capability to separate solid phases from products of a grinding mill, made with capability to grind organic waste, sludge from municipal sewage water, mud and silts, mixed solid waste; at that the first separator is made with capability to separate powdered met- a Is, a first output of the supercritical technology module for a mixed steam and gas stream is connected to an inlet of a second gas separator, the second output of the supercritical technology module for mineral residue is connected to a third separator of solid fraction, made with the capability to separate powdered heavy-metals from mineral components; the second gas separator is made with capability to dry the mixed steam and gas stream, its steam output is optionally connected to an electric power generator, whose water vapor condensate output is connected to an optional distilled water collector, and the gas output of the gas separator is connected to an optional aftertreatment system designed with a possibility to produce gas with content of methane equal to 97.5%, P=200 bar.

In one embodiment the technological line contains in addition a recycling system for biological waste, including food waste, comprising successively installed section of extraction, a liquid phase output of which may be connected to the pulp preparation section, and a solid phase output is connected to a section of convectional drying and optionally a section of disinfection and, an output of which along with a mineral component output of the third separator of solid fraction are connected to a mixing section, made with the possibility to obtain granulated organic-mineral fertilizers.

Mud of sewage water sludge, manure, peat, silage, seaweed and so on can be used as biological waste.

The pulp preparation section in most variants of the line realization is designed with the possibility of receiving "problem drains", including drainage, storm water, fecal, household and industrial drains.

Preferably, the line is made with the possibility to extract medium - and fine- dispersed powdered ferrous and non-ferrous metals from milled "problem waste" by hydrodynamic fractionation method, with subsequent classification based on criteri- al parameters.

In the preferable option of realization as well, the developed technological line is made with the possibility to extract medium - and fine-dispersed powdered non-ferrous metals from a mineral component of the second output of the supercritical technology module by hydrodynamic fractionation method based on their criterial parameters.

The operation of the developed technological line is based on a technology known as supercritical (fluid) technology (SCT). This is a promising way to process various biomasses. Rapid development of this tendency is connected with unique economic efficiency and ecological safety, which meets the requirements stated in the conception of a "green" economy. Water is a suitable agent for the supercritical technology. Water reaches a supercritical state at 374 °C and 220 bar.

Special physical and chemical properties of substances reveal themselves in the field of supercritical temperatures and pressures. Substances in the supercritical state have an abnormally large penetrating power. We can say that supercritical fluids are gases compressed to densities which approach to densities of liquids. This explains the fact that supercritical substances are good solvents. Under these conditions, water acquires special properties that differ from properties of liquid and gaseous phases. Water from a polar liquid turns into a non-polar medium and is able to dissolve hydrophobic chemical compounds, but at that it does not dissolve many inorganic salts.

During transformation of a supercritical fluid into gas at a critical point, the fluid releases extracted substances since the gas does not dissolve anything. Almost all organic substances are dissolved in supercritical water. The solubility of inorganic substances also varies. This is the basis for the technology of hydrothermal crystal growing, which is more than half a century old. Thermal decomposition occurs in an aqueous supercritical medium at high pressures. Dioxin, furan, benzopyrene and other toxic compounds are not formed, since under these conditions of equilibrium, the reaction of biomass decomposition with formation of gaseous products is displaced towards formation of methane and carbon dioxide. At decomposition complex organic compounds give, for example, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, benzene, toluene, and other valuable products. Mineral residues of SCT recycling can be used for different purposes depending on the composition of the feedstock. Metals are released as inorganic salts or oxides. Most of the inor- ganic compounds that are stable under SCT conditions are slightly soluble and fall out into mineral residue at pressure release.

The SCT module for the flow-through processing of waste and effluents contains a loading section, a section for carrying out supercritical technologies and a section for processing gas obtained according to supercritical technology. The loading section includes a waste transportation unit. When working with solid waste, a mill is provided for preparation of raw materials and the subsequent production of pulp, a reaction mass. The section carrying out supercritical technologies includes a unit for periodic loading of obtained reaction mass into the supercritical technology reactor, designed with possibility to provide continuity of the process complete with gas vortex separators, which provide separation of the steam-gas mixture and drying of SCT gas, as well as with possibility to carry out periodical discharge of the mineral residue into a receiving bin.

