Apparatus for a pellet mill without steam addition
AssigneeBeta Raven Inc.
InventorJoseph A. Volk, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pellet mill includes a conditioning section which mixes dry material, moisture in the form of water, and heat provided by a hot air system for the creation of a mash suitable for pelleting without the use of steam. The hot air section inputs heat by utilizing a blower which pressurizes air across a heat exchanger and into a plenum which interconnects an air duct with the conditioner. Moisture is input to the conditioner with a hot water system which modulates the flow of water and temperature of the water as it is sprayed onto the dry material. An automatic controller controls the process in accordance with temperature measurements made at various points in the pellet mill to select a desired operating temperature or in accordance with other control parameters previously developed.
Claims10
In a pellet mill for mixing dry material and moisture into a mash and forming pellets therefrom, the pellet mill including a conditioner means for mixing moisture and dry material into a mash and a pellet producing means for forming pellets from the mash, the improvement comprising means for supplying heat to the conditioner means which is substantially moisture free as the principal source of heat for the pelleting process, and a separate means for supplying moisture substantially in its liquid phase only to the conditioning means.
An automatic control and heat source for a pellet mill, said heat source comprising means for injecting heat into said pellet mill with substantially no moisture as the principal source of heat for the pelleting process, said pellet mill having a separate moisture supply means, said heat source including an air duct connected to and communicating with said pellet mill, means for pressurizing air into said air duct, and means for heating the air passing through said air duct, the control having means for varying the heat injected into the pellet mill by the heat source.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.