US 8,007,701 B2 · Positionable gas injection nozzle assembly for an underwater pelletizing system

Abstract

A positionable gas nozzle assembly having a nozzle tube for injecting and directing pressurized air or other inert gas into a pellet slurry so as to increase the velocity of the slurry from a pelletizer to and through a dryer. The variably positionable nozzle tube can be inserted, retracted and/or intermediately positioned either manually or using an automated control system. The automated control system preferably includes a pneumatic cylinder movably engaged with a carriage that is fixedly coupled to the nozzle tube. The pneumatic cylinder contains a piston that is magnetically coupled with the carriage such that movement of the piston in response to the injection of pressurized air into the cylinder also moves the carriage and the nozzle tube to obtain the variable positions.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for processing extrudable materials into pellets, which comprises:

extruding an extrudable material into strands;
cutting the extruded strands into pellets with an underwater pelletizer;
transporting said pellets and liquid from said pelletizer as a liquid and pellet slurry through a transport conduit from said pelletizer to a dryer for drying said pellets;
adjusting a positionable pressurized gas nozzle assembly to a desired degree of insertion within said transport conduit;
injecting a pressurized gas into said transport conduit at a high velocity using said gas nozzle assembly to facilitate separation of the liquid from the pellets as the slurry moves through the transport conduit from the pelletizer to the dryer, said slurry flowing past said gas nozzle assembly in a same direction, while moving from said pelletizer to said dryer, regardless of the degree of insertion to which said assembly is adjusted;
and
separating said pellets from said liquid in said dryer.

4 more elements

A method for processing extrudable materials into pellets, which comprises:

extruding an extrudable material into strands and cutting the extruded strands into pellets in a liquid using a pelletizer;
transporting said pellets and said liquid as a liquid and pellet slurry from said pelletizer to a dryer through a transport conduit;
adjusting a nozzle of a positionable pressurized gas nozzle assembly to a selected insertion position within said transport conduit;
injecting a pressurized gas into said transport conduit at a high velocity using said gas nozzle assembly with said nozzle in said selected insertion position as the slurry moves through the transport conduit, said gas moving said slurry through said transport conduit toward said dryer;
and
a flow of said pellets exiting said transport conduit at a point downstream of said injection nozzle while said gas continues to be injected into said transport conduit and slurry continues to move from said pelletizer to said dryer through said transport conduit.

3 more elements

A method for processing extrudable materials into pellets, which comprises:

extruding an extrudable material into strands and cutting the extruded strands into pellets using an underwater pelletizer;
transporting said pellets and said liquid as a liquid and pellet slurry from said pelletizer to a dryer through a transport conduit;
during a start-up phase of said processing, adjusting a nozzle of a positionable pressurized gas nozzle assembly to a fully retracted position with respect to said transport conduit to provide unobstructed flow through said transport conduit and to prevent agglomeration of the extruded material on said nozzle;
injecting a pressurized gas into said transport conduit at a high velocity using said gas nozzle assembly to facilitate separation of the liquid from the pellets as the slurry moves through the transport conduit;
after said start-up phase, adjusting said nozzle to an inserted position within said transport conduit while continuing to inject said pressurized gas in order to increase an efficiency of said separation of the liquid from the pellets as the slurry moves through said transport conduit toward said dryer;
and
separating said pellets from said liquid.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description7,364 words

Summary1,601 words

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates generally to underwater pelletizing systems and, more particularly, to a gas injection nozzle for use with such systems.

#2. Description of Related Art

Brief description of the drawings18 figures

#FIG. 1 is a cut-away and cross-sectional illustration of a prior art fixed nozzle configuration.

#FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of an underwater pelletizing system including an underwater pelletizer and transport piping with a positionable nozzle connected to a centrifugal dryer in accordance with the present invention.

#FIG. 2a is an enlarged view illustration of the positionable nozzle of FIG. 2.

Detailed description5,348 words

#Although preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that other embodiments are possible. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention is to be limited in its scope to the details of constructions, and arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being or carried out in various ways. Also, in describing preferred embodiments, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. It is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. Where possible, components of the drawings that are alike are identified by the same reference numbers.

#The positionable nozzle assembly according to the present invention helps to enhance the crystallization of various polymeric materials and also facilitates drying of those and other materials while eliminating a possible hang-up point for agglomerates that has been encountered with prior designs. With pressurized air or other gas injected into the pellet transportation pipe, the velocity of the pellet slurry is increased. The result is a decrease in time that the pellets are subjected to the transport liquid due to that increased velocity as well as the aspiration of transport liquid away from the surface of those pellets. Due to the increased velocity, the retention time of the pellets in the transport liquid is less, allowing the pellets to retain more internal heat than had they been subjected to the transportation liquid for a longer period. In effect, it is the increase in retained internal heat that aids in the crystallization of the pellets. This effect is further enhanced by the aspiration of the transport liquid away from the surface of the pellets such that loss of heat to the transfer liquid is reduced.

#To achieve the maximum throughput of the pellets, the present invention allows the geometry and positioning of the nozzle to be adjusted. This is important to the velocity at which the slurry is transported from the pelletizer to the dryer which, in turn, impacts the efficiency of the system in separating the pellets from the transport liquid by aspiration and increasing the amount of internal heat retained by the pellets. Changing the geometry and positioning of the nozzle can also serve to alter the flow pattern of the slurry through the transport pipe, creating more or less turbulence to meet specific requirements associated with the material being processed.

Facts

Application

12/457,442Filed 10 Jun 2009 · continuation in part

Priority

16 Jun 2008

Published

US 2009/0309247 A124 Dec 2009

Granted

30 Aug 2011

Term ends

16 Jun 2028

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification11 codes

B29B 9/06
By dividing preformed material: in the form of filamentary material, e.g. combined with extrusion
B29B 9/16
Making granules: auxiliary treatment of granules
B29C 48/0022
Combinations of extrusion moulding with other shaping operations: combined with cutting
B29C 48/05
Characterised by the shape of the extruded material at extrusion: filamentary, e.g. strands

Family

Application12/213,204Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 16 Jun 2008

US 2009/0315206 A1Pre-grant publication · published 24 Dec 2009

US 2009/0309247 A1Published application

US 8,011,912 B2Related patent

US 8,007,701 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Timeline

16 Jun 2008Priority claimedParent application 12/213,204
10 Jun 2009Application filedUS 12/457,442
2 Sep 2009Assigned to Gala Industries, Inc.assignment of assignor's interest
24 Dec 2009PublishedUS 2009/0309247 A1
30 Aug 2011GrantedUS 8,007,701 B2
18 Dec 2020Assigned to Maag Gala, Inc.change of name
5 Feb 2021Assigned to Maag Gala, Inc.corrective assignment to correct the patent number 8366842 previously recorded on reel 054803 frame 0864. assignor(s) hereby confirms the change of name.
12 Oct 2026TodayWithin its term
16 Jun 2028Term endsEstimated

Positionable gas injection nozzle assembly for an underwater pelletizing system

Life of this patent

Positionable gas injection nozzle assembly for an underwater pelletizing system

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims20

Description7,364 words

Drawings

Classification11 codes

Life of this patent

Description7,364 words