Patents by Inventor A. Kent Keller
A. Kent Keller has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11591661Abstract: An example system for purifying a supply stream including lactose includes a clarification system configured to separate insoluble impurities from the stream to produce a clarified stream. The system includes an adsorption system fluidically coupled to the clarification system. The adsorption system includes an adsorbent resin configured to purify the clarified stream. An example technique for purifying a supply stream including lactose includes separating insoluble impurities from the supply stream to produce a clarified stream and passing the clarified stream over an adsorbent resin to produce a decolorized stream.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2017Date of Patent: February 28, 2023Assignee: Keller Technologies, Inc.Inventors: A. Kent Keller, James P. Mullen, Eric A. Keller
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Patent number: 11162149Abstract: An example method for refining lactose may include washing lactose crystals in a lactose stream in an upstream wash stream including an upstream recirculating wash medium. Washed lactose crystals may be sieved from the upstream recirculating wash medium. The upstream recirculating wash medium may be recirculated back to the upstream wash stream. The washed lactose crystals may be discharged to a downstream wash stream comprising a downstream recirculating wash medium. An example system may include a plurality of refining stages. At least one refining stage may include a washing tank including a lactose crystal inlet and a crystal slurry outlet. The refining stage may include a pump to recirculate a wash stream from the crystal slurry outlet back to the washing tank at a predetermined flow rate. The refining stage includes a screen to separate washed lactose crystals from the wash stream.Type: GrantFiled: May 30, 2017Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: Keller Technologies, Inc.Inventor: A. Kent Keller
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Patent number: 11140909Abstract: A system for drying a wet lactose product stream includes a disperser configured to disperse agglomerated lactose particulates in a wet lactose stream into a dispersed wet lactose stream. A back-mixed partial drying zone is configured to at least partially dry the dispersed wet lactose stream by recirculating a partially dried lactose stream with the dispersed wet lactose stream. A plug-flow secondary drying zone is configured to dry the partially dried lactose stream to generate a substantially dried lactose stream.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2016Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignee: Keller Technologies, Inc.Inventor: A. Kent Keller
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Publication number: 20200325549Abstract: An example method for refining lactose may include washing lactose crystals in a lactose stream in an upstream wash stream including an upstream recirculating wash medium. Washed lactose crystals may be sieved from the upstream recirculating wash medium. The upstream recirculating wash medium may be recirculated back to the upstream wash stream. The washed lactose crystals may be discharged to a downstream wash stream comprising a downstream recirculating wash medium. An example system may include a plurality of refining stages. At least one refining stage may include a washing tank including a lactose crystal inlet and a crystal slurry outlet. The refining stage may include a pump to recirculate a wash stream from the crystal slurry outlet back to the washing tank at a predetermined flow rate. The refining stage includes a screen to separate washed lactose crystals from the wash stream.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 30, 2017Publication date: October 15, 2020Inventor: A. Kent Keller
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Publication number: 20200190608Abstract: An example system for purifying a supply stream including lactose includes a clarification system configured to separate insoluble impurities from the stream to produce a clarified stream. The system includes an adsorption system fluidically coupled to the clarification system. The adsorption system includes an adsorbent resin configured to purify the clarified stream. An example technique for purifying a supply stream including lactose includes separating insoluble impurities from the supply stream to produce a clarified stream and passing the clarified stream over an adsorbent resin to produce a decolorized stream.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 12, 2017Publication date: June 18, 2020Inventors: A. Kent Keller, James P. Mullen, Eric A. Keller
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Patent number: 10440971Abstract: A process comprises concentrating a whey composition to at least about 75 weight % solids in one or more evaporators connected in series to form a concentrated whey composition, wherein at least one of the evaporators comprises an evaporator configured to agitate the whey composition within the at least one evaporator, crystallizing at least a portion of the lactose in the concentrated whey composition in a crystallization cascade comprising one or more crystallizing stages to form an at least partially-crystallized whey composition and drying the at least partially-crystallized whey composition to form a dried whey product.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2013Date of Patent: October 15, 2019Assignee: Keller Technologies, Inc.Inventor: A. Kent Keller
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Publication number: 20190000099Abstract: A system for drying a wet lactose product stream includes a disperser configured to disperse agglomerated lactose particulates in a wet lactose stream into a dispersed wet lactose stream. A back-mixed partial drying zone is configured to at least partially dry the dispersed wet lactose stream by recirculating a partially dried lactose stream with the dispersed wet lactose stream. A plug-flow secondary drying zone is configured to dry the partially dried lactose stream to generate a substantially dried lactose stream.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2016Publication date: January 3, 2019Inventor: A. Kent Keller
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Publication number: 20150056358Abstract: A process comprises concentrating a whey composition to at least about 75 weight % solids in one or more evaporators connected in series to form a concentrated whey composition, wherein at least one of the evaporators comprises an evaporator configured to agitate the whey composition within the at least one evaporator, crystallizing at least a portion of the lactose in the concentrated whey composition in a crystallization cascade comprising one or more crystallizing stages to form an at least partially-crystallized whey composition and drying the at least partially-crystallized whey composition to form a dried whey product.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2013Publication date: February 26, 2015Applicant: Proliant Dairy, Inc.Inventor: A. Kent Keller
