Process for creating pellet for utilization in land revegetation or as a fuel source

Abstract

A process for revegatating land includes the steps of performing a soil analysis, creating seed-bearing pellets according to soil needs, and disbursing the seed-bearing pellets over the land to be revegatated. Such seed-bearing pellets are created by mixing nutrients and ground organic material. The mixture is saturated with steam and pressed through a die and cut into individual pellets. Seeds are adhered onto each pellet, and activated charcoal may be fixed to the outer surface of the pellet to neutralize herbicide applied to the land to be revegatated. A process for creating fuel pellets is also provided which includes grinding and mixing waste wood products, and adding oil to the mixture. This mixture is injected with steam and pressed through a die. The pressed mixture is then cut into cloverleaf configured pellets.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority from provisional application Serial No. 60/216,719, filed Jul. 7, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates generally to outdoor cooking fuel and land reforestation and rehabilitation. More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for creating pellets which can be utilized as a fuel source, or facilitate land revegetation.

[0003] Outdoor cooking charcoal briquets have been commercially available since the 1920's. Such briquets are made from a combination of semi-anthracite coal, sodium nitrate, limestone, borax, and various petroleum-based binders. Such briquets are difficult to ignite, usually requiring more than two attempts with lighter fluid and matches. Approximately 30 to 50 briquets are placed in a mound during each outdoor cooking event. After lighting the briquets, there is typically a 20 minute wait before being able to cook the food. This wait is required in order for the toxins and the objectionable flavor that the anthracite coal, sodium nitrate, limestone, borax and various petroleum-based binders produce to be burned off. Since the charcoal briquets have a total burn life of approximately 40 to 50 minutes, only 20 to 30 minutes of cooking time are left. Even after waiting, many consumers complain that the briquets impart an objectionable petroleum taste to the food. Recently, briquets have been provided which require no waiting after igniting with a match before cooking. Cooking time is thus extended to 40 to 50 minutes. However, many consumers have complained about an objectionable petroleum taste imparted to the food throughout the 40 to 50 minute burn time of the charcoal briquets. All charcoal briquets are composed of carbon black and cause the users' hands to become dirty. Another disadvantage of the charcoal briquets is that the process of manufacturing them produces large amounts of black smoke filled with particulate matter known to cause respitory problems in humans.

[0004] Presently, nutshells, sawdust, and the remains and dead and infected woods are often disposed in landfills. Current means of generating energy often include the burning of oil, natural gas, and coal. All of these methods release a tremendous amount of environmental pollutants in to the atmosphere. There is an increasing movement towards the use of “green” energy resources which recycle materials and produce energy with little or no harmful byproducts.

[0005] There exists in many areas of the world, foreign or noxious plants which create obstacles to productive native plant life either by robbing nutrients, moisture, sunlight or space or by creating a fire hazard. The U.S. Forest Services is currently engaged in the practice of performing “controlled burns” in a process to improve forest and grassland habitat. Many times, these “controlled burns” become “uncontrollable wildfires” which cause great damage to humans, animals and plants. Proponents of the controlled burns state that such “burns” are necessary to lessen the likelihood of “wildfire spreading” and that “controlled burn” fires create the high temperatures and smoke residues for germination and growth of certain native grasses and plants. However, there is the constant risk that controlled fires can become uncontrolled fires in a matter of seconds because of abrupt weather changes. Thus, such burns can actually create more damage than the intended benefit. Herbicides have been used sparingly as the herbicide typically kills all plants which come in contact with the herbicide. This creates a concern for erosion as it often takes quite some time before the effects of the herbicide diminish sufficiently to allow new plants to grow.

[0006] Accordingly there has been a need for a fuel pellet or briquet which is clean, provides high energy output, and burns long enough to provide 40-50 minutes of cooking time. Additionally, a briquette is needed which can be used to flame broil, barbecue, bake, and smoke or cure food which can be used on a gas or electric grill depending on the need of the outdoor cooking consumer. Such a briquet pellet should improve the flavor of the food and be capable of being manufactured economically.

[0007] What is also needed is a fuel source which recycles waste material and emits relatively little environmental pollutants. What is further needed is a process for reforesting and rehabilitating grass lands. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention resides in a process for creating pellets which can be utilized as a fuel source or in land revegetation. The fuel pellet is created by grinding and mixing waste wood products, such as nut shells and hardwoods. Oil, such as canola oil, is added to the ground waste wood products mixture. Steam is injected into the mixture and the mixture is densified by pressing it through a die. The mixture exiting the die has a density of between 50 and 90 lbs. per cubic foot. The pressed mixture is cut into pellets, typically into a cloverleaf configuration, and allowed to cool. The cooled pellets may then be showered with additional oil if deemed necessary.

