US 5,682,683 AGranted

Process and device for pressing biomass

AssigneeFranz Haimer

InventorFranz Haimer

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Abstract

The present invention pertains to the problem of chopping, drying and compressing into pellets--which shall be used especially as a fuel--freshly harvested biomass, especially cereal plants, in one operation. The chopped stalk material is moved forward for this purpose according to the present invention over a broad surface in a thin layer (32) in the manner of an accordion, while a warm air flow passes through it, before the stalk material is fed into the intake wedge of a pelletizing device (15). Screw conveyor groups (11, 12, 13) arranged at different levels are preferably used as the conveying means, and their direction of conveyance (23) is at right angles to the direction of travel (24) of the harvester (1), whereas the gaseous heating medium flows through the layers (32) being conveyed vertically (29) from bottom to top.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A process for picking up, drying, and pressing biomass, the process comprising the steps of:

using a harvester to pick up and convey upward harvested material;
transferring the harvested material to a drier, the drier being provided with a plurality of conveying rolls arranged one on top of another at different levels, each level having a plurality of conveying rolls disposed next to each other, the harvested material being transferred in a broad layer onto all said conveying rolls located in an upper level;
moving the harvested material while exposing the harvested material to a gaseous heating medium, including moving the harvested material along an axis of said conveying rolls in said upper level and deflecting the harvested material onto a next lower conveying roll level at an end of said conveying roll in said upper level, said gaseous heating medium being guided through said different levels;
feeding said harvested material from said conveying rolls to a pressing device;
and
pressing the harvested material with a pressing device pelletizing the harvested material with the pressing device.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/583,071Filed 11 Jan 1996
Priority: DE 43 26 849.810 Aug 1993
Granted: 4 Nov 1997
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

A01D 43/003
Mowers combined with apparatus performing additional operations while mowing: with devices for drying or burning
C10L 5/445
On vegetable substances: agricultural waste, e.g. corn crops, grass clippings, nut shells or oil pressing residues
F26B 17/205
The axis of rotation being horizontal or slightly inclined: with multiple chambers, e.g. troughs, in superimposed arrangement
F26B 19/005
Machines or apparatus for drying solid materials or objects not covered by groups F26B9/00 - F26B17/00: self-contained mobile devices, e.g. for…