Abstract: A metering unloader (29) of the present invention is for use in a tower grain dryer (T). The tower dryer has a grain drying path (11) and the latter has a grain outlet (27) at the lower end thereof, and the tower has at least one discharge outlet (15) in the lower portion thereof. The metering unloader is rotatably mounted within the lower portion (23) of the tower for rotation about a vertical axis (39) and the unloader is powered by a motor (41) for rotatably driving the metering unloader about the vertical axis. The metering unloader is in communication with the grain outlet of the grain drying path and it substantially uniformly removes dried grain from all regions of the lower portion of the dryer upon each revolution of the metering unloader and delivers the dried grain to the discharge outlet for the tower dryer. A method for metering the unloading of grain from the dryer is also disclosed.

Abstract: A cyclone heat exchanger including a plurality of arranged one above another cylone separators forming, respectively, a plurality of heat exchange stages, a first inlet for delivering raw meal to the heat exchanger, a first outlet for delivering the heated raw meal from the heat exchanger, a second inlet for delivering a hot gas to the heat exchanger, a second outlet for delivering the cooled gas from the heat exchanger, and at least one motor-driven conveyor device arranged between at least two heat exchange stages, located immediately one above the other, and defined by respective cyclone separators for transporting the raw meal between the stages.

Abstract: A manure drying system for reducing the moisture content in manure collected in an animal husbandry operation, and a method of carrying out the manure drying process. The system and method include providing an animal confinement facility having a ventilation system operating within the facility which causes an air flow. Accumulation apparatus for collecting and selectively holding manure produced by the animals and channeling apparatus for directing at least some part of the air flow produced within the facility onto the manure collected by the accumulation apparatus are also provided. The use of the apparatus and method cause a significant reduction in the moisture content of the manure accumulated and facilitate handling and disposal operations.

Abstract: A device for heating or cooling of bulk material including two pairs of vibrating chutes, with each pair being formed of two oppositely inclined chutes mounted one above the other and with each pair being equipped with a unidirectional vibrator, and with vibrating chutes of each pair being connected with a plurality of pairs of oppositely inclined articulated bars, and with vibrating chutes being equipped with flow ducts connected with each other in such a way that heating or cooling medium flows in the flow ducts of the vibrating chutes of each pair in the same direction so that in one chute the directions of flow of the heating or cooling material coincide with the flow of bulk material, and in the other chute they flow in opposite directions.

Abstract: A device for separating undesired exhaust gas components from a fluid comprises a reactor with a reaction chamber and having a top and a bottom. The top has a device for introducing a granular adsorption medium. The bottom comprises first and second oppositely slanted sidewalls arranged parallel to one another and forming between them a gutter open in an upward direction. Sections of the gutter form removal funnels with a funnel mouth for removing the granular adsorption medium. The bottom further has fluid inflow openings for admitting the fluid into the reaction chamber, whereby the funnel mouths and the fluid inflow openings are arranged alternatingly in the gutters. The funnel mouths are arranged to form a grid structure. The bottom also has distributing elements for covering the fluid inflow openings. The distributing elements have a pyramid, a cone, a pyramid sector, or a cone sector shape.

Abstract: The invention relates in general to a reactor installation for countercurrent treatment of gases and bulk solids and, in particular, to a moving bed reactor installation with at least one reaction chamber which latter has at least one inlet and at least one outlet for passing therethrough a solid material present in bulk from the top toward the bottom countercurrently to a gas, at least one flow baffle by means of which the gas is conducted from the bottom toward the top into the bulk material present in the reaction chamber, at least one first sliding surface for the bulk material, arranged above the reaction chamber and terminating at its upper end into a feeding shaft or hopper and supplying the inlet of the reaction chamber with bulk material, and at least one second sliding surface for the bulk material, arranged below the outlet, wherein the sliding surfaces are inclined regarding the horizontal to such an extent that the bulk material is conveyed in the inclined direction solely under the action of gra

Abstract: A gas/solids contacting device provides a light-weight, easily installed unit for contacting gases with particulate solids and permits the removal of spent solids and introduction of replacement solids. A solids contacting chamber is maintained between a pair of generally parallel foraminous surfaces which are inclined at an angle greater than the angle of repose of the particulate solids to be confined in the solids-containing chamber. The devices may be connected in parallel or in series and will function with the gas flowing upwardly or downwardly through a bed of particulate solids within the solids-containing chamber. Gas distributor means are provided to promote uniform low velocity gas flow through the solids bed. Retractable or removable support legs may be included.

