Method and apparatus for a pellet mill controller with die temperature control
AssigneeBeta Raven Inc.
InventorJoseph A. Volk, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A non-contacting infrared temperature sensor is utilized in a control system for a pelleting apparatus to sense the temperature of the rotating die within the pellet mill and is used to control the moisture addition to control the pelleting process. A moisture meter is mounted to the cooler and automatically adjusts the desired die temperature in response to the moisture content of finished pellets.
Claims69
An automatic control system for a pelleting apparatus, the pelleting apparatus including a pellet producing means, and means for feeding a supply of a plurality of ingredients to the producing means, one of the ingredients being material and at least one other ingredient having a significant moisture content, the pellet producing means including a rotating die contained within a chamber, the die having a plurality of holes through which a mixture of said ingredients is passed to form pellets, the control system including at least one temperature sensing means, said temperature sensing means being mounted to the pellet producing means to sense the temperature of the die, and means to control the ingredient feeding means in response to said temperature sensing means.
An automatic control system for a pelleting apparatus, the pelleting apparatus including a pellet producing means, and means for feeding a supply of a plurality of ingredients to the producing means, one of the ingredients being material and at least one other ingredient having a significant moisture content, the pellet producing means including a rotating die contained within a chamber, the die having a generally cylindrical face with a plurality of holes therethrough through which a mixture of said ingredients is passed to form pellets, the control system including at least one temperature sensing means, said temperature sensing means being mounted to the pellet producing means to sense the temperature of the pellets immediately upon their emergence from the holes in the die face and before they are severed, and means to control the ingredient feeding means in response to said temperature sensing means.
The automatic control system for a pelleting apparatus, the pelleting apparatus including a pellet producing means, and means for feeding a supply of a plurality of ingredients to the producing means, the pellet producing means including a die through which a mixture of said ingredients is passed to form pellets, one of the ingredients being material and at least one other ingredient having a significant moisture content, the control system including only one temperature sensing means, said temperature sensing means being mounted to the pellet producing means to sense the temperature of the die, and means to control the ingredient feeding means in response to said temperature sensing means.
An automatic control system for a pelleting apparatus, the pelleting apparatus including a pellet producing means, and means for feeding a supply of a plurality of ingredients to the producing means, one of the ingredients being material and at least one other ingredient having a significant moisture content, the pellet producing means including a die through which a mixture of said ingredients is passed to form pellets, the control system including a single non-contacting temperature probe to sense the temperature of the mixture as it is pelleted, and means to control the ingredient feeding means in response to no temperature sensor other than said single non-contacting temperature probe.
An automatic control system for a pelleting apparatus, the pelleting apparatus including a pellet producing means, and means for feeding a supply of a plurality of ingredients to the producing means, one of the ingredients being material and at least one other ingredient having a significant moisture content, the pellet producing means including a die through which a mixture of said ingredients is passed to form pellets, the control system including a single non-contacting temperature probe to sense the temperature of the die as the mixture is pelleted, and means to control the ingredient feeding means in response to no temperature probe other than said single non-contacting temperature probe.
An automatic control system for a pelleting apparatus, the apparatus including a pellet producing means and means for feeding a supply of a plurality of ingredients to the producing means, one of the ingredients being material and at least one other ingredient having a significant moisture content, the pellet producing means including a rotating die contained within a chamber, the die having a plurality of holes through which a mixture of said ingredients is passed to form pellets, the automatic control system comprising means for sensing the temperature of the die, and means for automatically controlling the moisture content of the mixture at the producing means to within a prescribed range including means for controlling the ingredient feeding means to control the addition of said ingredients in response to the temperature sensing means.
An automatic control system for a pelleting apparatus, the apparatus including a pellet producing means and means for feeding a supply of a plurality of ingredients to the producing means, one of the ingredients being material and at least one other ingredient having a significant moisture content, the pellet producing means including a rotating die contained within a chamber, the die having a plurality of holes through which a mixture of said ingredients is passed to form pellets, the automatic control system comprising means for automatically controlling the moisture content of the mixture at the producing means to within a prescribed range including means for sensing the temperature of the material immediately upon its emergence from the holes in the die and before it is severed and means for controlling the ingredient feeding means to control the addition to said significant moisture ingredient in response thereto.
An automatic control system for a pelleting apparatus, the apparatus including a pellet producing means and means for feeding a supply of a plurality of ingredients to the producing means, one of the ingredients being material and at least one other ingredient having a significant moisture content, the pellet producing means including a rotating die contained within a chamber, the die having a plurality of holes through which a mixture of said ingredients is passed to form pellets, the automatic control system comprising means for automatically controlling the moisture content of the mixture at the producing means to within a prescribed range including means for sensing the temperature of the die and material immediately upon its emergence from the die holes and before it is severed with a non-contacting temperature probe and means for controlling the addition of said significant moisture ingredient in response thereto.
An automatic control system for a pelleting apparatus, the apparatus including a pellet producing means and means for feeding a supply of a plurality of ingredients to the producing means, one of the ingredients being material and at least one other ingredient having a significant moisture content, the pellet producing means including a rotating die contained within a chamber, the die having a plurality of holes through which a mixture of said ingredients is passed to form pellets, the automatic control system comprising means for automatically controlling the moisture content of the mixture at the producing means to within a prescribed range including means for sensing the temperature of the mixture as it emerges through the holes in said die and before it is severed with a non-contacting temperature probe and means for controlling the addition of said ingredients in response thereto.
