초록 ▼

Apparatus for agglomerating and drying particulate material, including an agglomerator (4) for forming and discharging wet granules of a predetermined size or smaller, and a dryer (12). The agglomerator utilizes a rotary blade assembly (100) that repeatedly impacts and cuts the wet mixture of materi

Apparatus for agglomerating and drying particulate material, including an agglomerator (4) for forming and discharging wet granules of a predetermined size or smaller, and a dryer (12). The agglomerator utilizes a rotary blade assembly (100) that repeatedly impacts and cuts the wet mixture of material to be agglomerated, which is forced radially outward through the blade assembly under centrifugal and air pressure force. Wet granules pass through an annular screen (104) where they reach a predetermined maximum size. The dryer has an inlet (50) for wet granules from the agglomerator, an outlet (78) for granules having passed through the dryer, and one or more baffles (64) within the dryer defining a spiral path through which the granules pass from the dryer inlet towards the dryer outlet. The baffles are configured such that their pitch increases with distance from the dryer inlet, whereby the cross-sectional area of the spiral path increases toward the dryer outlet.

대표청구항 ▼

[ The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:] [1.] An apparatus for drying particulate material, the apparatus comprising:(a) a drying chamber having an inlet for particulate material conveyed in a fluidized stream, and an outlet f

[ The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:] [1.] An apparatus for drying particulate material, the apparatus comprising:(a) a drying chamber having an inlet for particulate material conveyed in a fluidized stream, and an outlet for the particulate material having passed through the drying chamber; and(b) a baffle fixed within the drying chamber defining a spiral flow path for the fluidized stream of particulate material from the inlet towards the outlet, the spiral flow path having a cross-sectional area increasing in size with distance from the inlet. [18.] An apparatus for drying granular material, the apparatus comprising:an elongate drying tower having an outer wall having a top portion and a bottom portion;a material inlet in the top portion of the drying tower for a fluidized stream of granules including the granules and a carrier gas;the bottom portion of the drying tower defining a collection chamber for the granules and having an outlet for discharging the granules from the collection chamber;a central, tubular gas exhaust duct extending within the drying tower to convey the carrier gas from the collection chamber to a gas exhaust in the top portion of the drying tower;a pump coupled to one of the inlet or outlet for inducing a differential pressure therebetween; anda continuous guide strip extending in a spiral between the drying tower outer wall and the central exhaust duct along a length of the top portion of the drying tower, to define a spiral path for conveying the fluidized stream of granules from the material inlet to the collection chamber, the pitch of the spiral increasing from the material inlet to an outlet of the spiral path from which the granules are discharged into the collection chamber. A method of drying agglomerated powder and liquid comprising conveying the particulate material in a fluidized stream in a flow direction through an enclosed path towards an outlet end of the path, the path increasing in cross-sectional area in the flow direction. [30.] A method of preparing granules, the method comprising, in sequence, the steps of:mixing particulate material and a liquid to form a mixture;feeding the mixture into the center of a rotary blade assembly;inducing the wet mixture to flow radially outward through the rotary blade assembly, whereby the rotary blades cut the mixture into granules; andscreening the cut granules through an annular screen coaxially surrounding the rotary blade assembly.