Purified SCT gas at a pressure of not less than P=150 bar on the average has the following composition:

CO=5 ±1%; CO ₂ =5 ±3%; N ₂ = 2%; H ₂ = 5 ±2%; CH ₄ = 80 ±5%.

The heating value is 30 MJ / m ³ , which makes it possible to produce 1.3-1.5 kWh from 1 kg of feedstock. SCT gas, containing up to 80% methane (CH ₄ ), can be used for production of gaseous and synthetic motor fuels, as well as microbial protein by biotechnological methods.

The purified water can be returned to a water reservoir, the mineral residue with a moisture content of 10-15% and with a fraction from 100 to 5 microns can be used as a raw material for the formation of soils and / or building materials for road works or for small architectural forms.

To start the operating mode, the module requires a power connection of not less than 50 kWh. Depending on the external conditions it may take from 10 minutes to 2 hours to reach the operating mode. After entering the operating mode, the system generates energy and does not require external power connection. The mineral residue of SCT processing of organic waste (manure, silt sediments and liquid bio-fermentation waste) contains mineral salts of phosphorus, calcium, and potassium, while nitrogen will be removed in the process of recycling along with SCT gas. The moisture content of the dry mineral residue is 10-15% but the fractional component is less than 100 microns, and this will permit to make granulation of the mineral residue. The enrichment of soils obtained from the mineral residue of SCT with mineral components in granular form is easily achievable and will allow forming a new line of rich soil products for various purposes.

Preliminary thermal drying of manure will make it possible to save the mass fraction of nitrogen and to improve the quality of artificial soils. For effective use of the existing drying unit the initial moisture content of the feedstock should be between 50 and 85%. The finished product, depending on tasks of industry, can be dried to a moisture content of 8- 30%.

As a primary energy carrier used for drying there can be used electricity, natural gas, combustible gas obtained as a result of an associated biological processes, waste steam and hot water, which can be provided in plenty by the SCT module and carry out the complete elimination of harmful microflora and weed seeds.

Thus, granulated complex organic-mineral fertilizers (multi-purpose compost (MPC)), including the main components of plant nutrition in a ratio corresponding to the biological characteristics of plants and a level of soil fertility, will be a commercial product of the line for the simultaneous processing of various problematic wastes and effluents. Characteristics of MPC are given in Table 1.

Table 1

The volume of the manure is significantly reduced, and the dry organic fertilizer can be applied to the soil by ordinary spreading devices for mineral fertilizers. The developed technological line may in some implementation options contain additionally an electronic control system, which is equipped with means of monitoring (control) flows, pressure, temperature and volume of produced by SCT gas and electricity.

The developed technological line in some implementation options may additionally contain a control unit as well equipped with a software support system (SSS). The software must provide protection against operator's errors, displaying error messages, automatic error logging, automatic restore of a current mode and operating parameters at the program crash.

The invention is defined by the independent patent claim. The dependent claims define advantageous embodiments of the invention.

More specifically, the invention relates to a technological line for simultaneous processing of various problematic wastes and effluents, the technical line comprises a module of supercritical technology (SCT). The technological line comprises:

- a grinding mill;

- a first separator;

- a second separator;

- a third separator;

- a pulp preparation section; and

- an aftertreatment system, and where:

- the grinding mill being adapted to grind the problematic waste and to deliver a grinded material as an output;

- the first separator being adapted to separate the grinded material into a first solid fraction and a second solid fraction comprising powdered metals;

- the pulp preparation section being adapted to receive the first solid fraction, the problematic effluent; and optionally a diluent fluid from a diluent fluid reservoir, and to mix the fluids into a feeding fluid;

- the SCT being adapted to receive the feeding fluid and treat the feeding fluid at a supercritical condition, and to deliver a mixed steam and gas stream and a mineral powder stream;

- the second separator being adapted to receive the mixed steam and gas stream, and to separate the mixed steam and gas stream into a steam stream and a methane containing gas stream; and

- the third separator being adapted to receive the mineral powder stream, and to deliver a stream of powdered heavy-metals and a stream of mineral components. The optional diluent fluid may comprise clean water and drains in need of cleaning such as drainage, storm water, fecal containing drains, household drains and industrial drains.