Abstract: A static kiln includes an annular heating zone, the inner wall of which is defined by an approximately cylindrical core. The core and the outer wall of the heating zone are suspended to permit movement due to thermal expansion and contraction. Both the inner and outer walls of the heating zone include structures which transmit heat into a supply chamber so that particulate material introduced to the supply chamber is partially dried prior to entering the heating zone.

Abstract: Apparatus for controlling a flow of granular material wherein a first member has a first conical side wall and a second member has a second conical side wall arranged adjacent to the first conical side wall so that a passage is defined between the wall of the adjacent side walls, wherein at least the second conical side wall of the second member is provided with a device for introducing aeration agent into the passage.

Abstract: A vertical maltdrying kiln is described whereby several flow zones for the drying air are provided within a vertical malt compartment. At least in the uppermost flow zone at least one airduct with perforated sidewalls is provided, which extends in the transverse direction through the malt compartment. In the uppermost flow zone, the drying air enters through this airduct and optionally through perforated sidewalls in the transverse direction, while it escapes in the upward direction. Preferrably, a lower malt discharge lock is perforated, so that drying air may enter into the lowermost flow zone. This drying air may escape through perforated sidewalls or through airducts with perforated sidewalls. Preferrably, the entire drying air of all flow zones may escape in the upward direction through the upper open end of the malt compartment.

Abstract: A heat exchanger consisting of a housing (1) with integrated caloric surfaces (3) for cooling bulk materials (8)--in particular hot foundry molding sands--comprises a retarder system in the form of a sand cascade which consists of an upper perforated plate (9) with many small individual holes (11), of a lower perforated plate (12) with few individual holes (12), said perforated plates being spaced apart by perforated plates (4,15), the sand flow through the slide system (5,6,14) being controllable and sealable.The passage holes may assume the shapes of triangular, longitudinal or T slots in order to operate such a retarder cooler over a large range of regulation.The perforated spacer plates (4) moreover form a support plate with high static load capacities to absorb the substantial weights of the bulk materials.

Abstract: The grain dryer of the present invention includes a housing having two spaced apart vertical partitions therein which divide the housing into a central compartment, a front compartment and a rear compartment. Air intake openings are provided in the two vertical partitions so as to provide communication from the central compartment to the two front and rear compartments through the two partitions. The front and rear walls of the housing are also provided with exhaust openings which permit air to exit from the front and rear compartments outwardly through the front and rear walls respectively. A first group of ventilator members are located within the front and rear compartments and are connected to the inlet openings within the partitions for guiding air into the front and rear compartments from the central compartments.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is a modular drier.Each module comprises two fans each supplying a common diffusion chamber (14) disposed between two columns of a group of columns (12, 13). Said chambers (14) adjoin a perforated wall of said columns comprising vertical deflectors, with the opposite wall of these columns, likewise perforated, communicating with a common chamber (15) for exhausting the air used for drying.The invention relates to a modular drier for drying grains, in which gravity draws the grain down in parallel sheets within vertical columns crossed horizontally by the drying air.

Abstract: The device for drying coal comprises a plurality of damping vessels wherein the coal is pre-heated by means of steam and/or hot water, thereupon damped in a second stage, and finally pressure-released. The several damping vessels 1-17 are combined to form groups. Each of these groups is provided with a common group conduit 18 conveying live steam for damping, with a common group conduit 19 conveying wet steam from vessels for overflowing other vessels, and with a common group conduit 20 conveying hot water for rinsing. Over the damping vessels 1-17, there are provided distribution conduits which extend over all groups and which are conveying live steam 38, wet steam for overflowing 39, and hot water for rinsing 40. The group conduits 18,19,20 are connectable via valves 41,42,43 to the distribution conduits 38,39,40. Thus it is possible to include selectively into the procedure of any group any vessel of another group or the additional vessel 17 (FIG. 1).