[0009] The resulting fuel pellet can be used to flame broil, barbecue, bake, and smoke or cure food. The use of nutshells and hardwood imparts a desirable flavor to the food, and allows for an appropriate cooking time.

[0010] The process for revegatating land, such as areas that have become overgrown with non-native plants, includes the steps of first performing a soil analysis on the land to be revegatated. Seed-bearing pellets having nutrient enriched ground organic material are created according to the soil needs of the soil analysis. These seed-bearing pellets are then disbursed over the land to be revegatated.

[0011] The pellet is created by providing a mixture of nutrients and ground organic material. This mixture is saturated with steam and densified by pressing the mixture through a die to create a pellet having a density of between 50 and 90 lbs. per cubic foot. After cutting the pellets into the appropriate size, one or more seeds are adhered onto each pellet. Preferably, the ground organic material includes ground almond shell which serves as a chelator and ground alfalfa which facilitates water absorption. Depending upon the needs of the soil analysis, mycorrihizal innoculum is added to an outer surface of the pellet to assist the plant in obtaining the proper nutrients from the soil. An ingestion repellant may also be added to the pellet to discourage insects and animals from eating the pellet.

[0012] In the process of reforesting and rehabilitating land, the unwanted trees or vegetation on the land to be revegatated are preferably destroyed. This can be done by applying an herbicide to the land to be revegatated. In this case, activated charcoal is attached to an outer surface of the pellet which serves to neutralize the herbicide and allow the seed to grow.

[0013] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such drawings:

[0015] FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating the steps taken in creating a fuel pellet in accordance with the present invention;

[0016] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the steps generally taken in revegatating and rehabilitating land in accordance with the present invention;

[0017] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the steps taken in creating a mulch/seed pellet used in the process of revegatating land.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the present invention is concerned with a process for creating a pellet which can be adapted to be used as a fuel source, or bear seeds and be used in land revegetation and rehabilitation.

[0019] With reference to FIG. 1, a flowchart is shown generally illustrating the steps in creating a pellet or briquet that can be used as a fuel source. The pellet is comprised of 100% natural products. It is a combination of nutshells and hardwood residues which are obtained from nutshellers and lumber mills. In the past, these waste materials have been disposed of in landfills and have created an environmental problem. Utilizing these waste materials in the manufacturing of the present invention eliminates this waste problem. In addition, the manufacturing process is clean. The nutshells and/or hardwoods are ground down to 0.125 inch or smaller particle size and mixed (10). The mixture is not less than 0.005% nor greater than 99.0% by volume hardwood species. The moisture content of the mixture ranges from bone dry to 60%. The nutshell species used can include almond, walnut, pecan, filbert, or any other similar nutshell. The hardwood species used, but are not limited to, oak, maple, alder, hickory, mesquite, fruitwoods and grapevines. Softwood species may also be used in a limited extent, particularly when the pellet or briquet is to be used in a power plant as fuel, and includes, but is not limited to, pine, fur, cedar, and redwood.

[0020] The mixture is then combined with oil (12). Preferably, the oil comprises canola oil in an amount of 0.005% to 10.0% by volume. This combination is then thoroughly mixed until the oil is distributed evenly throughout the mixture of nutshells and hardwoods. At this point, steam is injected into the mixture in quantities of not less than 0.06255% nor greater than 10% of the total volume (14).

[0021] The mixture is then densified by pressing it through a die (16). The die is between is 12″ and 98″ in diameter, and has between 8 and 500 individual die cylinders. Each individual die cylinder is designed with a 1.875″ to 4.0″ inside diameter by 1.250″ to 4.50″ outside diameter. The die is constructed of a high heat resistant steel alloy to accommodate between 20,000 and 50,000 PSI, and between 2000° F. to 1000° F. temperatures. As the die revolves either clockwise or in a counter-clockwise direction, new material is fed into the die opening and the materials is pressed by a steel roller into the opening.

[0022] The combination of the flow characteristics of the raw material, steam, pressure of the roller, shape of the die and the centrifugal force of the spinning die at 260 revolutions per minute, causes the material to increase in temperature and densify. The extruded material has a density of between 50 and 90 lbs. per cubic foot, and preferably a density of 70 lbs. per cubic foot. Approximately 3 to 5 tons per hour can be extruded through the die.

[0023] The extruded and densified material is cut into pellets (18) and allowed to cool, causing further hardening of the pellet. A unique feature of the die is that it forms the material into a clover leaf configuration designed to produce a product which has a greater surface to air ratio than any other shape that can be effectively extruded. The greater surface to air ratio is necessary to maximize combustion due to increased surface area which comes into contact with oxygen. This more effective combustion is a marked improvement over past attempts to densify waste wood products and then burn them. Nutshells and sawdust or shavings have a high BTU content, and therefore are desirable as fuel, but their lightweight causes the shell or sawdust to fly beyond the flame. Also, their inconsistent moisture content causes the product to smoke excessively, causing air pollution. The excessive smoke can also be a flavoring problem when outdoor grilling or barbequing.