Some problematic effluents may contain a high proportion of solid material and may as an alternative be directed to the grinding mill.

The technological line may comprise an aftertreatment system adapted to receive the methane containing gas stream and to separate the methane containing gas stream into a purified methane stream, a CO2 stream, and a residual water stream.

The purified methane stream may comprise at least 96% methane, such as at least 97% methane. The purified methane stream may be stored at a pressure of more than 150 bar, such as 200 bar.

In an alternative embodiment, the aftertreatment system may comprise a gas turbine or a gas piston power unit being adapted to receive the methane containing gas and to generate electricity.

In an alternative embodiment, the aftertreatment system may comprise a single cell protein plant being adapted for microbiological synthesis of protein from the methane containing gas.

In one embodiment the technological line may comprise an electrical power generator, and the electrical power generator may be adapted to receive the steam stream for generation of electrical energy. The electrical power generator may be adapted to deliver a stream of condensed water. The technological line may in one embodiment comprise a distilled water collector adapted to receive and store the stream of condensed water as a distilled water.

The first separator may be adapted to extract powdered metals from the grinded material by a hydrodynamic fractionation method, with a subsequent classification based on criteria! parameters. The powdered metals may comprise medium- and fine-dispersed powdered ferrous and non-ferrous metals. The third separator may be adapted to separate the mineral powder stream into the stream of powdered heavy-metals and into the stream of mineral components by a hydrodynamic fractionation method based on their criterial parameters. The powdered heavy-metals may comprise medium- and fine-dispersed heavy-metal particles.

The technological line may comprise a biological waste recycling system comprising:

- a dewatering unit;

- a drying unit;

- a dosing unit; and

- an organic fertilizer receptacle, where:

- the dewatering unit may be adapted to receive a biological waste and to deliver an effluent fraction and a dewatered material stream;

- the drying unit may be adapted to dry the dewatered material stream into a dry pre- organic fertilizer stream; and

- the dosing unit may be adapted to dose and mix the pre-organic fertilizer stream with a stream of mineral components into an organic fertilizer and to deliver the organic fertilizer into the organic fertilizer receptacle.

The drying unit may comprise disinfection unit. The dewatering unit may in one embodiment be adapted to deliver the effluent fraction to the pulp preparation section.

The biological waste may comprise a manure. The biological waste may comprise a food waste.

In the following is described examples of preferred embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figs. 1-5 show flow diagrams of different embodiments of the technological line according to the invention.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates a technological line for simultaneous processing of various problematic effluents 21 and problematic wastes 24. The technolog- ical line may also be referred to as a waste processing line or a waste handling system. It may also be referred to as a material and energy regaining system.

Some solid waste may be difficult to recycle and is in what follows referred to as a problematic waste 24. Some effluents are difficult to clean in fluid cleaning systems and is in what follows referred to as a problematic effluent 21.

The problematic waste 24 is stored in a suitable and known manner. The problematic waste is fed to a grinding mill 2 known in the art, and the problematic waste is ground to a grinded material 29 as shown in figure 1. The grinded material is fed into a first separator 3. The first separator 3 may in one embodiment use a hydrodynamic fractionation method with a subsequent classification based on criterial parameters as known in the art. The first separator 3 separates grinded material 29 into a first solid fraction 31 and a second solid fraction 33. The second solid fraction 33 comprises powdered metals 35. The powdered metals 35 comprise medium- and fine-dispersed powdered ferrous and nonferrous metals. The powdered metals 35 may be further processed by known methods (not shown).

The first solid fraction 31 is fed into a pulp preparation section 6. The pulp preparation section 6 mixes the first solid fraction 31 with a diluent liquid 16. In one embodiment the diluent liquid 16 may be water from a diluent fluid reservoir 15. The water may act as a diluent to other liquids. The other liquids may be the problematic effluent 21. In one embodiment the pulp preparation section 6 receives only the problematic effluent 21. The problematic effluent 21 may be a mixture of different fluids from different sources. The problematic effluent 21 is stored in a suitable manner prior to being introduced into the pulp preparation section 6. Some problematic effluents 21 contain an amount of solid material being of a particle size that needs a pre-treatment. In one embodiment such problematic effluents 21 or a portion of problematic effluents 21 are directed to the grinding mill 2.

