US 4,335,151 AGranted

Method for decorticating seeds

AssigneeCentre Stephanois de Recherches Mecaniques Hydro-Mecanique et Frottement

InventorJacques-Jean Caubet

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for decorticating or peeling seeds is disclosed. The eed kernels are separated from their hulls by feeding the seeds into a turbulent flow compressed air stream in a flow passage of sufficient length to accelerate the seeds to high velocity in the air stream and then flowing the compressed air stream into a passage of much larger cross-sectional area. This causes a sudden and large reduction in the compressed air stream velocity and decrease in pressure exerted on the seeds which in turn produces a reversal of stresses which were exerted in the kernel and the hull during acceleration, separating the kernel from the hull. The turbulent flow and mechanical forces created by collisions with the flow passage and between individual seeds increases the efficiency of the process. The process is repeated to produce a complete decortication by staging a series of flow passages of the type described, each successive stage receiving the output of the previous stage.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A method of decorticating seeds having a kernel enclosed within a seed hull comprising the steps of:

(a) rapidly accelerating the seeds by introducing the seeds into a turbulent stream of compressed air in a first flow passage;
(b) passing said seeds and said stream of air as a seed stream from said first flow passage into a smaller cross sectional second flow passage whereby the seed hulls are accelerated relative to the seed kernels and flowing said seed stream in said second passage until the seeds are traveling at substantially the same velocity as the air stream;
(c) passing said seeds and stream of air from said second flow passage into a substantially larger cross sectional third flow passage producing a great reduction in air stream pressure and velocity;
(d) adjusting the pressure and flow conditions in said air stream to produce a sufficiently great reduction in pressure and velocity when said air stream passes into said third flow passage to produce separation of the kernel and hull of a substantial proportion of said seeds in said third flow passage by deceleration and depressurization of said seeds such that the speed of the seed kernel increases relative to the speed of the seed hull such that said seeds are decorticated by the change in flow conditions;
and
(e) repeatedly subjecting said seeds to said steps so as to produce a complete decortication of said seeds.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.