Abstract: In a rotary apparatus and a process for the production of layered glass batch pellets there is provided a drying process and a dryer for final drying of the pellets prior to their being fed to a melting furnace.

Abstract: A modular column dryer for particulate material including a housing with a removable module supported in the housing. The removable module includes at least one support member and a first pair of generally vertical side panels having perforations therein. The side panels are fixed to the support member to form at least a part of a first column for receiving particulate material and directing the material through the housing. Means is provided for introducing moist particulate material into a top portion of the column. Drying air is passed through the column for drying particulate material therein. A discharge mechanism is provided to remove the dried particulate material from a bottom portion of the column.

Abstract: A gravity-flow grain dryer for particulate material comprises a generally vertical drying column having first and second opposed spaced perforate walls, the column being adapted to receive particulate material and direct the material through the dryer. An input is provided for introducing moist particulate material into a top portion of the column and a discharge mechanism is provided for removing dried particulate material from a bottom portion of the column. A blower and heater are also provided for passing drying air into the column through the first perforate wall and out through the second perforate wall, the air drying the material within the column. A dividing wall extends between the perforate walls for dividing at least a portion of the column into at least two channels, of the channels containing a discharging mechanism for removing particulate material from the channel.

Abstract: An improved apparatus and method for feeding heat carrying solids into a solids heater. A feed conduit is provided which may be removably attached to a solids heater shell. The mounted feed conduit includes an outlet portion disposed within a heating chamber which is defined by the heater shell. A jacket tube is sealed around the feed conduit to provide cooling against high temperatures. Further, inlets and outlets are provided for introducing and removing cooling medium from the cooling zone defined by the space between the jacket tube and feed conduit. The feed conduits are removably attached to the heater shell by way of mounting tubes located in the heater shell roof. For inclined heater shell roofs, the length of the mounting tubes are varied to provide common elevational mounting of a single uniform removable feed conduit.

Abstract: A gravity-flow grain dryer for particulate material comprises first and second generally vertical drying columns spaced apart to provide a plenum chamber therebetween, the drying columns each having opposed spaced perforate walls. First and second inputs are provided for introducing particulate material into top portions of the first and second drying columns, respectively. First and second discharge mechanisms are also provided for removing particulate material from bottom portions of the first and second drying columns, respectively. Conveyor means are provided for receiving the particulate material discharged from the first drying column and for conveying the particulate material to the second input. A flow of drying air is directed to the plenum chamber, whereby the drying air passes into the first and second drying columns to dry the particulate material, the drying air being subsequently discharged from the drying column.

Abstract: Pieces of shredded tires are fed into the top of a vertical pyrolyzing furnace in a measured amount using a weighing hopper feed mechanism. Heated gas is introduced through inlet and pyrolyzing the tire pieces on a countercurrent flow principle to produce useful hydrocarbon volatiles and residues. The pyrolyzed residue including tire reinforcing wires are efficiently removed from the furnace by a plurality of downwardly inclined screw conveyors disposed in troughs. Each screw conveyor extends into an inclined conduit and discharges into a vertical branch conduit disposed at least partially within the cross-section of the furnace so that even discharge of the pyrolyzed residue is ensured by the combined action of gravity and the screw conveyors.

Abstract: An apparatus for drying seeds and other granular products includes a drying vessel that is connected to a vacuum pump which evacuates air from its interiors. The drying vessel has an enclosing side wall and a tubular portion which is surrounded by the side wall, all such that an annular drying cavity is formed within the vessel. The tubular portion is made from a material that is transparent to microwave energy and houses waveguide-radiators, each of which is connected to a different microwave launcher that is located at the lower end of the transparent tubular portion. The launchers produce microwave energy that is directed into their respective waveguide-radiators which in turn allow the energy to escape through apertures in their side walls. This energy passes through the transparent tubular portion of the drying vessel and into the drying cavity of the vessel. Within the annular drying cavity, the vessel contains drying columns into which the granular product is directed.

