Discharge arrangement for discharging lignocellulosic material

A discharge arrangement for discharging lignocellulosic material, said discharge arrangement comprising:

• a screw conveyor section comprising an inlet for receiving lignocellulosic material;
• an outlet section configured to receive lignocellulosic material from the screw conveyor section;
• a conveyor screw rotatably arranged within the screw conveyor section for transporting the material in a material transport direction from the inlet to the outlet section;
• a material spreader rotatably mounted within the outlet section, wherein the material spreader is rotatable in a first rotational direction and an opposite second rotational direction around a rotational axis extending in the material transport direction, which material spreader comprises at least one blade configured to rotate around the rotational axis to transport the lignocellulosic material radially outwards and in the first and second rotational directions during rotation of the material spreader;
• a drive unit configured to rotate the material spreader around the rotational axis;
• and
• a first outlet and a second outlet arranged in a side wall of the outlet section, said first and second outlets being arranged at a distance from one another along an inner perimeter of the side wall, said first outlet being arranged to receive material transported by the blade in the first rotational direction and the second outlet being arranged to receive material transported by the blade in the second rotational direction.

A method comprising:

• providing a discharge arrangement for discharging lignocellulosic material, said discharge arrangement comprising:
• a screw conveyor section comprising an inlet for receiving lignocellulosic material;
• an outlet section configured to receive lignocellulosic material from the screw conveyor section;
• a conveyor screw rotatably arranged within the screw conveyor section for transporting the material in a material transport direction from the inlet to the outlet section;
• a material spreader rotatably mounted within the outlet section, wherein the material spreader is rotatable in a first rotational direction and an opposite second rotational direction around a rotational axis extending in the material transport direction, which material spreader comprises at least one blade configured to rotate around the rotational axis to transport the lignocellulosic material radially outwards and in the first and second rotational directions during rotation of the material spreader;
• a drive unit configured to rotate the material spreader around the rotational axis;
• and
• a first outlet and a second outlet arranged in a side wall of the outlet section, said first and second outlets being arranged at a distance from one another along an inner perimeter of the side wall, said first outlet being arranged to receive material transported by the blade in the first rotational direction and the second outlet being arranged to receive material transported by the blade in the second rotational direction;
• transporting the material towards the material spreader by means of the conveyor screw;
• and
• using a control unit, controlling the drive unit to alternately rotate the material spreader in the first and second rotational directions, so that said material is alternately propelled out of the outlet section through the first and second outlets.