Abstract: To expedite the engineering application of thermal drying-pyrolysiscarbonization technologies, a small-scale experimental setup for the process of sewage sludge was conducted utilizing a vertical pyrolysis unit uniquely developed by our own enterprise.Initially, the structural design rationality of both the dryer and the pyrolysis machine through pilot testing were validated. The issues that needed improvement were identified, and the preliminary operational condition explorations were conducted. Subsequently,the optimal operating parameters for the optimized system, as determined through experiments, were as follows: The drying section employed a two-stage serial configuration using 60% sludge as raw material. The first stage maintained an inlet temperature of approximately 280°C, while the second stage operated below 170°C ensuring a final outlet temperature exceeding 100°C, all at a drum rotation speed of 2r/min. This process produced sludge with a moisture content of less than 20% for pyrolysis. In the pyrolysis section, temperatures ranged from 650°C to 750°C, with sludge residing in the reactor for 20 minutes. The resulting sludge discharge exhibited a measured moisture content of not exceeding 5%, marking a remarkable 83.84% reduction. Furthermore, the biochar residue within the sludge carbonized slag constituted 26.8%.