A system and method for placing and circulating concrete is disclosed. The system includes a hopper body, a feed auger, one or more circulating elements, a pump, a valve with two or more outlets, a return conduit, and two or more hoses. The hopper body of the system may additionally include a heat exchanger. Concrete slurry is placed into the hopper body, continuously circulated within the hopper body, and drawn from the hopper body by the pump and conveyed through the hoses, or through the return conduit, or both. Concrete slurry within the hoses may be returned to the hopper body.

High thermal transfer, hollow core extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) include elongated hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192) equipped with helical fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) along the lengths thereof. The fighting (132, 134, 194) may also be of hollow construction which communicates with the hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192). Structure (88, 90) is provided for delivery of heat exchange media (e.g., steam) into the hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192) and the hollow fighting (132, 134, 194). The fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) also includes a forward, reverse pitch section (64, 162, 216). The extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) are designed to be used as complemental pairs as a part of twin screw processing devices (20), and are designed to impart high levels of thermal energy into materials being processed in the devices (20), without adding additional moisture.

A blender has a mixing chamber for reception of materials to be blended. A mixing screw is mounted at a bottom of the mixing chamber for mixing materials within the mixing chamber and delivering mixed materials to an outlet feeding a processing line. Heaters are mounted within the mixing chamber for drying blend material in the mixing chamber.

An oilfield material reservoir comprises a body and a base connected to and positioned beneath the body. The body has an upper end, a lower end, a sidewall having a first side and a second side extending between the upper end and the lower end forming a recess, and a partition positioned within the recess adjacent to the lower end and extending between the first and second sides of the sidewall. The base has a discharge opening formed within the lower side, and a plurality of augers extending between the first and second ends. The plurality of augers have opposing-hand flights configured to drive an oilfield material toward the discharge opening of the base.

A blender has a mixing chamber for reception of materials to be blended. A mixing screw is mounted at a bottom of the mixing chamber for mixing materials within the mixing chamber and delivering mixed materials to an outlet feeding a processing line. Heaters are mounted within the mixing chamber for drying blend material in the mixing chamber.

A Mortar Delivery System is described. The Mortar Delivery System provides precise control of the delivery and application of mortar in addition to the mixing and tempering of mortar. Such control eliminates the use of a hand trowel in brick, block and stone laying applications. Sensing and control are integrated with the Mortar Delivery System to make it an important element of a robotic brick laying system. The Mortar Delivery System contains sensors to measure mortar viscosity and workability, mortar flow rate, and mortar nozzle pressure. The data from the Mortar Delivery System sensors can be used to change the rotational speed of the shear blades, change the amount of water being used for mixing or tempering, and change the delivery speed of the mortar. Such changes result in precise control of mortar that is in turn suitable for automated or semi-automated building processes.

A waste treatment apparatus includes: a body having a spherical shape and configured to accommodate a waste therein; and a stirring unit configured to stir the waste accommodated in the body. The stirring unit includes: a main shaft horizontally and rotatably disposed at a center portion in the inside of the body; a plurality of main shaft stirring blades having a flat plate shape, the plurality of main shaft stirring blades mounted on a surface of the main shaft; a plurality of support rods assembled to the main shaft at a predetermined interval, the plurality of support rods extending perpendicularly toward an inner peripheral surface of the body; and a plurality of stirring blades each having a rectangular flat plate shape, the plurality of stirring blades being mounted on distal ends of the plurality of support rods on an inner peripheral surface side of the body.

Apparatus and methods for food production including a food preconditioner (228) operable to heat and partially pre-cook food ingredients, and a twin screw extruder (20) operable to further cook the preconditioned ingredients to create final food products. The extruder (20) includes a pair of hollow core extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) having elongated hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192) equipped with helical fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) along the lengths thereof. The fighting (132, 134, 194) is also of hollow construction which communicates with the hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192). The fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) also includes forward, reverse pitch sections (64, 162, 216). The extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) are designed to impart high levels of thermal energy into materials being processed in the extruders (20), without adding additional moisture.

Apparatus and methods for food production including a food preconditioner (228) operable to heat and partially pre-cook food ingredients, and a twin screw extruder (20) operable to further cook the preconditioned ingredients to create final food products. The extruder (20) includes a pair of hollow core extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) having elongated hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192) equipped with helical fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) along the lengths thereof. The fighting (132, 134, 194) is also of hollow construction which communicates with the hollow core shafts (54, 128, 130, 192). The fighting (56, 132, 134, 194) also includes forward, reverse pitch sections (64, 162, 216). The extrusion screws (50, 52, 124, 126, 190) are designed to impart high levels of thermal energy into materials being processed in the extruders (20), without adding additional moisture.