Centrifugal pellet dryer

A centrifugal pellet dryer comprising a vertically disposed housing, a vertically disposed foraminous member disposed in said housing, a rotor mounted vertically in the foraminous member, inlet means for a slurry of water and pellets communicating with the bottom of the rotor, means driving the rotor for conveying pellets upwardly in the foraminous member and discharging water through the foraminous member, a pellet outlet extending laterally from the upper end of the housing and communicating with the interior of the foraminous member for receiving pellets from the rotor and discharging them laterally of the housing, a drain for water in the bottom of the housing, an exhaust air duct communicating with the upper end of the housing and adopted to be communicated with an exhaust fan, said pellet outlet being in the form of a duct providing an air inlet nozzle for inlet of drying air into the upper end of the foraminous member for discharge through the air discharge duct with the inflowing air moving countercurrent to pellets moving outwardly in the pellet outlet,

• said rotor including a vertically disposed shaft, a plurality of support arms rigid with the shaft and a plurality of segmental spirally inclined blades mounted on said arms for conveying pellets upwardly through the foraminous member with centrifugal force causing separation of water from the pellets with water being discharged through the foraminous member.

In a pellet dryer including a vertical housing, a vertical cylindrical screen stationarily supported in said housing, a rotor mounted vertically in said screen, means rotatably driving said rotor, a water and pellet slurry inlet means at a lower portion of said housing and screen, said rotor including blade means for conveying pellets upwardly in the screen while discharging water through the screen, water drain means at a lower end of said housing, and air exhaust means at an upper end of said housing, the improvement comprising a downwardly inclined duct forming pellet outlet and air inlet means at an upper end of the housing and communicating with the interior of said screen whereby incoming air passes over pellets moving outwardly in the pellet outlet and air inlet means and incoming air passes over pellets in an upper end of the screen as air is exhausted to said air exhaust means, said housing including an air imperforate closed top wall having a flat inner surface forming a portion of the pellet outlet and air inlet means to facilitate cleaning thereof and eliminating areas in which pellets can become lodged for subsequent discharge back into the housing and rotor to prevent cross contamination of different types and colors of pellets, said air exhaust means including a laterally extending duct connected with and extending only to the interior surface of the housing in circumferential spaced relation to the pellet outlet and air inlet means.