Distiller grain pellet production devices

• US 8,287,268 B1
• Filed: 04/16/2012
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nationwide 5 LLC
• Original Assignee: Raymond T. Johnson
• Inventors: Thomas, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Del Sole, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malekzadeh, Seyed Masoud
• Application Number:
  US13/448,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20120260808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 183 Days
• Field of Search: 425/72.1, 425/72.2, 425/143, 425/144, 425/149, 425/207, 425/208, 425/209, 425/308, 425/309, 425/325, 425/378.1, 425/382.4, 425/404, 425/464, 426/448, 426/516, 426/517, 426/518, 426/635
• US Class Current: 425/382.4
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/38 from distillers' or brewers' waste
• CPC Class Codes: A23N 17/005 for shaping by moulding, extrusion, pressing, e.g. pellet-mills processes A23K40/00; presses in general B30B
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 10/20 Agglomerating; Granulating; Tabletting
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 10/25 Agglomeration or granulation by extrusion or by pressing, e.g. through small holes, through sieves or between surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 10/28 Tabletting; Making food bars by compression of a dry powdered mixture
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 30/20 Extruding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92019 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92209 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92428 Calibration, after-treatment, or cooling zone
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/9259 Angular velocity
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/926 Flow or feed rate
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92638 Length
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92704 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92923 Calibration, after-treatment or cooling zone
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/04 Particle-shaped making granules B29B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/05 Filamentary, e.g. strands
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/06 Rod-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/09 Articles with cross-sections having partially or fully enclosed cavities, e.g. pipes or channels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/32 with annular openings, e.g. for forming tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/345 : Extrusion nozzles comprising two or more adjacently arranged ports, for simultaneously extruding multiple strands, e.g. for pelletising
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/395 : using screws surrounded by a cooperating barrel, e.g. single screw extruders
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/402 : the screws having intermeshing parts
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/53 : having a varying channel depth, e.g. varying the diameter of the longitudinal screw trunk
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/872 : characterised by differential heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/875 : for achieving a non-uniform temperature distribution, e.g. using barrels having both cooling and heating zones
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/90 : with calibration or sizing, i.e. combined with fixing or setting of the final dimensions of the extruded article
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/904 : using dry calibration, i.e. no quenching tank, e.g. with water spray for cooling or lubrication
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/911 : Cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/9135 : of flat articles, e.g. using specially adapted supporting means
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/919 : using a bath, e.g. extruding into an open bath to coagulate or cool the material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/92 : Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 17/20 : the axis of rotation being horizontal or slightly inclined
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 5/14 : by applying pressure, e.g. wringing; by brushing; by wiping

Abstract

A device for producing a high density compact livestock feed from a loose granular material according to various embodiment can include a source for supplying a loose granular material to be treated. A series of successive treatment zones comprises a heating zone, a compression zone, and a cooling zone. The heating zone comprises at least one heater and at least one screw compression dryer configured to receive the loose granular material to be treated for drying. Rotation of the screw transfers the treated material to the compression zone. The compression zone comprises a compression chamber for compacting the treated material to form a high density compact body. The treated material is pressed through the compression chamber while a two-dimensional cross-section compression is applied to the treated material. The cooling zone comprises a cooling unit for cooling the high density compact body received from the compression zone.

Claims

1. A device for producing a high density compact livestock feed from a loose granular material, comprising:

a source for supplying a loose granular material to be treated;

a controller in communications with a plurality of sensors for monitoring and controlling transfer of the treated material through a series of successive treatment zones comprising a heating zone, a compression zone, and a cooling zone;

the heating zone comprises at least one heater and at least one screw compression dryer;

the screw compression dryer comprising an elongated housing having an inlet end and a discharge end, the inlet end in communication with the source and to receive the loose granular material to be treated for drying;

a continuous rotatable screw provided within the housing and extending between the inlet end and the discharge end, the screw has a diameter which increases in dimension in a direction away from said inlet end for increasing a compressive force applied to the treated material to assist with drying as the treated material as the screw rotates and moves the treated material longitudinally along the screw;

a drive coupled to the profile screw for axially rotating the screw, wherein the drive is in communication with the controller to regulate a residence time of the treated material in the treatment zones;

the at least one heater disposed along the housing for heating the treated material moving along the screw to a first predetermined temperature which causes at least one oil and liquid to boil within the treated material and changes physical properties of the treated material into a modulus state;

the compression zone comprises a compression device for compacting the treated material;

the compression device having a through hole which extends longitudinally through the compression device and provides a passage for compressing the treated material, the through hole includes an inlet orifice for receiving the treated material from the heating zone and an outlet orifice for discharging the treated material to the cooling zone, in the modulus state wherein the inlet orifice includes a cross sectional area that is less than a cross sectional area defined by the circumference of an inside wall for the discharge end of the elongated housing, the treated material is pressed longitudinally through the compression chamber by simultaneously applying a lateral pressure and a two-dimensional cross-section compression which includes a pressure applied in a direction traverse to a direction of transport and a pressure applied in a direction parallel to the direction of transport, the controller controls the two-dimensional cross-section compression applied to the treated material such that liquids in the treated material migrates to the outer surface of the treated material upon reaching the outlet orifice; and

the cooling zone comprising a cooling unit including a die extremity tubing and a heat exchanger for cooling the treated material received from the compression zone to form a high density compact body;

the heat exchanger having a cooling conduit provided between a heat exchanger inlet and a heat exchanger outlet,

the die extremity tubing comprises a first opening in direction communication with the outlet orifice for receiving the treated material from the compression zone and a second opening for discharging the treated material from the device as a high density livestock feed, the die extremity tubing extends through the cooling conduit such that the heat exchanger surrounds the die extremity tubing to cool the treated material using conductive heat transfer and the heat exchanger is controlled to cool the treated material to a second predetermined temperature which is below the boiling temperature of the oil and liquid within the treated material.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising an oil extraction system from extracting the liquids from the high density compact body wherein the liquids comprise at least one of oil, water and vapor.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the cooling unit comprises at least one of a cryogenic cooler, a water chiller, and a cooling tower.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising a vacuum pressure created in the die extremity in the cooling zone to perform the conductive heat transfer.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the pressure applied to produce the high density compact body depends upon a length of the compression chamber and an angle of inclination of the surface walls of the compression chamber.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the compression chamber comprises a conical shape.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the compression chamber comprises a plurality of outlet orifices.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein a plurality of die extremities connect to the plurality of outlet orifices.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein at least some of the plurality of outlet orifices and some of the die extremities have differing configurations.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein a configuration of the outlet orifice and the die extremity is selected based upon desired physical characteristics to be obtained in the high density compact body.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the high density compact body is shaped to form at least one of a pellet, a cube and a tub.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising a cutting device for cutting the high density compact body to a predetermined length.