[0024] The extruded pellets are between 1.250″ and 4.0″ in diameter and can be cut at any length, typically between 0.5″ and 14″ long. The high density of the product allows it to be stored for long periods of time without degradation. The density also yields a product having between 8300 and 10,000 BTU per pound. This high BTU content combined with a greater surface to air ratio produced by the clover leaf shape allows for a flavorful, high BTU fire with a one hour burn time. The one hour burn time has been found necessary to provide adequate heat for outdoor barbequing or grilling. The resulting pellet burns cleaner, longer, and gives better flavor to food than charcoal briquets.

[0025] Approximately 200 pellet briquets can be fit into a 10 lb. bag to provide a consumer with five outdoor barbeques per bag. Due to the greater surface to air ratio provided by the clover leaf shape of the briquet pellet, the invention begins to burn immediately with a flame so that flame broiling food to seal in the flavor as soon possible without waiting. In addition, the briquet pellet can be used in a “smoker” to smoke and cure food by simply adding 3 or 4 pellets at a time to a gas or electric grill by placing a few pellets near the heat source to add flavor to the food. The pellets are clean, eliminating the need for the user to constantly wash his hands when working with food. Also, the briquets are bacteria and germ free due to the high temperatures and pressures during manufacturing.

[0026] The resulting pellets or briquets can also be used as an alternative fuel source which is “green” as the materials are 100% natural, and most likely would have been deposited in a landfill.

[0027] Referring now to FIG.2, another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. This embodiment involves a process for revegatating or rehabilitating land, or reforesting overgrown forests. A soil analysis is first performed on the land to be reforested, rehabilitated and revegatated (20). The unwanted trees and vegetation are destroyed (22). This can be following a natural forest fire, by removing dangerous tree and plant species with a hydraulic sheer and chipper, by herbicide or by other traditional means. When removing unwanted tree species, these can be chipped and used in creating the pellets, or act as fuel source for power generation for producing the heated steam in the pellet manufacturing process. Seed-bearing pellets are then created (24) and dispersed onto the land to be reforested or rehabilitated (26).

[0028] With reference to FIG. 3, the process for creating the seed-bearing pellets will now be described. Organic material is ground and nutrients added to create a nutrient enriched mulch (28). Preferably, the composition of this mixture is determined by the previously performed soil analysis which indicates the needs of the soil in order to support the plants or trees to be propagated. Exemplary organic material includes cattle or horse manure, soy bean meal, urban green waste such as grass and shrub clippings, diatomaceous earth, other appropriate organic materials. It has been found that alfalfa is a source of protein and serves to absorb surrounding moisture into the pellet. Thus, alfalfa meal is nearly always included in the mixture. Another preferred ingredient in the mixture is ground almond shells. It has been found that almond shells act as a chelator which pulls zinc and other heavy metals into the plant root. It is believed that the almond shell does this by forming a chemical compound in which a central atom and a neighboring atom form a ring structure that facilitates the flow of the metal ion into the root. Many nutrients that would be lost to grasses, herbs and shrubs can now be directed towards the plant roots due to the chelator effect. Other nutrients, such as nitrogen, zinc, ammonium nitrate, potash, methylene urea, potassium sulfate, ammonium phosphate, potassium nitrate, urea, and other organic and inorganic nutrients are provided as deemed necessary by the soil analysis.

[0029] After grinding the mixture to 0.175″ or less particle size and completely mixing the ingredients of the mixture, the mixture is saturated with steam (30) having a temperature or 212° F. to 700° F., and preferably 300° F. The steam is injected into the mixture in a quantities of not less than 0.06255% nor greater than 10% of the total volume.

[0030] At this point, the mixture of green waste and nutrients is ready to be pressed through a die in order to be densified (32). The mixture is pressed through a die, preferably 0.250″ in diameter, having a length of three to six inches. The temperatures inside the die is typically between 320° F. to 350° F. due to the super-heated steam and the friction of the material as it passes through the die. Due to the absence of oxygen within the die, the organic material does not burn but rather melts and densifies. A density of between 50 and 90 lbs. per cubic foot is attained, with a preferred density of 70 lbs. per cubic foot or more. This density has been found to enable the pellets to be stored indefinitely without fear of crumbling or deterioration as with other pressed products. The emerging product is cut into pellets (34) approximately 0.25″ to 0.75″ in length. The pellets are then passed through a cooler at 32° F.