The pulp preparation section 6 mixes the materials into a feeding fluid 69. The feeding fluid 69 is a feed stock for a module of supercritical technology 10. The module of supercritical technology 10 is adapted in on embodiment to operate with water at a supercriti- cal condition, i.e., at a minimum of 374 °C and 220 bar as known in the art. The module of supercritical technology 10 converts the feeding fluid 69 into a mixed steam and gas stream 11 and a mineral powder stream 19. The mixed steam and gas stream 11 comprises steam, methane and CO2. The mixed steam and gas stream 11 is directed to a second separator 4 that separates the steam from a methane containing gas 42 in the mixed steam and gas stream 11. The steam stream 41 and the methane containing gas 42 may be further processed for regaining energy and conversion to useful products.

The mineral powder stream 19 is directed to a third separator 5. The third separator 5 splits the mineral powder stream 19 into a stream of mineral components 53 and a separate stream of powdered heavy-metals 51. The third separator 5 may in one embodiment use a hydrodynamic fractionation method as known in the art. The heavy-metal and the mineral components are separated based on their criterial parameters. The powdered heavy-metals may comprise medium- and fine-dispersed heavy-metal particles. The stream of mineral components 53 and the stream of powdered heavy-metals 51 may be further processed for regaining materials and conversion to useful products.

In one embodiment of the technological line 1, the methane containing gas 42 is treated in an aftertreatment system 8 as shown in figures 2 to 5. The aftertreatment system separates the methane containing gas 42 into a purified methane stream 44 and into a stream of CO2 (not shown). The purified methane 44 may contain at least 96% methane. The purified methane 44 may be stored at least at 150 bar, preferably at least at 200 bar as known in the art. In one embodiment the purified methane 44 may be combusted in a gas turbine (not shown) to generate electrical power. In one embodiment the purified methane 44 may be used as carbon source in a single cell protein plant. The stream of CO2 may in one embodiment be cooled to dry ice (not shown).

In one embodiment of the technological line 1 shown in figures 3 and 5, the steam stream 41 is directed to an electrical power generator (100). The electrical power generator (100) converts the energy in the steam to electrical energy. In the process, the steam is converted to condensed water 45 which is of distilled water 70 quality. The distilled water 70 may be stored in a distilled water collector 7. In one embodiment the technological line 1 comprises a biological waste recycling system 9 as shown in figures 4 and 5. The biological waste recycling system 9 comprises dewatering unit 91. The dewatering unit 91 is known in the art. The dewatering unit 91 splits the biological waste such as manure, into an effluent fraction 95 and a dewatered material stream 96. The effluent fraction 95 is directed to the pulp preparation section 6 and mixed with the materials therein.

The dewatered material stream 96 is directed to a drying unit 92. The drying unit may be an electrically operated dryer known in the art. The electrically operated dryer may receive energy from the electrical generator 100, or from the gas turbine which converts the purified methane 44 to electrical energy. In an alternative embodiment the dryer may be a gas operated dryer known in the art. The gas may be purified methane gas 44. The output from the drying unit 92 is a dry pre-organic fertilizer stream 97.

In an advantageous embodiment the drying unit 92 comprises a disinfection unit 920 known in the art. The disinfection unit 920 sanitize the dry pre-organic fertilizer stream 97 and kills seeds of weeds.

The dry pre-organic fertilizer stream 97 is directed to a dosing unit 93. The dosing unit 93 mix the dry pre-organic fertilizer stream 97 with the stream of mineral components 53. The dosing unit is adapted to control the mixing ratio of the pre-organic fertilizer stream 97 and the stream of mineral components 53 to obtain a nutrient balanced organic fertilizer 98. The organic fertilizer 98 is stored in a fertilizer receptacle 94. From the fertilizer receptacle 94 the organic fertilizer 98 may be bagged (not shown).

The described embodiments may be combined in other ways than shown in the figures.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb "comprise" and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements.

The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.