A method for extruding a comestible material comprises the steps of passing comestible material into an extruder (100) with rotation of the extruder screw(s) (120, 122) and delivery of fluid comprising steam and water into an opening (114a) of the extruder barrel (104). The fluid delivery step comprises separately directing individual quantities of steam and water into the casing (72) of a static mixing section (54), and blending the steam and water to create a blended mixture, and then delivering the blended mixture into the barrel (114a). The blended mixture is delivered to the barrel opening (114a) by a conveying assembly (84, 86) having a pipe assembly (86) with an outlet in communication with the barrel opening (114a); the pipe assembly (86) and opening (114a) have diameters less than maximum internal diameter of the static mixer casing (72).

An extruder (100) for comestible material comprises a tubular barrel (104) and one or more elongated, axially rotatable, helically flighted screws (120, 122) within the barrel (104), where the barrel (104) has a delivery opening (114a). The extruder barrel (104) is equipped with an assembly (22) for delivery of fluid to the interior thereof, including a static mixing section (54) operable to blend steam and water to create a blended mixture; the blended mixture is delivered to the barrel opening (114a) by of a conveying assembly (84, 86) having a pipe assembly (86) with an outlet in communication with the barrel opening (114a); the pipe assembly (86) and opening (114a) have diameters less than maximum internal diameter of the static mixer casing (72).

Methods of preconditioning comestible materials such as foods or feeds include the step of separately injecting steam and water into a static mixer in order to create a blend, which is then injected into the materials within a preconditioner barrel. The methods yield increased cook values in the preconditioned materials, with a reduction in evolved steam from the preconditioner.

The continuous treatment device (10) includes a tank (11) of elongated shape and that determines a mixing chamber (15) which includes, at a first end, at least one inlet orifice (12) for the raw material and, at a second end, at least one outlet orifice (13) for the treated material, and also, between these orifices, at least one agitator shaft (16) equipped with blades (17) suitable for continuously mixing and advancing the material in the mixing chamber (15) from the inlet orifice to the outlet orifice. The device also includes a mixing screw (25) in the bottom of the tank, which is positioned in the mixing chamber (15), below and parallel to the at least one shaft (16), and which is suitable for being rotated, about at least one direction of rotation, the opposite way from the advance of the material from the inlet orifice to the outlet orifice.

A tank on a firefighting aircraft initially is loaded with water. A polymer gel emulsion vessel is provided but gel emulsion is not activated and mixed with water in the tank until such polymer gel preparation is initiated by an operator. When initiated, a pump pulls water from the tank and returns water back to the tank with a dose of gel emulsion supplied therein. Double elbows and/or the pump impeller fully activates the polymer gel. The activated polymer gel is mixed within the tank by one of a variety of systems including sparging with air, routing of return water from the pump through nozzles and providing a baffle for generating circulatory mixing flow within the tank, or utilizing a mixer element which moves dynamically within the tank. Hydrodynamic forces associated with the aircraft passing over a body of water can power dosing of the water with polymer gel emulsion.

The method of producing a colored powder of a polymeric material includes the steps of selecting a feedstock of said polymeric material, pulverizing said polymeric material in a pulverizer to produce a powder, moving the powder directly from the pulverizer to a mixer; spraying a liquid formulation including a colorant into the powder within the mixer, and mixing the liquid formulation and powder.

A kneading apparatus has a housing and first and second rotary shafts mounted in the housing in parallel to one another for undergoing rotation about respective axes in opposite directions at unequal speeds to one another for kneading an object. The first and second rotary shafts have respective first and second stirring members arranged helically at a predetermined helical pitch and at predetermined angular pitch intervals, with the second stirring members being arranged with an inverse helix from that of the first stirring members. Side blocking plates disposed in the housing partially block the kneaded object and move it between the first and second rotary shafts. The side blocking plates are spaced apart from one another to provide a space above the first and second rotary shafts such that the kneaded object can pass through the space in the axial direction of the first and second rotary shafts.

The present invention relates to an apparatus, which can be part of a pre-treatment system in a plant for the production of fuels, e. g. bio-ethanol, derived from plant biomass, e. g. first generation crops, such as grain, sugarcane and corn or second generation crops such as lignocellulosic biomass. The invention relates to an apparatus for processing, such as fluffing and mixing, at least two media, such as a solid, e. g. biomass, and a fluid, e. g. steam, so as to rendering the first medium susceptible to efficient receiving of energy and/or mass which is provided by localized release of the second medium. Although the description of the present invention focuses on biomass, it is envisaged that the invention is generally applicable to control the mixing of at least two media by crossing their stream of while dispersing at least one of them.

An apparatus for containing and mixing a load of liquids and solids is disclosed. The apparatus includes an elongated tank, which includes a lower portion and an upper portion. The apparatus further includes an elongated rotatable shaft within the tank. At least one blade is connected to the shaft and is configured to mix the liquids and solids when the shaft is rotated. The apparatus also includes a shaft support configured for maintaining the shaft in a rotatable manner within the tank. The shaft support is selectively moveable in a manner permitting the shaft to move in an upward direction from the lower portion toward the upper portion, and in a downward direction from the upper portion toward the lower portion. An is contained with the tank for moving the shaft support in the upward direction and in the downward direction.

A system for recycling cooling devices, comprising a system part for catalytically oxidizing the pure hydrocarbon compounds and chlorofluorocarbons which accumulate during the recycling of the cooling devices. According to the invention, this system part comprises two reactors, provided mutually separated in the flow direction of the gases to be treated, a first reactor being used for catalytically oxidizing the pure hydrocarbon compounds while a second reactor is used for catalytically oxidizing chlorofluorocarbons.