Cyclonic processing system
AssigneeHudnut Industries Inc.
InventorsJohn Carl Goehner, Bruce J. Shaw
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A cyclonic processing system accepts unprocessed fragmentary material of a predetermined aerodynamic buoyancy range, keeps it suspended in a vortex and discharges it when it reaches a finished material aerodynamic buoyancy range. The cyclonic processing apparatus and method dries, mills, separates and/or mixes fragmentary material. The waste air from the apparatus is reduced in particle content. The apparatus and method may be used to process post consumer waste for recycling. Additionally, it may be used to harness waste heat from industrial processes.
Claims14
A method of mixing a first fragmentary material with a second fragmentary material, said method comprising:
- (a) providing a cyclonic mixing apparatus, including a substantially vertical chamber having a top vent, an air inlet, a first unprocessed fragments inlet, a second unprocessed fragments inlet and a first processed fragments outlet;
- (b) introducing a gas into said air inlet and creating an upwardly spiraling vortex of said gas within said chamber;
- and
- (c) introducing a first class of fragmentary material into said cylindrical chamber through said first unprocessed fragments inlet and introducing a second class of fragmentary material into said cylindrical chamber through said second unprocessed fragments inlet, mixing said first and second fragmentary material together to form a fragmentary material mixture, and discharging said mixture from said apparatus through said first processed fragments outlet.
A method of processing fragmentary material to a first range of aerodynamic buoyancy said method comprising:
- (a) providing a cyclonic processing apparatus, including a substantially vertical chamber having a top vent, an air inlet, a first unprocessed fragments inlet, a first processed fragments outlet, a baffle disposed radially centrally within said chamber and a baffle vertical position adjustment apparatus;
- (b) adjusting the vertical position of the baffle;
- (c) introducing air into said air inlet and creating an upwardly spiraling vortex of said air within said chamber;
- (d) introducing said fragmentary material into said chamber through said unprocessed fragments inlet;
- (e) suspending said fragmentary material in said vortex and vertically stratifying said material upwardly according to decreasing aerodynamic buoyancy while radially stratifying said material outwardly so that air at the center of said vortex is more free of said material than air at the periphery of said vortex;
- (f) discharging said fragmentary material conforming to said first range of aerodynamic buoyancy from said chamber through said first processed fragments outlet;
- and
- (g) discharging said air at the center of said vortex from said chamber through said top vent.
A method of processing raw fragmentary material having a first aerodynamic buoyancy range to produce finished fragmentary material having a second aerodynamic buoyancy range, comprising:
- (a) providing a cyclonic processing apparatus including:
- (i) a substantially vertical chamber having a top vent, an air inlet, an unprocessed fragments inlet and a processed fragments outlet positioned above said air inlet;
- (b) introducing air into said air inlet and creating an upwardly spiraling vortex of said air within said chamber;
- (c) introducing said raw fragmentary material into said vertical chamber through said unprocessed fragments inlet;
- (d) suspending said fragmentary material in said vortex;
- (e) causing said fragmentary material to rise in said vortex by increasing the aerodynamic buoyancy of said fragmentary material until it rises to the vertical position of said processed fragments outlet;
- and
- (f) discharging said finished fragmentary material having said second aerodynamic buoyancy range through said processed fragments outlet.
A method of drying a raw moisture bearing combustible fragmentary material in preparation for combustion, comprising:
- (a) providing a cyclonic processing apparatus including:
- (i) a substantially vertical chamber having a top vent, an air inlet, an unprocessed fragments inlet, a processed fragments outlet and a bottom outlet;
- (b) introducing heated air into said air inlet and creating an upwardly spiraling vortex of said heated air within said chamber;
- (c) introducing said raw moisture bearing combustible fragmentary material into said vertical chamber through said unprocessed fragments inlet;
- (d) suspending at least a portion of said raw moisture bearing combustible fragmentary material in said vortex;
- and
- (e) mixing together said portion of fragmentary material and an additional portion of said fragmentary material after exiting said processing apparatus to form a fuel mixture;
- (f) discharging said portion of said combustible fragmentary material through said processed fragments outlet wherein said additional portion of said fragmentary material falls through vortex of heated air and falls through said bottom outlet.
A method of drying a recyclable moisture bearing raw fragmentary waste product, comprising:
- (a) providing a cyclonic processing apparatus including:
- (i) a substantially vertical chamber having a top vent, an air inlet, an two unprocessed fragments inlet, a processed fragments outlet;
- (b) introducing heated air into said air inlet and creating an upwardly spiraling vortex of said heated air within said chamber;
- (c) introducing said recyclable moisture bearing raw fragmentary waste product into said vertical chamber through said unprocessed fragments inlet;
- (d) suspending at least a portion of said recyclable moisture bearing raw fragmentary waste product in said vortex;
- and
- (f) discharging said portion of said recyclable fragmentary waste product fragmentary material through said processed fragments outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.