[0031] A natural water soluble adhesive is then applied to an outer surface of the pellet, such as by a mechanical rotary mixer, and seed is metered into the pellet/adhesive mix in varieties and quantities according to planting and growth requirements (36). The “seeded” pellets are then dried. If the soil analysis indicates, mycorrihizal innoculum is attached to an outer surface of the pellet (38). This innoculum is known to have a synergistic effect with the plant by receiving chemical signals from the plant as instructions to search out various nutrients and the like which the plant needs. The relationship is symbiotic in that the plant roots provide the necessary nutrients, etc., for the mycorrihizal life forms.

[0032] When herbicide is used to destroy the unwanted trees and vegetation on the land to be revegatated, the pellets are coated with activated charcoal (40). The activated charcoal serves to neutralize the herbicide and allow the seed to germinate and grow unmolested. However, herbicide can remain effective for some time outside of the pellet area and prevent the growth of unwanted plant varieties which would immediately compete with the intended plants. This herbicide/activated charcoal pellet process enables the destruction of unwanted plants and trees without the risk of creating unwieldy forest fires due to uncontrolled burns. The process is also economical and relatively easy to perform.

[0033] After the seed-bearing pellets are created and disbursed on the land to be rehabilitated, the contents of the pellets, particularly the alfalfa meal, absorbs moisture resulting in the increase in size of the pellet, and the pellet begins to partially disintegrate. This creates an incubator for seed germination and healthy plant growth. To prevent animals and insects from eating the seeds and pellets, an ingestion repellant such as habanero pepper, can be attached to the outer surface of the pellet (42).

[0034] The pellets are fairly compact and easy to store with an unlimited shelf life. As invasive foreign species encroach upon native species and destroy the beneficial grasses, herbs, and shrubs, the pellets can be used to mitigate this invasion and restore the natural habitat. The pellets can be broadcast and disbursed by hand, or aerially using an helicopter or airplane. The result is a more balanced and healthy ecosystem more resistant to fire and capable of tolerating a well-managed grazing program.

[0035] Although several embodiments have been described in detail for purpose of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited, except as by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A process for creating fuel pellets, comprising the steps of:

grinding and mixing waste wood products;

adding oil to the ground waste wood products mixture;

injecting steam into the ground waste wood products and oil mixture;

densifying the mixture by pressing the mixture through a die; and

cutting the pressed mixture exiting the die into pellets and allowing the pellets to cool.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the waste wood products comprise nut shells and waste hardwoods.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the oil comprises canola oil.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the mixture is pressed through the die to create pellets having a density of between fifty and ninety pounds per cubic foot.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the pellets are cut into a clover leaf configuration.

6. The process of claim 1, including the step of showering the cooled pellets with oil.

7. A process for creating a mulch/seed pellet, comprising the steps of:

providing a mixture of nutrient enriched ground organic material;

saturating the mixture with steam;

densifying the mixture;

cutting the densified mixture into pellets; and

adhering a seed onto each pellet.

8. The process of claim 7, including the step of performing a soil analysis to determine the composition of the nutrient enriched organic material.

9. The process of claim 7, wherein the nutrient enriched organic material includes ground almond shell which serves as a chelator.

10. The process of claim 7, wherein the nutrient enriched organic material includes ground alfalfa to facilitate water absorption.

11. The process of claim 7, wherein the densifying step includes the step of pressing the mixture through a die to create a pellet having a density of between fifty and ninety pounds per cubic foot.

12. The process of claim 7, including the step of attaching mycorrhizal innoculum to an outer surface of the pellet.

13. The process of claim 7, including the step of attaching activated charcoal to an outer surface of the pellet.

14. The process of claim 7, including the step of adding an ingestion repellent to the pellet.

15. A process for revegetating land, comprising the steps of:

performing a soil analysis on the land to be revegetated;

creating seed-bearing pellets having nutrient enriched ground organic material according to the soil needs of the soil analysis; and

dispersing the seed-bearing pellets over the land to be revegetatated.

16. The process of claim 15, including the step of destroying unwanted trees or vegetation from the land to be revegetated.

17. The process of claim 15, wherein the creating step includes the steps of:

providing a mixture of nutrient enriched ground organic material according to the soil needs of the soil analysis;

saturating the mixture with steam;

densifying the mixture;

cutting the densified mixture into pellets; and

adhering a seed onto each pellet.

18. The process of claim 17, wherein the nutrient enriched organic material includes ground almond shell which serves as a chelator.

19. The process of claim 17, wherein the nutrient enriched organic material includes ground alfalfa to facilitate water absorption.

20. The process of claim 17, wherein the densifying step includes the step of pressing the mixture through a die to create a pellet having a density of between fifty and ninety pounds per cubic foot.

21. The process of claim 17, including the step of attaching mycorrhizal innoculum to an outer surface of the pellet.

22. The process of claim 16, including the step of applying an herbicide to the land to be revegetated.

23. The process of claim 22, including the step of attaching activated charcoal to an outer surface of the pellet.

24. The process of claim 17, including the step of adding an ingestion repellent to the pellet.