Grinding Or Comminuting Patents (Class 34/384)
  • Patent number: 8951311
    Abstract: A method and system for controlling a fuel gasification system includes optimizing a conversion of solid components in the fuel to gaseous fuel components, controlling the flux of solids entrained in the product gas through equipment downstream of the gasifier, and maximizing the overall efficiencies of processes utilizing gasification. A combination of models, when utilized together, can be integrated with existing plant control systems and operating procedures and employed to develop new control systems and operating procedures. Such an approach is further applicable to gasification systems that utilize both dry feed and slurry feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: U.S. Department of Energy
    Inventors: Peter L. Rozelle, Victor K. Der
  • Patent number: 8726538
    Abstract: Biosolids in the nature of sewage sludge is processed in a controlled environment to produce a dried sludge product of relatively high dry solid content with the elimination of or reduced levels of pathogens. The water containing sewage sludge is dried while cascading within a processing chamber using heated air at a temperature below the ignition or smoldering temperature of the sewage sludge to prevent the formation of embers. The sewage sludge before discharge is retained within the processing chamber for a sufficient time and temperature as mandated by the Environment Protection Agency rules and guidelines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Wyssmont Company Inc.
    Inventor: Edward Weisselberg
  • Patent number: 8592516
    Abstract: A process for producing a water-absorbing polymer by polymerizing a monomer solution and drying the resulting hydrogel by means of a heated gas stream comprises effecting the drying in two or more temperature zones, and/or the gas stream is flowed against the hydrogel upwardly in the upstream sector of the belt dryer and downwardly in the downstream sector of the belt dryer, the direction of flow being reversed at a water content of 15% to 45% by weight for the hydrogel, and/or the hydrogel layer is flowed against in a belt dryer upwardly to some extent at least, the gas velocity being 5% to 30% of the gas velocity required to lift the hydrogel off the belt, also apparatus for carrying out the process and use of the water-absorbing polymers produced by the process to produce hygiene articles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: BASF Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Matthias Weismantel, Stefan Bruhns, Dominicus van Esbroeck
  • Patent number: 8464437
    Abstract: Biosolids in the nature of sewage sludge is processed in a controlled environment to produce a dried sludge product of relatively high dry solid content with the elimination of or reduced levels of pathogens. The water containing sewage sludge is dried while cascading within a processing chamber using heated air at a temperature below the ignition or smoldering temperature of the sewage sludge to prevent the formation of embers. The sewage sludge before discharge is retained within the processing chamber for a sufficient time and temperature as mandated by the Environment Protection Agency rules and guidelines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Wyssmont Company Inc.
    Inventor: Edward Weisselberg
  • Patent number: 7966744
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a food waste treatment apparatus that can effectively dispose food waste containing a large amount of water, rapidly dry food waste using microwaves, and remove odors and vapors generating during the drying process, thereby discharging clean air. The food waste treatment apparatus comprises a pulverizer (10) for pulverizing food waste, an endless track (20) for transferring food waste, a plurality of containers (30) installed on the upper surface of the endless track (20) for storing pulverized food waste, and a microwave dryer installed above the endless track for drying the pulverized food waste by making microwaves pass through the endless track in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the endless track (20).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Inventors: Soo Dong Kim, Sung Hwa Kim
  • Publication number: 20110030235
    Abstract: The invention proposes a method for drying bulk goods, in particular wood fibers and/or wood chips, wherein the bulk goods is continuously dried in a dryer (1), in particular a drum dryer. The vapor-gas mixture flows through the drum dryer (1) in a dryer circuit and is indirectly heated via at least one heat exchanger (4) by a burner waste gas that is heated in at least one burner (5). The drying vapors are supplied to the at least one heat exchanger (4). Upstream, downstream and/or within the at least one heat exchanger (4), at least a partial flow of the drying vapors are branched off to be conducted into the burner (5). The remaining partial flow is conducted to the dryer (1) again. The partial flow of drying vapors to the burner (5) is driven by means of at least one regulable partial vapor fan (10).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Inventors: Zdenek Brancuzsky, Günter Hensel, Karel Napravnik, Wolfgang Seifert
  • Publication number: 20100243771
    Abstract: A system for reducing the particle size of a pozzolan includes a thermal fracture system and a defracturing apparatus. The system is highly efficient at drying and heating a natural pozzolan having a natural distribution of particle sizes. The system can create a reduced-size pozzolanic material with a desired particle size and particle morphology. The system for reducing the particle size of a pozzolan includes a thermal fracture system for heating and thermally fracturing the pozzolan and a defracturing apparatus that agitates the thermally fractured pozzolan to break the thermally fractured pozzolan apart.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: Staker & Parson Companies
    Inventor: Alan D. McKee
