Technologies for material separation

• US 10,596,600 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2017
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American BioCarbon, LLC
• Original Assignee: American BioCarbon, LLC
• Inventors: Bogner, Erwin, Gobel, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Matthews, Terrell H
• Application Number:
  US15/632,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20170291194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 209473, 209482, 209643, 209644
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 1/22 Revolving drums
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 15/00 Combinations of apparatus for separating solids from solids by dry methods applicable to bulk material, e.g. loose articles fit to be handled like bulk material using wet methods B03B7/00; using gas currents B07B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 4/02 while the mixtures fall
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 4/06 using revolving drums
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 7/08 using centrifugal force centrifuges B04B; cyclones B04C
• CPC Class Codes: B07B 9/02 Combinations of similar or different apparatus for separating solids from solids using gas currents
• CPC Class Codes: C13B 10/02 Expressing juice from sugar cane or similar material, e.g. sorghum saccharatum
• CPC Class Codes: C13B 10/025 Treatment of sugar cane before extraction C13B5/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C13B 10/06 Sugar-cane crushers
• CPC Class Codes: C13B 20/16 by physical means, e.g. osmosis or filtration
• CPC Class Codes: C13B 5/00 Reducing the size of material from which sugar is to be extracted for extraction of starch C08B30/02
• CPC Class Codes: C13B 5/02 Cutting sugar cane
• CPC Class Codes: C13B 5/04 Shredding sugar cane
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 17/00 Machines or apparatus for drying materials in loose, plastic, or fluidised form, e.g. granules, staple fibres, with progressive movement F26B13/00 takes precedence ; feed or discharge arrangements F26B25/002
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 17/32 the movement being in a horizontal or slightly inclined plane

Abstract

A technology for material separation is provided. The technology enables an output of a first material from a rotary lifter. The technology enables a direction of a fluid stream onto the first material in flight based on the output of the first material such that the first material is separated into at least a second material and a third material. The technology enables a conveyance of the second material away from the rotary lifter. The technology enables a removal of the third material via a vacuum port.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

drying a first material via a dryer;

feeding the first material from the dryer into a lifter;

lifting the first material via the lifter;

blowing an air onto the first material via an air knife as the first material is output from the lifter such that the first material is separated into at least a second material and a third material; and

receiving the second material via a conveyor and the third material via a suction duct.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first material includes a sugarcane biomass, wherein the second material includes a billet, wherein the third material includes at least one of a trash or an ash.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the air is heated prior to being blown onto the first material.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first material has been screened for a presence of at least one of a metal, a material comprising a metallic property, a metal compound, a metallic compound, or a metal alloy prior to entry into the dryer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first material has been screened via a magnet.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

conveying the second material via the conveyor to a chute.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the air knife is sourced via a first source, wherein the suction duct is sourced via a second source, wherein the first source is in a fluid communication with the second source.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the air knife is sourced via a cyclonic separation process.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the suction duct is sourced via reverse cyclonic separation process.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the lifter is rotary.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the lifter includes a compartment, wherein the first material is fed into the lifter based on the compartment being in a 6 o'"'"'clock position.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the lifter includes a compartment, wherein the first material is output from the lifter based on the compartment being in a 12 o'"'"'clock position.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the air knife blows the air in a direction, wherein the conveyor conveys the second material in the direction.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the dryer is included in a dryer section, wherein the dryer dries a fourth material, wherein the dryer section separates the fourth material at least into the first material and a fifth material before feeding the first material into the lifter.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the air knife is a first air knife, wherein the dryer section includes a second air knife, wherein the second air knife separates the fourth material at least into the first material and the fifth material.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the suction duct is a first suction duct, wherein the fifth material is suctioned into a second suction duct.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first suction duct is in a fluid communication with the second suction duct.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the lifter includes a frame, wherein at least one of the conveyor or the air knife is supported via the frame.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the air knife is sourced via a first source, wherein the suction duct is sourced via a second source, wherein the first source is upstream from the second source.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the lifter includes a flighted compartment.