A kneader has a rotational conveyance member configured to knead the kneading material and convey the kneading material from an inlet toward an outlet by a rotational motion around an axis. The rotational conveyance member has a kneading zone configured to knead the kneading material, a first conveyance zone placed on an upstream side relative to the kneading zone and configured to convey the kneading material, and a second conveyance zone placed on a downstream side relative to the kneading zone and configured to convey the kneading material, and a conveyance force of the second conveyance zone is smaller than a conveyance force of the first conveyance zone in a case where the same conveyance object is conveyed.

A litter processing system is provided implementing one or more robotic vehicles to process livestock litter, detect conditions of the litter with a plurality of sensors, and treat the litter based upon data collected by the sensors. The vehicles may include processors and software that control vehicle tasks. The vehicle's onboard software may be controlled by a server having an instance of the software thereby controlling operation of the vehicles and collecting sensor data from the vehicles via a wireless network.

A method of producing a saccharified solution, in which saccharified slurry is obtained by hydrothermally treating cellulosic biomass slurry in a supercritical state or a subcritical state by a continuous reactor. The method reduces the risk of a pressure reducing valve becoming clogged when the high-temperature and high-pressure slurry is flash-evaporated after being hydrothermally treated. Also provides an apparatus for producing a saccharified solution and a continuous reactor. At the time of hydrothermally treating the cellulosic biomass slurry by the continuous reactor continuously, the slurry is intensely stirred in a front part of the continuous reactor, and stirred in a rear part of the continuous reactor by a stirring device with low propelling force, such that the plug flow in the axial direction is kept while the slurry is being uniformly mixed with respect to the cross section perpendicular to the mixing axis.

Agitation assemblies for a spreader having a rotatable feeding mechanism are provided that utilize the rotation of the feeding mechanism to oscillate an agitation member within the spreader. A crank is coupled to the feeding mechanism and a connecting linkage connects between the agitation member and the crank so that as a drive mechanism rotates the feeding mechanism to dispense spreading material towards a dispensing opening, the connecting linkage oscillates the agitation member. The agitation member can be a baffle or agitation plate. The oscillation of the agitation member can be pivoting or sliding oscillation.

Agitation assemblies for a spreader having a rotatable feeding mechanism are provided that utilize the rotation of the feeding mechanism to oscillate an agitation member within the spreader. A crank is coupled to the feeding mechanism and a connecting linkage connects between the agitation member and the crank so that as a drive mechanism rotates the feeding mechanism to dispense spreading material towards a dispensing opening, the connecting linkage oscillates the agitation member. The agitation member can be a baffle or agitation plate. The oscillation of the agitation member can be pivoting or sliding oscillation.

The method for producing carbon nanotube pellets according to the present invention can reduce the particle size of the carbon nanotubes contained in the pellet by a repetitive extrusion process to produce pellets having improved dispersion characteristics in a solvent. The present invention can improve the problems of the change of the content generated by scattering of powders and safety issues by using carbon nanotubes in the form of pellet. And since the density of the pellet form is higher than that of the powder form, transport, transfer and improvement become easier. Therefore, it can be more effectively applied to the manufacturing of composite materials.

A portable concrete mixer includes a frame, a hopper, coupled to the frame, for receiving therein dry commercially available prepackaged concrete mixes containing gravel aggregates, a chute coupled to the hopper, a water supply system that supplies water to the chute, a motor, and an auger coupled to and rotated by the motor. The auger includes a shaftless helical auger body extending from the hopper into the chute via an aperture in the hopper. The shaftless helical auger body has an interior volume and a plurality of fingers extending from the auger body into the interior volume. The shaftless helical auger body has an uneven pitch such that a second portion of the helical auger body in the chute has a greater pitch than a first portion of the helical auger body in the hopper.

Apparatus, system and method for heating fluid from a plurality of fluid sources. A heating chamber top portion includes a plurality of fluid inlet tubes configured to pass fluid from the plurality of fluid sources. A heating chamber may be coupled to the heating chamber top portion, the heating chamber collectively receives at least some of the fluid from the plurality of fluid sources. At least one heating element configured within the heating chamber heats the received fluid from the plurality of fluid sources. An agitator mixes the received fluid from the plurality of fluid sources in the heating chamber, wherein the agitator is configured to mix the received fluid from the plurality of fluid sources by rotationally turning within the heating chamber.

Apparatus, system and method for heating fluid from a plurality of fluid sources. A heating chamber top portion includes a plurality of fluid inlet tubes configured to pass fluid from the plurality of fluid sources. A heating chamber may be coupled to the heating chamber top portion, the heating chamber collectively receives at least some of the fluid from the plurality of fluid sources. At least one heating element configured within the heating chamber heats the received fluid from the plurality of fluid sources. An agitator mixes the received fluid from the plurality of fluid sources in the heating chamber, wherein the agitator is configured to mix the received fluid from the plurality of fluid sources by rotationally turning within the heating chamber.

A heating device for heating underground soil including a conductor housed in a conductive casing, where when at least one driving current is supplied to the conductor, the conductor generates at least one magnetic field that induces at least one induced current in the casing. The driving currents are of a frequency sufficient to cause the induced currents to generate resistance in the casing, thereby increasing the temperature of the casing. A plurality of the heating devices may be arranged in an array to facilitate the heating of a zone of soil.