Rotary biomass dryer
First Claim
1. A method for drying a wet biomass material to reduce its moisture content, producing a substantially drier biomass material, comprising the steps of:
- (a) supplying an input of the wet biomass material that is to be dried;
(b) rotating a shaft to advance the wet biomass material through a housing;
(c) frictionally heating and compressing the wet biomass material as it moves through the housing mechanical energy supplied by the rotating shaft and without requiring heating from any external heat source, so that moisture is forced from the wet biomass material and evaporated, leaving a substantially drier biomass material; and
(d) forcing the substantially drier biomass material from the housing for subsequent use.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A biomass drying system includes a rotary biomass dryer that includes a helically threaded auger shaft rotatably driven by a prime mover, such as an electric motor. No external source of heat is required to dry a wet biomass material that is supplied to an input of the biomass dryer. Instead, the helical threads on the shaft have a variable width, designed to gradually increase the compression applied as the biomass material is advanced through a generally cylindrical bore in the biomass dryer. A variable compression nozzle is disposed at a distal end of the bore and can be adjusted to achieve a desired level of a parameter such as the moisture content of the dried biomass material produced by the system. The variable compression nozzle, which can be automatically controlled, includes longitudinally extending segments that are forced radially inwardly to increase the compression force applied to the biomass material.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method for drying a wet biomass material to reduce its moisture content, producing a substantially drier biomass material, comprising the steps of:
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(a) supplying an input of the wet biomass material that is to be dried; (b) rotating a shaft to advance the wet biomass material through a housing; (c) frictionally heating and compressing the wet biomass material as it moves through the housing mechanical energy supplied by the rotating shaft and without requiring heating from any external heat source, so that moisture is forced from the wet biomass material and evaporated, leaving a substantially drier biomass material; and (d) forcing the substantially drier biomass material from the housing for subsequent use. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification