Abstract: An apparatus for roasting vegetable bulk material, in particular coffee beam is disclosed, in which essentially all of the cooling waste air of a cooler which cools the bulk material after the roasting operation is heated to roasting-gas temperature in a heat-exchanger stage and fed to the roaster. Essentially all of the roasting waste gases are heated, in a heating stage, to an extent which is necessary for increasing the temperature of the cooling gases to the roasting-gas temperature. Since the roaster operates with a higher roasting-gas throughput than hitherto, it is possible, with comparable roasting capacity, for the roasting-gas temperature to be reduced, this resulting in a more uniform roasting result. The apparatus has reduced harmful-substance emission along with increased thermal efficiency. Also disclosed is a method of roasting and cooling bulk material by utilizing the disclosed apparatus.

Abstract: A compost curing and odor control system in which biofilters are disposed in overlying relation to the compost curing area the floors of both the biofilters and curing area consist of a series of elongated planks of generally trapezoidal cross sectional configuration placed in abutting relation with the longer parallel sides of the trapezoid lying in the plane of the floor and forming between them a narrow slit through which air is passed by means of an underlying air plenum in pneumatic communication.

Abstract: A method for treating sludge by dewatering to form thick sludge and drying to form dry sludge includes the steps of mechanically predewatering thick sludge to produce predewatered thick sludge and mixing the predewatered thick sludge with non-cooled dry sludge to produce a sludge mixture. The temperature of the sludge mixture to be dried is measured and the dry substance contents of the dry sludge based on the measured temperature is determined. Fluctuations in the dry substance contents of the dry sludge are compensated by controlling the amount of recirculated dry sludge to be mixed with the predewatered thick sludge as a function of the temperature of the sludge mixture to be dried. The sludge mixture is dried to produce dry sludge and a portion of the dry sludge is recirculated to be mixed with the predewatered thick sludge.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing a particulate material containing an inflammable component, such as ethanol or another solvent, comprises a fluidized bed chamber with a perforated bed plate arranged therein. The particulate material may be fluidized on the bed plate by supplying fluidizing air upwardly through perforations in the bed plate. In order to reduce the risk of explosion in the fluidizing air after its passage through the fluidized bed formed on the bed plate, dilution gas is fed into the fluidized bed chamber. The dilution gas is introduced into the fluidized bed chamber at least at one position spaced from the side walls of the chamber and preferably located centrally within the fluidized bed chamber in order to obtain a substantially uniform mixing of the dilution gas with the fluidizing air including the inflammable component immediately above the fluidized bed. The explosion safe gas mixture may be discharged from the upper part of the processing chamber.

Abstract: A bed plate for a fluidized bed defines a plurality of substantially uniformly distributed openings therein for allowing fluidizing gas to flow upwardly through the plate. The openings are divided into pairs and directed and shaped so that the gas flows through the openings of each pair are directed in converging relationship, thereby to create a resultant flow component which is directed towards a discharging position of the fluidized bed. The desired resultant flow component may be obtained by properly selecting the direction and shape of the openings in each pair of openings. The gas flows through the openings in each pair may, for example, define an angle of 60.degree. to 120.degree. therebetween.

Abstract: A method of drying articles is presented. The method generally comprises fluidizing solid media, contacting the article with the fluidized media for a sufficient amount of time to allow liquid to be transferred from the surface of the article to the solid media. Typically this involves forming a bed of solid material, fluidizing the bed then immersing the article to be dried in the fluidized bed. Using solid media to contact the wet parts, the water, and anything dissolved in it, is wicked away. The parts are dried in seconds with little residue and no heating. The solids used are typically porous and have very high surface area and can therefore be rapidly dried and reused.

Abstract: A coffee roaster oven chamber wherein coffee beans are heated and intermixed in a fluidized bed is fabricated as a unitary structure from a transparent material that allows incandescent coils to radiantly heat coffee beans while they are concurrently heated by air heated by the same coils. In a preferred embodiment the oven chamber is fabricated from glass as a single piece structure which may be removed from the coffee roaster for adding or removing coffee beans and cleaning.

Abstract: A process for the production of pourable and free flowing granules of materials or mixtures thereof which are suitable for use as wetting agents, detergents or cleaning products wherein an aqueous solution or suspension of the wetting agents, detergents or cleaning products is dried using a hot gas stream of superheated steam. Drying is terminated before the granules are damaged by heat, and the hot gas stream is freed from entrained particles of the materials by means of filters.