An automatic control system for a pelleting apparatus, the pelleting apparatus including a pellet producing means and means for feeding a supply of a plurality of ingredients to the producing means, one of the ingredients being material and at least one other ingredient having a significant moisture content, the pellet producing means including a rotating die contained within a chamber, the die having a plurality of holes through which a mixture of said ingredients is passed to form pellets, the automatic control system comprising means for controlling the moisture content of the pellets to within a prescribed range comprising means for determining a desired die temperature, means for sensing die temperature, and means for controlling the addition of said significant moisture ingredient in response to said die temperature sensing means to thereby control die temperature.
An automatic control system for a pelleting apparatus, the pelleting apparatus including a pellet producing means and means for feeding a supply of a plurality of ingredients to the producing means, one of the ingredients being material and at least one other ingredient having a significant moisture content, the pellet producing means including a rotating die contained within a chamber, the die having a plurality of holes through which a mixture of said ingredients is passed to form pellets, the automatic control system comprising means for controlling the moisture content of the pellets to within a prescribed range comprising means for determining a desired pellet temperature, means for sensing the temperature of the pellets immediately upon their emergence from the die holes and before they are severed, and means for controlling the addition of said significant moisture ingredient in response to said pellet temperature sensing means to thereby control pellet temperature.
An automatic control system for a pelleting apparatus, the pelleting apparatus including a pellet producing means and means for feeding a supply of a plurality of ingredients to the producing means, one of the ingredients being material and at least one other ingredient having a significant moisture content, the pellet producing means including a rotating die contained within a chamber, the die having a plurality of holes through which a mixture of said ingredients is passed to form pellets, the automatic control system comprising means for controlling the moisture content of the pellets to within a prescribed range comprising means for determining a desired mixture temperature, means for sensing the temperature of the mixture as it emerges through said die holes with a non-contacting temperature probe, and means for controlling the addition of said significant moisture ingredient in response to said temperature sensing means to thereby control mixture temperature.
A method for producing pellets having a moisture content within a prescribed range with a pelleting apparatus, the pelleting apparatus including a pellet producing means, and means for feeding a supply of a plurality of ingredients to the producing means, one of the ingredients being material and at least one other ingredient having a significant moisture content, the pellet producing means including a rotating die contained within a chamber, the die having a plurality of holes through which a mixture of said ingredients is passed to form pellets, the method comprising the steps of sensing the temperature of the die, and controlling the ingredient feeding means to control the addition of moisture to the pelleting apparatus in response to the die temperature sensor.
A method for producing pellets having a moisture content within a prescribed range with a pelleting apparatus, the pelleting apparatus including a pellet producing means, and means for feeding a supply of a plurality of ingredients to the producing means, one of the ingredients being material and at least one other ingredient having a significant moisture content, the pellet producing means including a rotating die contained within a chamber, the die having a plurality of holes through which a mixture of said ingredients is passed to form pellets, the method comprising the steps of sensing the temperature of the pellets immediately upon their emergence from the die holes and before they are severed, and controlling the ingredient feeding means to control the addition of moisture to the pelleting apparatus in response to the pellet temperature.
A method for producing pellets having a moisture content within a prescribed range with a pelleting apparatus, the pelleting apparatus including a pellet producing means, and means for feeding a supply of a plurality of ingredients to the producing means, one of the ingredients being material and at least one other ingredient having a significant moisture content, the pellet producing means including a rotating die contained within a chamber, the die having a plurality of holes through which a mixture of said ingredients is passed to form pellets, the method comprising the steps of sensing the temperature of the mixture as it emerges through the die holes with a non-contacting temperature probe, and controlling the ingredient feeding means to control the addition of moisture to the pelleting apparatus in response to the mixture temperature.
A pelleting apparatus for producing pellets having a moisture content within a prescribed range, the pelleting apparatus including a pellet producing means, and means for feeding a supply of a plurality of ingredients to the producing means, one of the ingredients being material and at least one other ingredient having a significant moisture content, the pellet producing means including a die through which a mixture of said ingredients is passed to form pellets, and a control system for controlling the operation of the pelleting apparatus, said control system comprising a single non-contacting temperature sensing means, said temperature sensing means being mounted to the pellet producing means to sense the temperature of the die, and means to control the ingredient feeding means to control the addition of said significant moisture ingredient in response to no temperature sensing means other than the die temperature sensing means.
An automatic control system for a pelleting apparatus, the pelleting apparatus including a pellet producing means, means for feeding a supply of a plurality of ingredients to the producing means, one of the ingredients being material and at least one other ingredient having a significant moisture content, and means to cool the pellets, the pellet producing means including a rotating die contained within a chamber, the die having a plurality of holes through which a mixture of said ingredients is passed to form pellets, the control system including means to sense the moisture content of said cooled pellets, and means for automatically adjusting the operation of said pelleting apparatus in resposne to said cooled pellet moisture sensing means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.