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 flighting (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.

The invention relates to a rotary shaft for processing foodstuffs, the rotary shaft has a rotation axis and the rotary shaft comprises at least one tool which extends along the rotation axis. The tool has an airfoil profile such that the tool comprises a leading edge, a trailing edge, an upper surface and a lower surface. Further, the tool comprises at least one fluid channel between the mean camber line of the airfoil profile and the upper surface of the tool.

Coned augers for bulk mixers are described. The coned augers comprise first end and second end an auger post having a first end opposite a second end; fighting extending along and about the auger post, the pitch oriented to move bulk material generally from the first end toward the second end during operation of the auger; a coned section along the auger post, the coned section comprising a first cone protruding about the periphery of the auger post, the first cone having a tapered end opposite a wide end. Mixers comprising the coned augers are also described.

Coned augers for bulk mixers are described. The coned augers comprise first end and second end an auger post having a first end opposite a second end; fighting extending along and about the auger post, the pitch oriented to move bulk material generally from the first end toward the second end during operation of the auger; a coned section along the auger post, the coned section comprising a first cone protruding about the periphery of the auger post, the first cone having a tapered end opposite a wide end. Mixers comprising the coned augers are also described.

Continuous compounding systems include a feeding section and a compounding section. Method for compounding or mixing solid matter and liquid matter include providing a continuous compounding system, adding matter to the continuous compounding system, and mixing or compounding the matter.

The invention provides a system for the preshearing based control of the flow and deformation behavior, i.e., the setting kinetics, and the time dependent shear viscosity, elasticity of aqueous cementitious suspensions that can be used for bone repair and regeneration. The dynamic cement microstructure is tailored to the demands of the surgical tasks (faster/slower setting) or additive manufacturing tasks (lower/higher viscosity) by application of various preshearing conditions. Since the relationships between the preshearing and pressurization conditions and the setting kinetics and the time dependent changes in elasticity and viscosity are complex, a priori characterization of viscoelastic properties using the advanced rheological characterization technique of small-amplitude oscillatory rheometry is needed to enable such tailoring. The preshearing system is intended to give control on the injectability and setting time of any calcium phosphate cement formulation to the surgeon during an orthopedic surgery where a batch of bone cement is processed. Other possible utilizations of the system include controlling the setting kinetics, shear viscosity and facilitating the resultant flow stability of cementitious ceramic suspensions processed in direct ink writing assemblies for additive manufacturing of cement constructs, in injection systems for oil wells, restoration and fracking.

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.

A system for vacuum distilling terpenes from plant material, such as from cannabis, may include an extractor having an extractor body with a lower discharge manway, a top loading manway, an interior chamber with an agitator rotatable mounted within the interior chamber, and a dimple jacket encircling at least a portion of an exterior of the extractor body; a cold trap operatively attached to the extractor body, such that volatilized terpenes travel from the extraction body to the cold trap to condense/freeze; a circulating fluid chiller operatively attached to the cold trap; a heated fluid circulator operatively attached to the dimple jacket; a vacuum operatively attached to the extractor body, such that the vacuum is capable of reducing pressure within the extractor body; and a heat exchanger operatively attached to the heated and chilled fluid circulators and the extractor body.

A system for vacuum distilling terpenes from plant material, such as from cannabis, may include an extractor having an extractor body with a lower discharge manway, a top loading manway, an interior chamber with an agitator rotatable mounted within the interior chamber, and a dimple jacket encircling at least a portion of an exterior of the extractor body; a cold trap operatively attached to the extractor body, such that volatilized terpenes travel from the extraction body to the cold trap to condense/freeze; a circulating fluid chiller operatively attached to the cold trap; a heated fluid circulator operatively attached to the dimple jacket; a vacuum operatively attached to the extractor body, such that the vacuum is capable of reducing pressure within the extractor body; and a heat exchanger operatively attached to the heated and chilled fluid circulators and the extractor body.

An extruder screw for a multi-screw extruder for plastics extrusion includes: a feeding and metering zone for melting and homogenizing the plastic and an evacuating zone for carrying away gaseous constituents and a compressing and/or discharging zone; a multi-screw section, which has a plurality of planetary screws, which lie open on the outer circumference of the extruder screw, at least over part of their length; and a driving zone, in which the planetary screws engage by way of a toothing in an external toothing on a central shaft or in an internal toothing in a stator ring or in the inner wall of an extruder bore of the multi-screw extruder. The feeding and metering zone extends into the multi-screw section, wherein the respective part of the planetary screws that is lying in the metering zone is at least partially enclosed.