Piston Extruder Oil Extraction With Simultaneous Feed Densification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for oil extraction and densification of distillers' dried grain and other oil seeds face inefficiencies such as high energy consumption, heat generation, and limited bulk density, leading to reduced oil yield and increased operational costs.
Innovation Solution
An extruder device with a piston pump section and liquid extraction system that operates at lower pressures and longer residence times, allowing simultaneous densification and oil extraction, achieving bulk densities of 55-80 lbs/ft³ and reducing energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If expeller pressing is used to extract oil, then oil extraction is achieved, but significant energy is consumed and heat is generated preventing material from sticking together
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operating parameters from high pressure/short time (expeller) to lower pressure/longer residence time (piston extruder), allowing oil extraction without excessive heat generation. The piston mechanism applies pressure in a controlled manner that maintains material temperature below the threshold where lignin becomes too viscous to bind particles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the continuous mechanical shearing action of expellers with a reciprocating piston system that applies pressure through a fluid medium. This substitution eliminates the continuous high-shear mechanical action that generates excessive heat, while still achieving the necessary pressure for oil extraction.
2Quantity of substance
If screw extruders are used to extract oil, then oil extraction is achieved, but significant heat is generated requiring cooling that decreases oil extraction efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature profile by using lower pressure application over longer time, avoiding the adiabatic heating that occurs in screw extruders. The reciprocating piston allows heat dissipation during the return stroke, maintaining material temperature in the optimal range for oil extraction without requiring active cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston extruder uses periodic reciprocating motion instead of continuous rotation. During the pressure application phase, oil is extracted; during the return phase, the material can cool slightly and the system can maintain lower average temperatures, eliminating the need for continuous cooling that would otherwise be required.
3Volume of moving object
If pellet mills are used to densify material, then densification is achieved via pelleting, but air voids remain between pellets decreasing bulk density
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the densification function with the oil extraction function into a single piston extruder operation. The same pressure application that extracts oil also densifies the material by forcing particles into close contact, eliminating the need for separate pelleting equipment and achieving higher bulk density without air voids between discrete pellets.
Solution Approach 2:
The piston extruder performs multiple functions simultaneously: oil extraction, material densification, and particle bonding. This multi-functionality replaces the need for separate pellet mills and oil extractors, achieving both high bulk density and oil recovery in a single operation.
4Volume of moving object
If briquetting machines are used to compress biomass, then high caloric fuel briquettes are produced, but material is not reformed after compression and oil is not extracted
Solution Approach 1:
The piston extruder is designed to perform multiple functions: it compresses material to high bulk density, extracts oil from the compressed material, and reforms the material into cohesive products. This versatility replaces the limited functionality of traditional briquetting machines that only compress without extraction or reformation capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies pressure in a controlled sequence: first compressing the material to remove air voids and increase density, then maintaining pressure while extracting oil, and finally allowing the material to reform under controlled conditions. This preliminary compression followed by extraction and reformation achieves superior product quality compared to single-step briquetting.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The extruder device enhances oil extraction yield and achieves higher bulk densities, facilitating cost-effective palletization and reduced shipping and storage costs for animal feed products.
Implementation Method 1
The piston pump section may include a housing assembly and a piston. The housing assembly may include a chamber disposed therein. The driving mechanism drives the piston at least partially through the chamber to drive a fibrous mixture between the top planar structure and the bottom planar structure.
Implementation Method 2
Responsive to traversing the fibrous mixture through the liquid extraction section, liquid from the fibrous mixture is extracted between adjacent rods in the plurality of rods of the bottom planar structure.
Data Source
AI summary
Various examples of a system for generating a densified product are provided. The system may include an extruder device and a liquid extraction section. The liquid extraction section may receive a material from the extruder device for densification and may then retain solids while permitting extraction of liquids as the material passes through the liquid extraction section under pressure. In various instances, a series of rods forms at least a portion of the liquid extraction section and operates to retain the material on one side of the rods while permitting liquid to pass between the rods to another side of the rods.