초록 ▼

A grain treatment system incorporating a steam vessel and centrally disposed, grain diverting steam sparger unit for facilitating the flow of homogeneous plugs of grain therearound. The system incorporates a discharge unit having garner valves and/or flow restrictors for facilitating the anti-coring

A grain treatment system incorporating a steam vessel and centrally disposed, grain diverting steam sparger unit for facilitating the flow of homogeneous plugs of grain therearound. The system incorporates a discharge unit having garner valves and/or flow restrictors for facilitating the anti-coring grain flow through the steam vessel with side and corner draw-off therein and the even percolation of steam upwardly therethrough for uniformly heating and moisturizing the grain. A vapor generator is used for providing a heating medium comprising a mixture of condensible and non-condensible gases introduced into the grain through the centrally disposed steam sparger. In this manner, homogeneous plugs of grain are uniformly passed through and discharged from the grain treatment system permitting controlled heating and moisturizing of grain and substantially eliminating problems of coring, grain clingage, static sludge build-up and associated grain treatment problems prevalent in many prior art systems.

대표청구항 ▼

An improved grain treatment system for selectively conditioning substantially homogeneous plugs of grain with a conditioning medium comprising: a substantially vertically disposed vessel having an upper and lower end, said vessel having an inlet in said upper end and an outlet in said lower end such

An improved grain treatment system for selectively conditioning substantially homogeneous plugs of grain with a conditioning medium comprising: a substantially vertically disposed vessel having an upper and lower end, said vessel having an inlet in said upper end and an outlet in said lower end such that said grain can be passed therethrough; means for controlling the flow of grain within said vessel, said flow control means causing said grain to flow within said vessel in substantially homogeneous plugs; and means for injecting said conditioning medium into said vessel for contact with said substantially homogeneous plugs of grain to produce substantially homogeneous plugs of conditioned grain; said flow control means including first and second flow valves and means for sequentially opening and closing said first and second flow valves; wherein the sequential opening and closing of said first and second flow valves cause said grain in said vessel to flow in substantially homogeneous plugs.