  • Patent number: 7728045
    Abstract: The process according to the invention for production of an absorbent polymer comprising the following process steps: i) polymerization of an aqueous monomer solution to obtain a polymer gel; ii) comminution of the polymer gel to obtain a gel granulate; and iii) drying of the gel granulate, and is characterized in that the gel granulate after step ii) has a spread behavior. The production process of an absorbent polymer distinguishes itself by a particularly efficient drying step iii), which enables a particularly gentle and uniform drying of the gel granulate. The obtained absorbent polymers and products and items produced therefrom have a particularly uniform product quality and constant physical-chemical properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Evonik Stockhausen GmbH
    Inventors: Volker Becker, Heinz-Peter Grupe, Detlef Jung, Armin Reimann
  • Publication number: 20080148594
    Abstract: A continuous granulating and drying apparatus comprises a granulator and a fluid bed dryer. The fluid bed dryer comprises at least two separate processing compartments forming part of a common vessel being provided with radially extending partition walls separating the processing compartments from each other. Each processing compartment has a product inlet and a product outlet. The fluid bed dryer comprises a granulated product supply conduit arranged rotatably to selectively communicate with the product inlet of each separate processing compartment, respectively, and a product discharge conduit arranged rotatably to selectively communicate with the product outlet of each separate processing compartment, respectively. The granulator and the fluid bed dryer are closely coupled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2006
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Applicant: Collette NV
    Inventors: Michel Simon Waldron, Trevor Gordon Page
  • Patent number: 7024797
    Abstract: A horizontally extending hose cleaning and drying apparatus includes a plurality of rack sections connected at ends thereof to create an elongated rack having a slope. Each rack section includes an upper plate having apertures or mesh material to allow water to fall therethrough. Legs are detachably connected to each rack section, the shortest legs being attached to a rack section at one end of the rack and the longest legs being attached to a rack section at the opposite end of the rack to create the slope. Preferably, the rack is of a length of at least 50 feet to accommodate fire hoses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2006
    Inventor: Angelo J. Bessa
  • Patent number: 7000333
    Abstract: A system for recovering nutrients from animal byproducts includes a grinder, a separator, and a dehydrator. The grinder is adapted to reduce the animal byproduct into smaller particles. The separator is adapted to separate the animal byproduct into water, oil and solids. The dehydrator is adapted to dry the solid material of the animal byproduct. A method for recovering nutrients from animal byproducts includes grinding animal byproduct material, separating protein from the animal byproduct material to produce a meal, and drying the meal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: ABC, LLC
    Inventors: Alexis A. Yarem, legal representative, Robert J. Yarem, deceased
  • Patent number: 6901684
    Abstract: This invention is a method for producing a cerium-based abrasive which includes: a step of grinding raw material for the cerium-based abrasive; a step of roasting the ground raw material; and a step of subjecting the roasted raw material to wet processing, the method being characterized in that it further includes a lower-temperature re-roasting step of heating the wet-processed raw material at 200 to 700° C. In the invention disclosed in this application, an abrasive with particularly preferable properties can be produced by fully drying the wet-processed raw material in a drying step, and subsequently subjecting the dried raw material to the lower-temperature re-roasting step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2005
    Assignee: Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Terunori Ito, Yoshitsugu Uchino, Kazuya Ushiyama, Yuki Nakashima
  • Patent number: 6560895
    Abstract: A manure processing apparatus is defined which has a processing bin and a plurality of augers, with the augers arranged vertically and adapted to move back and forth along the length and width of the processing bin. The apparatus further comprises an air conditioning system to compost the manure and to dry the manure to produce feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2003
    Inventor: Willard Clark
  • Patent number: 6502326
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reducing the moisture content bound by capillarity in fiber cells of solid materials containing carbon. The material is ground and screened to form a loose sheet of the solid materials and/or sludges. The material is processed by screening and grinding methods for a plurality of hoppers for different grain sizes and grain size distributions. A thin layer of fines is spread as a first layer onto the spreading, feeding and filter belt, and a substantially thicker coarse material layer is formed as a second layer to form a sandwich of the material. The fines layer depth HF and coarse material depth HG of the sandwich correspond to the consistency and the proportion of the fines of the material. The sandwich formed is then carried by a belt into the pressure chamber of the filter press according to the dewatering cycle, while simultaneously the squeezed-out dry material is carried away.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2003
    Assignee: Maschinenfabrik J. Dieffenbacher GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Friedrich B. Bielfeldt
  • Patent number: 6499232