Abstract: A coffee roaster which roasts coffee beans in a removable oven chamber employing both radiant and convection heating techniques while the beans are continually intermixed in a fluidized bed rotating in the horizontal plane. Roaster control means are provided to terminate the roasting process by quenching the beans and oven chamber with relative cool air while maintaining the beans in a fluidized bed to avoid scorching or further roasting by the residual heat of the coffee bean mass. The oven chamber is provided with an insulated handle to facilitate its removal from the heating chamber for dispensing roasted coffee beans. It includes an upper transparent section through which the roasted charge of beans may be viewed to thereby facilitate poring beans from the removed chamber.

Abstract: A method and device for removing solid residues from a gas purification installation are presented. After discharge of a batch of solid residues into a first closed vessel, the vessel is isolated with respect to the gas purification installation. At least one pressurized purge gas is then passed through this batch of solid residues, so as to create a static or fluidized bed of the solid residues. The purge gases are then removed in a controlled manner from the first closed vessel. The solid residues are removed into a transport pipe and are transported through the pipe in suspension in a pressurized gas.

Abstract: The flame cone of the present invention is intended to be used with a heater for a grain bin or the like. The heater comprises a housing having one or more housing walls and having an inlet end and an outlet end. A blower is provided for forcefully moving air from the inlet end through the housing and out of the outlet end. A burner is provided within the housing for heating air moving through the housing. A flame diverter is positioned within the housing downstream from the burner for diverting the flame outwardly from the burner toward the walls of the housing. The diverter comprises a cone-shaped structure having a plurality of spaced slats diverging outwardly from the burner and toward the walls of the housing. More specifically, the improvement of this invention comprises a burner cone having an apex and an outer base spaced axially from the apex with the slope of the burner cone being generally similar to the slope of the diverter.

Abstract: A bed plate (13) for a fluidized bed apparatus is made from a plate (23) from sheet metal and comprises openings (22) for fluidizing air or gas of the so-called "gill-type". In order to reduce or prevent fall-through of product, at least one of the edge portions (24,34) defining the opening (22) has been deformed so as to increase the extension thereof along the plane of the bed plate, and so as to thereby reduce or eliminate the orthographic projection on said plane of the opening (22). Such deformation may comprise compression and/or stretching. The edge portion or portions (24,34) are preferably deformed to such an extent that a partial overlap is obtained.

Abstract: A coffee roaster which roasts coffee beans in an oven chamber employing both radiant and convection heating techniques while the beans are continually intermixed in a fluidized bed rotating in the horizontal plane. Roaster control means are provided to terminate the roasting process by quenching the beans and oven chamber while maintaining the beans in a fluidized bed to avoid scorching or further roasting by the residual heat of the coffee bean mass. The oven chamber includes an upper transparent section through which the roasting charge of beans may be viewed and thereby allow manual control of the process in response to visual observation.

Abstract: A fluid bed dryer comprises a bed plate (12) defining openings or perforations (22) therein, means (16) for feeding a pulverulent or particulate product (P) to the bed plate (13), means (12, 14) for directing fluidizing gas flows upwardly through said openings or perforations (22) so as to fluidize the product fed thereto, and means (17, 19) for discharging product (p) from the bed plate (13). The bed plate (13) comprises at least one bed plate section, each of which is divided into elongated zones (32, 34-36) extending substantially between first and second positions of the plate section. First and/or second pluralities (22b22a) of the openings or perforations (22) are substantially uniformly distributed over the area of each of at least some (34-36) of said zones and are directed and shaped so as to impart to the fluidizing gas flows a flow component which is directed generally towards said first and second positions, respectively.

Abstract: A method and arrangement for enforced heat transmission between a solid or liquid alimentary body and an ambient gas takes place in connection with cooling/freezing or when cooking, frying or drying the entire part or parts of the alimentary body. This method and arrangement uses a low-frequency standing sound wave. The apparatus uses a low-frequency sound generator having a pulsator part and a resonator part. The resonator part is acoustically virtually closed and is designed so that the alimentary body, which is to be exposed to enforced heat transmission, is located within a zone inside the resonator part where the standing sound wave has a particle velocity anti-node.