Abstract: A grain drying apparatus includes an upright bin having a perforated drying floor supported substantially above a perforated cooling floor. An opening through the drying floor communicates with a hopper having a gate mechanism adapted to confine grain within the hopper when closed and adapted to permit grain to fall from the hopper into the cooling chamber when opened. A grain discharge conveyor has one end in communication with the hopper and the other end extended outwardly through the bin sidewall. A support truss for the drying floor includes upper and lower ring members supported in vertically spaced-apart and aligned relation, a plurality of purlins radiating outwardly from the upper ring member for connection to the bin sidewall at circumferentially spaced positions and a plurality of tension braces radiating outwardly from the lower ring member for connection to the purlins adjacent the bin sidewall.

Abstract: An apparatus for heating or cooling sand comprising a heat exchange section provided in a lower portion thereof with flow regulating means consisting of a pyramidal or conical funnel assembly for causing flow of sand in the heat exchange section over the entire sectional area thereof.

Abstract: A method for producing hot briquettes, for example, for use in blast furnaces, and using a briquetting material of non-caking components, such as low temperature coke from bituminous coal and/or lignite, coke dust and/or oil coke and caking fat coal at temperatures between 430.degree. C. and 540.degree. C., comprising, delivering the briquetting material to a briquetting press to form briquette blanks, tempering and degassing the blanks by delivering the blanks into individual chambers in a closed system of several chambers having gas communication with each other so that there is partly changing amounts of gas generated in the individual chambers and the briquette blanks are formed into tempered briquettes, and applying an overpressure to the chambers to conduct the gases away from the chamber with one and the same overpressure.

Abstract: Subject of the invention is drying equipment suitable for reducing the moisture content of fragmentary materials, mainly clay. The drying equipment contains drying space developed as a ring of circular, or polygonal base, surrounded with latticed surfaces. The drying space includes a channel developed as a ring of circular, or polygonal base, surrounded with latticed surface, carrying drying medium. The device, feeding the material to be dried is connectible to and turnable around the central shaft. Conveyance of the material takes place with the aid of a rotary worm or scraper device fixed to the central shaft.

Abstract: Apparatus for preheating solid particulate material which material is to be subjected to thermal processing in a furnace. The preheater includes a vessel having an inlet for solid particulate material to be heated, an outlet for preheated material, an inlet for hot exhaust gas from the furnace and an outlet for spent preheating gas. The various inlets and outlets are positioned with respect to each other to achieve countercurrent contact between gas and solids. A gas-solids contact zone is defined within the vessel. A plurality of superimposed conduits connect the solid material inlet with the gas-solids contact zone. A valve is positioned in each of these conduits to control the flow of material to the gas-solids contact zone and thereby control the depth of material within that zone. The greater the depth of material within the gas solids contact zone, the greater amount of preheating that will be accomplished due to a greater length of time that the solid particulate material is exposed to the hot gas.

Abstract: An apparatus for heating a carbonaceous material to produce a gas in which the carbonaceous material and a heated inert heat exchange medium are passed into a reactor vessel for mixing and for transferring the heat from the heat exchange medium to the carbonaceous material to produce gas. An outlet opening is provided through the reactor vessel for discharging the gas and an impingement plate is disposed in the interior of the vessel and extends across the outlet opening in a spaced relation thereto in the path of the gas. As a result the gas impinges against the plate before discharging from the outlet opening to separate solid particles from the gas.

Abstract: In a device for raising the temperature of a plurality of solids which utilizes a heating chamber having at least one hot flue gas inlet and one or more solids inlet apertures to supply concurrent flows of solids and hot flue gas to a heating chamber, and, which utilizes at least one disengager to deflect the heated solids and prevent the solids from being exhausted from the heating chamber along with the hot flue gas, means are provided for coaxially mounting at least one hot flue gas outlet downstream of and displaced from at least one of the solids inlet apertures. Additionally, an individual disengager is associated with each hot flue gas outlet, each disengager being coaxially aligned with and positioned intermediate its associated hot flue gas outlet and a corresponding solids inlet aperture. Each individual disengager is positioned within a direct flow path of solids from a single solids inlet aperture, to prevent thermal stressing of the individual disengager.

