Granular bed heating method

A granular bed heating method for processing a product, said method comprising the steps of:

• mixing an incoming granulated product to be treated with a granulated heat transferring material in a product cooking bin;
• continuously picking up said mixed commingled product and granular heat transferring material and dropping same through the center of said cooking bin in response to rotation thereof, thereby cooking said product by exposure to commingled granular heat transferring materials;
• drawing said commingled heat transferring material and product through said cooking bin in response to rotation thereof;
• directly heating the interior of said product cooking bin during rotation of same by applying heat directly into the interior of said cooking bin;
• separating said product from said heat transferring granular material, thereby outputting said product to an external station;
• and
• returning granular heat transferring material separated from said product through said separation step into said cooking bin thereby continuously recycling said granulated heat transferring material during heating of said product.

A method for heating a granulated product, said method comprising the steps of:

• inputting a granulated heat transferring material into a rotatable heating bin;
• directly heating said granulated heat transferring material by directing heat into the interior of the rotatable heating bin;
• raising said granular heat transferring material upward within said heating bin and dropping said heat transferring material through the highest heating zone within said heating bin in response to rotation of said heating bin as said heat transferring material moves longitudinally along said heating bin so as to increase heat transfer to said heat transferring material;
• outputting heated granular material from said heating bin in response to rotation thereof;
• inputting a granulated raw product to be heated into said rotatable heating bin simultaneously with the step of inputting said granular heat transferring material thereto, thereby commingling said raw product with said heated granular heat transferring material to facilitate heating of said raw product by exposure to said heated granular heat transferring material;
• rotating said heating bin thereby transporting commingled heated granular heat transferring material and product therethrough;
• separating heat transferring material from product and outputting heated product to a separate external station;
• and
• returning granular material separated from said product in said separation step into said rotatable heating bin thereby continuously recycling said granular heat transferring material.