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for reducing the moisture content bound by capillary action in fiber cells. To include fine material economically and easily in the process, coarse material is sandwiched on top of fine material and then pressed and dried. The material prepared by grinding and screening is transferred as coarse material to a first spreader hopper, and the screened fine material is transferred over a chute and conveyor belt to a second spreader hopper. The fine material is spread in a thin layer through a vertically adjustable gate from the second spreader hopper onto a spreading, loading and filtering belt, and the coarse material is withdrawn on a transfer conveyor belt running below the first spreader hopper and then is spread through a vertically adjustable gate onto the fine layer, to form a sandwich-like mat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2001
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2002
    Assignee: Maschinenfabrik J. Dieffenbacher GmbH & Co
    Inventor: Friedrich B. Bielfeldt
  • Patent number: 6470595
    Abstract: A process and a device for continuously drying protein-containing sludge, in particular sewage sludge, in a fluidised bed (20) inside a drying container (13). A drying gas flows through the fluidised bed (20) while partially de-watered sludge (6) in granulate form (21) is added to the fluidised bed (20) while dried sludge (10) is withdrawn therefrom. The granules (21) are formed without admixture of dried substances and are granulated preferably at the same time as they are pressed. Sewage sludge may thus be dried without admixture or recycling of dried substances, so that a highly efficient plant is obtained. In addition, a granulated dry material is produced which may be used in various ways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Andritz-Patentverwaltungsgesellschaft m.b.H.
    Inventors: Peter Gaiser, Ulrich Plantikow, Dieter Kowalczyk
  • Patent number: 6470592
    Abstract: A process is provided for freeze-drying medicaments and foodstuffs comprising dissolving the foodstuffs or medicaments in a solvent, introducing the solution formed into a shell comprising a desiccating chamber of a shell-tube freeze-drying device to cause the solution to freeze in a tubular layer, and crushing and comminuting the freeze-dried liquid with a comminuting device to obtain a powder product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Kyowa Vacuum Engineering, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hiromiti Akimoto, Ryouji Sunama
  • Patent number: 6311906
    Abstract: There is disclosed apparatus and method for recycling waste paint, for completely removing a bad smell generated in the course of drying up the waste paint and extracting a bad smell from a filler. The method for recycling waste paint comprises the steps of: shaping the waste paint into a cake of a predetermine thickness while removing water from the waste paint using centrifugal force of a dehydrator; drying up and dehydrating the cake-shaped waste paint at about 80° C.˜300° C. using a twin screw extruding method to remove water; drying up the waste paint dried up at the above step at about 100° C.˜300° C. using a vacuum dry method to remove remaining water; pulverizing the waste paint dried up by the vacuum dry method into minute powder; separating the pulverized waste paint based upon density; and collecting and discharging dust, vapor, and gas generated during the above steps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2001
    Assignee: Sam Sin Mechanical Engineering Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jeong Kon Kim
  • Patent number: 6266893
    Abstract: The inverted bonnet hair dryer is comprised of a bowl with a closed end and an open end. The bowl is pivotally supported on a stand and is rotatable to a position with its open end facing upward. The bowl is comprised of a hemispherical concave inner wall which is generally spaced from an outer wall. The perimeter of the inner wall is connected to the outer wall to define a space between the walls. A hollow tube is attached to the outer wall. An aperture at an outer end of the tube is in communication with the space within the bowl. The aperture is adapted to receive the head of a conventional hand-held electric blow dryer. When the open end is facing upward, the bowl is adapted to be positioned under the head of a person. The head is inverted to hang the hair under the head. The inner wall of the bowl is adapted to evenly support the hair. When the blow dryer is activated, hot air is forced into the space between the walls and released through holes on the inner wall to dry the hair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2001
    Inventor: Laurel Standley
  • Patent number: 6256902
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for drying and deagglomerating substances of finely-divided solids suspended in a fluid medium. The apparatus includes the basic components of a phenumatic friction dryer, a flash dryer and a ring dryer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Inventors: John R. Flaherty, Bradley P. Gehring
  • Patent number: 6199299
    Abstract: In a chisel-type convergence for a chip bin in a wood chip pulping process and system, an improvement in uniformity of discharge of the chips from a chips bin or the like is provided. The bin includes a conventional hollow substantially right circular cylindrical first, upper, body portion, a second, hollow transition, portion connected to the bottom of the first portion, and a third transition portion, below the second portion and above a metering device, such as a metering screw or a star-feeder. The third transition operates less than full of chips, and provides relief from chip compaction. The third transition portion may include stationary or movable baffles, and/or a metering screw may be provided which can pivot downwardly in order to minimize or eliminate the thrusting force against the bin or upper chips to facilitate discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2001
    Assignee: Andritz-Ahlstrom Inc.
