Irregular flow steam conditioner
AssigneeRoskamp Champion
InventorKelsey C. Thom, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A steam injection device for a vertical steam conditioning chamber for particulate material has one or more hollow modules having substantially conical tops and open bottoms arrayed along a support column extending from below the conditioning chamber to a point above the chamber. Steam for conditioning is supplied preferably through the support column in such a way that it uniformly permeates the particles along the height of the conditioning chamber as well as across its cross section. Additionally, by employing modules having other than symmetrically conical tops, it is possible to impart an irregular flow path to the particles being conditioned in the chamber. This permits uniform exposure of the particles to the steam in the conditioning chamber and, thus, promotes uniform conditioning.
Claims17
A steam injection device, for a vertical conditioning chamber for feed grain, comprising:
- at least one hollow module having a substantially conical imperforate top and an open bottom;
- means for supporting said at least one hollow module within said conditioning chamber the means for supporting said at least one hollow module comprising a single column extending from an anchored point below said conditioning chamber to an anchored point above said conditioning chamber along a vertical centerline thereof;
- and
- means for supplying steam to said at least one hollow module.
A steam injection device, for a vertical conditioning chamber for feed grain, comprising:
- at least one hollow module having a substantially conical imperforate top and an omen bottom;
- means for supporting said at least one hollow module within said conditioning chamber the means for supporting said at least one hollow module comprises at least one hollow support leg extending from said hollow module to the conditioning chamber;
- and
- means for supporting steam to said at least one hollow module.
A steam injection device for a vertical conditioning chamber for feed grain, comprising:
- a means for distributing steam within the conditioning chamber, the means for distributing steam comprising a plurality of hollow modules, each module having an imperforate conical top and an open bottom, each module having a plurality of hollow support legs extending from the module to the conditioning chamber, the means for distributing steam permitting steam to be distributed from the hollow module only through the hollow module open bottom.
A device, for distributing steam within a vertical conditioning chamber for treating downflowing grain material comprising:
- a hollow module having a sidewall, a substantially conical imperforate top, and an open bottom;
- at least one hollow support leg means, extending outwardly from the sidewall of said module to a sidewall of said conditioning chamber, for supporting said hollow module within said conditioning chamber;
- means, in said sidewall of said conditioning chamber, for supplying steam to said hollow support leg means;
- and
- at least one port in the sidewall of said hollow module, said port permitting passage of steam between said hollow support leg means and said hollow module.
A device, for distributing steam within a vertical conditioning chamber for treating downflowing particulate materials, comprising:
- a hollow module having a sidewall, a substantially conical top, and an open bottom;
- at least one hollow support leg means, extending outwardly from the sidewall of said module to a sidewall of said conditioning chamber, for supporting said hollow module within said conditioning chamber, said hollow support leg means comprising a closed, slanted, planar top surface and an open bottom surface;
- and
- means, in said sidewall of said conditioning chamber, for supplying steam to said hollow support leg means;
- and
- at least one port in the sidewall of said hollow module, said port permitting passage of steam between said hollow support leg means and said hollow module.
A device, for distributing steam within a vertical conditioning chamber for treating downflowing particulate materials, comprising:
- a hollow module having a sidewall, a substantially conical top, and an open bottom;
- at least one hollow support leg means, extending outwardly from the sidewall of said module to a sidewall of said conditioning chamber, for supporting said hollow module within said conditioning chamber, said hollow support leg means comprising a closed, rounded top surface and an open bottom surface;
- and
- means, in said sidewall of said conditioning chamber, for supplying steam to said hollow support leg means;
- and
- at least one port in the sidewall of said hollow module, said port permitting passage of steam between said hollow support leg means and said hollow module.
A device, for distributing steam within a vertical conditioning chamber for treating downflowing particulate materials, comprising:
- a hollow module having a sidewall, a substantially conical top, and an open bottom;
- at least one hollow support leg means, extending outwardly from the sidewall of said module to a sidewall of said conditioning chamber, for supporting said hollow module within said conditioning chamber, said hollow support leg means comprising a longitudinally peaked top surface and an open bottom surface;
- and
- means, in said sidewall of said conditioning chamber, for supplying steam to said hollow support leg means;
- and
- at least one port in the sidewall of said hollow module, said port permitting passage of steam between said hollow support leg means and said hollow module.
A device, for distributing steam within a vertical conditioning chamber for treating downflowing particulate materials, comprising:
- a hollow module having a sidewall, a substantially conical top, and an open bottom;
- at least one hollow support leg means, extending outwardly from the sidewall of said module to a sidewall of said conditioning chamber, for supporting said hollow module within said conditioning chamber;
- means, in said sidewall of said conditioning chamber, for supplying steam to said hollow support leg means;
- at least one port in the sidewall of said hollow module, said port permitting passage of steam between said hollow support leg means and said hollow module;
- a plurality of said hollow modules being vertically aligned along a vertical centerline of said conditioning chamber;
- and
- means for providing greater clearance between the sidewall of each said hollow module and the sidewall of said conditioning chamber than that which is provided between the hollow module above and the sidewall of the conditioning chamber.
A device, for distributing steam within a vertical conditioning chamber for treating downflowing particulate materials, comprising:
- a hollow module having a sidewall, a substantially conical imperforate top, and an open bottom;
- at least one hollow support leg means, extending outwardly from the sidewall of said module to a sidewall of said conditioning chamber, for supporting said hollow module within said conditioning chamber, the hollow support means having an open bottom surface;
- means, in said sidewall of said conditioning chamber, for supplying steam to said hollow support leg means;
- and
- at least one port in the sidewall of said hollow module, said port permitting passage of steam between said hollow support leg means and said hollow module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.