There is described here a method of desiccation of aerobic granules.

In order to be able to operate a dust separator with or without a lower closure element (44), the closure element (44) is part of a separate closure unit (40) which is mounted under the dust separator if required. For this purpose, the dust separator, the closure unit (40) and optionally further components, such as a delivery flow generator, are kept available in a kit so as to be able to assemble the treatment unit as required. The dust separator can be operated in batches by means of the closure element (44).

A cylindrical drum having a plurality of vanes which extend radially into the drum and extend axially substantially the length of the drum rotates about its axis such that the plurality of vanes convey vegetable material from a lowest point in the interior of the drum to a highest point in the interior of the drum, there, to drop the vegetable matter downward within the interior of the drum. A plenum feeds air through a nozzle opening in a rectangular slot extending in its longest dimension substantially the length of the drum. The plenum and nozzle being housed to form a Coand{hacek over (a)}-effect nozzle body having a tear-shaped housing. Two Coand{hacek over (a)} surfaces are situated in opposed relation terminating at the nozzle. The Coand{hacek over (a)} surfaces to guide air into a combined flow. A hopper plate cooperates with the housing to form a hopper directing vegetable matter to collide with the combined flow.

Method and apparatus for hot air drying granular polymeric resin material records heating air temperature at a heating air outlet, computes air flow rate through a hopper, maintains desired throughput of granular material being dried in the hopper until heating air outlet temperature is stable, and thereafter maintains air flow rate through the hopper and monitors that air flow rate to adjust the air flow rate to maintain a computed preferred air flow rate through the heating hopper.

A fluid product dryer and related methods. Implementations of a method for drying particles may include: introducing particles through an inlet into a first fluid bed section; migrating the particles onto a bed deck; injecting a gas towards the particles through openings in the bed deck; migrating some of the particles through a variable-sized gate opening between the bed deck and a riser; migrating a portion of the particles into the riser; propelling the portion of the particles in the riser upwards by an injection of a gas into the riser; directing a first fraction of the portion of the particles out of the first fluid bed section and into a second fluid bed section through an outlet using a deflector feature; and directing a second fraction of the portion of the particles onto a bed deck of the second fluid bed section by interaction with an impingement feature.

Method and apparatus for drying granular resin material by heating compressed air to a temperature prescribed for gas separation membrane operation, presenting the heated compressed air to a membrane separating out oxygen-size and smaller molecules to provide a stream of gas molecules of at least nitrogen-size at a pressure substantially that of the compressed air, heating the stream of gas molecules of at least nitrogen-size to a temperature at which dew point of the stream is no higher than −40 degrees F., and introducing the heated stream of gas molecules into a chamber for upward flow to atmosphere through granular resin material in the chamber.

A method and an apparatus for rapid and efficient heating of polymer pellets in preparation for processing in a plastifier. For introduction of heat energy, a gas, preferably dried air, is introduced into the polymer pellets flow so as not to be in direct countercurrent thereto. The gas is preferably introduced in its still hottest state in a targeted fashion, for the purpose of rapid energy input, at a freely selectable location. This preferably takes place at the material output of the booster hopper. The gas is preferably conducted by way of cascades, which can be of a variable design, and flows through the bulk material at least twice. The speed of the flow can be influenced.

A device for producing granular materials or extrudates. The device includes a container having: an inlet for the material to be treated, an inlet for a liquid; a stirring device for producing an intermediate product from the material to be processed and the liquid; an outlet for the intermediate product; and an emptying pipe. The device includes an emptying pipe, which has: an inlet for the intermediate product; an outlet for the granular material or extrudate; and a conveying device, which conveys the intermediate product from the inlet of the emptying pipe toward the outlet of the emptying pipe, the emptying pipe, which is rotatable about an axis E-E, being arranged on the container in such a way that the emptying pipe can be moved between an open position and a closed position relative to the container.

A conveyor having a conveyance structure, mixing components, belt, and gas manifold. The gas manifold disposed within or on an exterior portion of the structure. The gas manifold having one or more manifold outlet ports to dry, condition, or treat a metered stream of seed within the conveyor. The manifold may be operably connected to a recirculating air system providing the vacuum source and pressurized air source of atmospheric or conditioned air. A filter and vacuum port may extract debris or humidity from the metered stream of seed within the conveyor. A plurality of mixing baffles may be longitudinally spaced apart through the conveyor in a laterally alternating manner to mix the metered stream of seed. The conveyor may be used to transfer, mix, dry, condition and treat the metered stream of seed between multiple stages of treatment.

A device and method for drying fine particulate. A parallel flow rotary drum dryer is used to dry the particulate material. There is a combustion chamber for the burner, located upstream of the dryer inlet, and the burner flame is limited to the combustion chamber so the fine particulate material does not come into direct contact with the burner flame. The output from the dryer passes through a knock-out box including a baffle system with a plurality of narrow gaps to create a pressure drop to slow down the gas flow and enable the entrained fine mesh dry particulate to drop out through a bottom outlet before the effluent gas is sent to the dust collection/air filtration system.