Methods and apparatus for particulate heat exchange and transfer

Apparatus for transferring particulate product contained in a fluid media comprising:

• an enclosed housing capable of being filled with a fluid media and including a particulate product inlet in a lower portion and a particulate product outlet in an upper portion, said housing further including at least one fluid media outlet located at an elevation below said particulate product outlet;
• a perforated inclined tube mounted within said housing and including an auger therein, at least one of said perforated tube and said auger mounted for rotation to move said particulate product from said particulate product inlet toward said particulate product outlet and separating said particulate product from said fluid media before discharging said particulate product through said particulate product outlet;
• a plurality of upper spray inputs disposed along an upper surface of said perforated tube for directing said fluid media into said perforated tube;
• and,
• a plurality of side spray inputs disposed along a side surface of said perforated tube for directing said fluid media into said perforated tube.

Apparatus for transferring particulate product contained in a fluid media comprising:

• an enclosed housing including a particulate product inlet and a particulate product outlet;
• an inclined perforated tube mounted for rotation within said housing and containing an auger, said tube and auger mounted for rotation as a unit and such that a substantial length of said tube is completely submerged in said fluid media during operation,
• a drive for rotating said perforated tube and said auger,
• a plurality of fluid media inlets in said housing, said inlets including spray inputs positioned along an upper surface of said tube to be submerged in said fluid media during operation for directing a downward current of said fluid media through an outside of the perforated tube, and
• at least one outlet in said housing for discharging said fluid media from said housing at a level which submerges a substantial portion of said perforated tube, said fluid media outlet being located at an elevation below said particulate product outlet.

A method of processing a mixture of particulate product and fluid media comprising the steps of:

• maintaining a level of fluid media in a chamber;
• transferring said particulate product through an inclined perforated tube having a substantial length completely submerged in said fluid media and having an upper portion extending above said fluid media level;
• creating a cross current of fluid media from above said perforated tube and through the submerged length of said tube in a generally downward direction;
• straining said particulate product of said fluid media at a location above said fluid media level;
• and
• directing strained particulate product to a particulate product outlet of said chamber.