    Inventors: J. Robert Prough, Jerry R. Johanson
  • Patent number: 6151799
    Abstract: A system and method is described for processing waste citrus peel to remove oil from the peel in a highly efficient manner for subsequent processing, where the temperature of the peel is elevated, the peel is then finely fragmented to create a slurry, the solid particles are removed from the slurry and dried, and the oil is separated from the water in the slurry. The temperature of the peel is elevated by exposing the peel to steam so that minimal water is added.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Inventor: Robert Allen Jones
  • Patent number: 6052919
    Abstract: In a process for making plastic granulate, a polymeric material is plastifyed into a plastic mass which is divided into single plastic strands. After pressing the plastic strands in a stream of cooling liquid, the plastic strands are shredded in the cooling liquid into granules, thereby forming a dispersion which is conveyed through a first conduit to a separator. The dispersion is concentrated in the separator by withdrawing a portion of cooling liquid, and subsequently transported to a dryer along a second conduit which is longer than the length of the first conduit. In the dryer, the cooling liquid is separated from the granulate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2000
    Assignee: Waeschle GmbH
    Inventor: Bernhard Stark
  • Patent number: 5787604
    Abstract: An apparatus for cooling, drying and granulating plastic strands emerging from a nozzle in molten form includes a discharge channel washed with cooling water through which the plastic strands are conducted. A draining and drying device forms a separate unit following the lower end of the discharge channel and has a device subjecting the plastic strands to an air stream and a water collecting apparatus disposed under the plastic strands. A granulator follows the draining and drying device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 4, 1998
    Assignee: C.F. Scgeer & Cie. GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Ulrich Kreuz, Ludwig Zollitsch, Friedrich Hild
  • Patent number: 5561917
    Abstract: A paper sludge drier includes a somewhat attrition style mill discharging to a horizontal, rotary drum drier. The mill has two mill plates facing each other. As one rotates relative to the other, sludge is broken down as it passes between the plates. The sludge flows generally from the center of the plates and outward through grooves running radially across the plates. The sludge is subsequently dried in the horizontal drum which has an integral internal screw that conveys the sludge through the drum. The sludge drier reduces the moisture content of the paper sludge from over 50 percent down to less than 20 percent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 8, 1996
    Inventor: William J. Ratajczek
  • Patent number: 5557873
    Abstract: A method of converting industrial, domestic or other sludge, into a pelletized or granular fertilizer, as well as a sludge converter for practicing the method. The sludge is dewatered to form sludge cake solids which are dried in a dryer, and then sorted with a sorter into a sorted product comprising oversized, undersized, and standard sized product. Oversized product containing fibrous material is reduced in size by grinding in a hammermill. A portion of the sorted product is recycled for mixing and sizing in a mixer with the dewatered sludge cake solids. To control dust and odors, cyclones and a condenser remove a substantial portion of the gaseous particulate matter and condensable gases from the converter, and any remaining noncondensates are burned in the heat source flame. A waste oil burning heat source supplies heat energy to the dryer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 24, 1996
    Assignee: PCL/SMI, A Joint Venture
    Inventors: Bart T. Lynam, Ronald V. Peterson