Abstract: An improved metering discharge device for particulate material, particularly grain, is described. The device comprises a plurality of tubes extending downwardly from a lower region of a vessel, particularly in uniformly spaced relationship across the bottom of a gravity flow grain drying chamber. Each tube has an upper end flow connected to the drying chamber and a closed lower end and also has a pair of opposed openings in the side walls. A rotatable auger extends laterally through the tube via the side wall openings. The tubes preferably arranged in straight rows with a single auger extending through each row. This combination of tubes and augers provides a simpler design as well as a more precise flow metering than prior metering rolls. Also included are a plurality of laterally spaced, inverted channel members with open bottoms extending across the drying tower immediately above the discharge floor structure, these channel members being adapted to distribute cooling air into the grain in the tower.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for drying and cooling products of a granular nature such as coal as they move downwardly through two flow paths by directing ambient air horizontally through the flow paths into a chamber between the flow paths are disclosed. The chamber is partitioned, and air flow is controlled, so that more air flows through the upper part of the chamber as compared with the lower part of the chamber.

Abstract: A concurrent-countercurrent flow type grain dryer is described having an improved wet grain-drying air contacting arrangement. The dryer is in the form of a tower, with the grain passing from top to bottom by gravity flow. The tower has a wet grain bin at the top with intermediate drying zones and metering grain outlets at the bottom for controlling the rate of movement of grain through the tower. The drying zone is divided into several sections including at least two concurrent flow hot air drying zones with a steeping zone between each pair of concurrent flow hot air drying zones, followed by a countercurrent flow cooling zone. The use of two or more concurrent flow drying zones with intermediate steeping zones have been found to remarkably improve both the rate of flow of grain through the dryer and the moisture removal efficiency. Still greater efficiencies have been achieved by recycling the outlet drying air from one drying zone to the inlet drying air of a subsequent drying zone.

Abstract: A system for reducing sulfur dioxide to elemental sulfur in which a reactor vessel is divided into a plurality of compartments, and coal is fed from a single source into each of the compartments. A sulfur dioxide rich gas is distributed to each of the compartments and is contacted with the coal to form substantially pure sulfur.

Abstract: The grain is cleaned prior to heating. Then it moves downwardly as a column between perforated walls and is traversed by several airstreams of differing temperatures which provide three or more heating zones and a cooling zone. The temperature of each heating zone beneath the uppermost is less than that of the heating zone next above it. In the cooling zone, the air is drawn inwardly through the grain and into a duct by an exhaust fan. Any fines dislodged during cooling are filtered from the spent cooling air as it emerges from the exhaust fan. The filter is a fine mesh circular screen. A continuously rotating suction shoe removes the fines from the screen. The initial grain cleaning device has two concentric tumbling screens, one for collecting large particles and the other for screening out the fines. The fines are then conveyed through a heating zone and dried, and then run through a dust collector together with the fines from the filter.

Abstract: A hydraulic torque convertor is disclosed which is particularly well-adapted for use with an apparatus for drying grain. The apparatus for drying grain comprises a conical shaped perforated floor which is mounted in a conventional grain drying bin in a raised position relative to the base floor thereof. The perforated floor has a plurality of grain discharge openings formed adjacent the outer ends thereof, each of which are selectively closed by a trap door valve means. An electric motor is operatively connected to the hydraulic torque convertor which is operatively connected to the valve means for moving the valve means between open and closed positions responsive to the temperature of the grain positioned on the floor. The hydraulic torque convertor comprises a disc shaped rotor which is connected to the output shaft of the electric motor. A housing rotatably embraces the end of the output shaft and the rotor and is operatively connected to a horizontally disposed shaft extending therefrom.