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Patent number: 7765920Abstract: An air-lift dryer for processing a high-lactose aqueous fluid (HLAF), such as permeate from ultrafiltration of whey fluid, is provided. The air-lift dryer has an enclosed drying chamber with diverging interior sidewalls that define an intermediate interior space having a cross-sectional area that increases as the diverging interior sidewalls extend away from a lower portion toward an upper portion.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2007Date of Patent: August 3, 2010Assignee: Relco Unisystems CorporationInventor: A. Kent Keller
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Patent number: 7651711Abstract: A method for processing a high-lactose aqueous fluid (HLAF), such as permeate from ultrafiltration of whey fluid, is provided. The process includes introducing highly concentrated high-lactose aqueous fluid into a cooling, concentrating, crystallizing apparatus, exposing the highly concentrated HLAF to a gaseous fluid to create a cooling, concentrating, crystallizing cascade to form a partially crystallized HLAF.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2007Date of Patent: January 26, 2010Assignee: Relco Unisystems CorporationInventor: A. Kent Keller
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Patent number: 7651713Abstract: A method for processing a high-lactose aqueous fluid (HLAF), such as permeate from ultrafiltration of whey fluid, is described. The process includes spraying a partially crystallized high-lactose aqueous fluid upward into an air-lift dryer having diverging sidewalls.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2007Date of Patent: January 26, 2010Assignee: Relco Unisystems CorporationInventor: A. Kent Keller
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Patent number: 7651714Abstract: A method for processing a high-lactose aqueous fluid (HLAF), such as permeate from ultrafiltration of whey fluid, is provided. The method includes a step of drying the partially crystallized HLAF in an air-lift dryer which has diverging sidewalls to form a product rich in crystalline alpha-lactose monohydrate.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2007Date of Patent: January 26, 2010Assignee: Relco Unisystems CorporationInventor: A. Kent Keller
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Patent number: 7651712Abstract: A method for processing a high-lactose aqueous fluid (HLAF), such as permeate from ultrafiltration of whey fluid, is provided. The process includes introducing a highly concentrated high-lactose aqueous fluid into a cooling, concentrating, crystallizing apparatus in which the highly concentrated high-lactose aqueous fluid is exposed to mixing and to movement of a gaseous fluid at a temperature, moisture content and air speed effective to create a cooling, concentrating, crystallizing cascade to generate a partially crystallized high-lactose aqueous fluid and spraying the partially crystallized high-lactose aqueous fluid into an enclosed drying chamber containing hot air to form a high-solids crystalline product rich in crystalline alpha-lactose monohydrate crystals.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2007Date of Patent: January 26, 2010Assignee: Relco Unisystems CorporationInventor: A. Kent Keller
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Patent number: 7241465Abstract: Systems and methods for processing a high-lactose aqueous fluid (HLAF), such as permeate from ultrafiltration of whey fluid, are described. The preferred process includes concentrating HLAF containing from about 1 to about 35% solids, wherein at least 50% of the solids are lactose, to form a concentrated HLAF containing from about 45 to about 65% solids; further concentrating the HLAF to form a highly concentrated HLAF containing from about 70 to about 80% solids; cooling the highly concentrated HLAF with a gaseous fluid to create a cooling, concentrating, crystallizing cascade to further concentrate the HLAF to form a partially crystallized HLAF containing from about 78 to about 88% solids; and drying the partially crystallized HLAF in an air-lift dryer to form a product rich in crystalline alpha-lactose monohydrate. An air-lift dryer having diverging sidewalls and methods of using same are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2003Date of Patent: July 10, 2007Assignee: Relco Unisystems CorporationInventor: A. Kent Keller
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Publication number: 20030200672Abstract: Systems and methods for processing a high-lactose aqueous fluid (HLAF), such as permeate from ultrafiltration of whey fluid, are described. The preferred process includes concentrating HLAF containing from about 1 to about 35% solids, wherein at least 50% of the solids are lactose, to form a concentrated HLAF containing from about 45 to about 65% solids; further concentrating the HLAF to form a highly concentrated HLAF containing from about 70 to about 80% solids; cooling the highly concentrated HLAF with a gaseous fluid to create a cooling, concentrating, crystallizing cascade to further concentrate the HLAF to form a partially crystallized HLAF containing from about 78 to about 88% solids; and drying the partially crystallized HLAF in an air-lift dryer to form a product rich in crystalline alpha-lactose monohydrate. An air-lift dryer having diverging sidewalls and methods of using same are also disclosed.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 3, 2003Publication date: October 30, 2003Inventor: A. Kent Keller
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Patent number: 4379368Abstract: A hot air drier system for breaking up and drying particles or aggregates of moist material includes a preliminary drier unit with a moist solids inlet, a hot air inlet, and a dried solids outlet. A pneumatic conveying conduit receives solids from the outlet and subjects them to further drying while they are conveyed to a suitable separator. Hot air is supplied to the drier inlet through a supply conduit which has a bypass conduit for delivering fully heated air to the pneumatic conveying conduit close to the solids outlet and which also has a cooling air conduit or bypass for selectively feeding heated air of somewhat lower temperature to the drier inlet.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 1981Date of Patent: April 12, 1983Assignee: Whey Systems, Inc.Inventor: A. Kent Keller