Solid material comminution or disintegration – Processes – By utilizing kinetic energy of projected or suspended material
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-06
2002-05-28
Ostrager, Allen (Department: 3725)
Solid material comminution or disintegration
Processes
By utilizing kinetic energy of projected or suspended material
C241S016000, C241S019000, C241S039000, C241S079100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06394371
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method and apparatus for comminuting and drying material utilizing a closed-loop cyclonic system including a cyclonic comminution chamber, and further incorporating heated or dried air for desiccation of the material, as well as reducing the air pressure of the system to provide enhanced drying of the material. The present invention further contemplates to a cyclonic mill system configured to fiberize and dewater cellulose and other materials in a highly efficient and cost effective manner.
The present system employs indirect heat drying and fiberizing for the continuous drying and processing of moist cellulose (i.e., paper) material by cyclonically agitating same in a hot air flow via a specially designed cyclonic mill, which is configured to effectively dewater and decimate wet cellulose material from a variety of sources for form fiberized cellulose material suitable for thermal insulation. The present system contemplates a closed air cycle, recycling the heated air flow for energy conservation, while removing moisture and dust from same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Although the cyclonic mill has been known and utilized in a variety of applications over the years, none of the prior art references found taught or suggested the system of the present invention. Further, prior art processes for the manufacture of cellulose insulation have proven to be highly energy intensive, dusty, and overall inefficient in practice.
Patents which may have some relevance to the general operative characteristics of cyclonic mills and the like may include:
Patent Number
Inventor(s)
Date of Issue
1575717
Plauson
03/09/1926
1830174
Peebles
11/03/1931
3255793
Clute
06/14/1966
3800429
Lindl
04/02/1974
3937405
Stephanoff
02/10/1976
4187615
Iwata
02/12/1980
4236321
Palmonari et al
12/02/1980
4390131
Pickrel
06/28/1983
4391411
Colbum
07/05/1983
4756093
Heinemann et al
07/12/1988
4892261
Rolle
01/09/1990
5074476
Mund
12/24/1991
5096744
Takei et al
03/17/1992
5421524
Haddow
06/06/1995
5598979
Rowley, Jr.
02/04/1997
The above patents can be categorized as 1) vacuum cominutors; 2) cyclonic dryers utilizing heated or dried air; 3) cyclonic material treatment processes; and 4) general interest patents on cyclone systems and related technologies.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,575,717, 4,892,261, 4,391,411, 3,255,793 and 5,421,524 contemplate the utilization of a possible vacuum in cyclonic systems for enhanced disintegration.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,236,321, 3,800,429, 1,830,174, 5,096,744, 4,756,093, 5,598,979 contemplate cyclonic dryers utilizing possibly heated or dried air. Note that '979 further discusses the implementation of an “airlock” to further processing of the material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,476, entitled “Method of manufacturing Fiber Material Containing Lignocellulose for the Production of Fiber boards”, contemplates a cyclonic material treatment process which may have some pertinence to the present cellulose treatment. U.S. Pat. No. 4,187,615 is cited as of interest in that it incorporates a corona field in the treatment stream, which may be of use in the future for your system in some applications. U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,405 is of general pertinence teaching a cyclonic system for finely grinding powder.
The remaining patents above are cited for general information purposes, teaching cyclonic systems and related technologies.
Production of cellulose insulation products is not new, and is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,175 to Shutt and U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,414 to Shutt and U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,301 to Shutt, which are further mentioned herein for reference.
In the prior art processes involving all-liquid fire retardant and drying chamber systems, which are entirely free of any fire retardants in a powder (dry) form, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,534,301 to Shutt. A supply of cellulose “paper” (preferably “grade 8” newspaper) is selected. The paper materials (i.e., recycled newspaper) are loaded into one or more conventional shredding and/or grinding systems to produce pieces of paper having a average width of about 2-6 in. and an average length of about 2-6 in. These numerical values are preferred for use in the claimed process.
The pieces of paper are transferred into a conventional spraying apparatus in which a liquid fire retardant is applied to the paper. As a result, fire retardant soaked paper product is generated. The product is then transferred into air that is heated to a temperature of about 300-350 deg. F at a flow rate of 2500-3500 feet/minute designed to simultaneously move paper product within chambers controlled with baffles to delay the paper product in the chambers to sustain a level of air flow or contact time with the paper product. The dried paper material is further processed to achieve additional size reduction. Size reduction is accomplished using one or more hammer mills or fiberizer systems known in the art for this product. The completed insulation product is then packaged and sold.
Another concept in drying of moist product is represented in U.S. Pat No. 3,592,395 to R. M. Lockwood wherein a fluidized bed dryer is provided to stir and dehydrate the product by motion of air through the product and in conjunction with a rotary agitator to stir the product.
Another drying apparatus for this type of material is shown in U.S. Pat No. 4,070,765 to S. Hovmand et al wherein a pneumatic conveyor dryer is used in the drying. This apparatus also includes recycling a portion of the dried material.
The deficiencies in the prior art equipment and processes involving drying cellulose insulation product lie in the need for continuous drying and the dust removal aspect “not making more dust”. While the above noted processes could possibly be used to dry cellulose insulation product, they would be inefficient in that, after drying the fire retardant soaked paper product, the dry paper material would have to be further processed to achieve an approved level of smolder resistance, radiant panel, settle density, blown density, dust level and R-value.
In the prior art processes involving dry powder fire retardant system, a supply of cellulose “paper” (preferably “grade 8” newspaper) is selected. The paper materials (i.e. recycled newspaper) are then loaded into one or more conventional mechanical devices such as hammer mill systems known in the art to produce a pulverized product that is then sent to a fiberizer to produce a finely divided cellulose insulation product which maybe blended with a dry powder fire retardant to produce the completed product. The completed insulation product is then packaged and sold.
The deficiencies in the prior art equipment and processes using a dry powder fire retardant system are (a) the paper materials selected have to be dry and of a good quality and thereby expensive and selective (i.e., recycled newspaper preferably “grade 8” newspaper); these types of processes are sensitive to moisture; (b) they require the use of expensive, energy intensive additional devices such as hammer mill systems; (c) they further require the use of a fiberizer to produce a finely divided cellulose insulation product to add the selected dry powder fire retardant; (d) the need to use large amounts of dry fire retardants due to production with powder-type systems; e) Increase cost associated with the need to use large amounts of powder chemicals; (f) high amount of dust associated with dry powder systems.
This type of multi-stage size reduction by grinding or other conventional means requires high energy consumption and equipment which requires high maintenance and excessive down time.
GENERAL SUMMARY DISCUSSION OF THE INVENTION
Unlike the prior art, the present invention contemplates a relatively easily implemented, energy efficient and cost effective indirect heat drying and fiberizing system for the continuous drying of moist cellulose (i.e., paper) material by cyclonic agitation in a hot air flow, utilizing hot air being recycled with moisture and dust removed from the recycled air, providing substantially dry cellulose insulation without fur
Hong William
Joseph T Regard Ltd
Ostrager Allen
Superior Technologies LLC
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