Piston Extrusion Oil Extraction for Uniform Feed Densification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for oil extraction from raw materials, such as expeller pressing, screw extruders, and pellet mills, face issues with high energy consumption, heat generation, and inability to achieve uniform densification and oil extraction simultaneously, leading to reduced oil yield and suboptimal bulk density.
Innovation Solution
An extruder device with a piston pump section and liquid extraction system that operates at lower pressures with longer residence times, allowing for simultaneous densification and oil extraction of fibrous mixtures, including a housing assembly with movable rods and a driving mechanism to compress and extract liquid, achieving densities between 55-75 lbs/ft³ (881-1201 kg/m³) and forming stable macro-solid structures.
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 uniform densification
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operating parameters from high pressure/short time (expeller pressing) to lower pressure/longer residence time (piston extrusion), enabling both oil extraction and uniform densification without excessive energy consumption or heat generation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the continuous mechanical shearing action of expeller presses with a piston-based extrusion system that applies pressure in a controlled manner, reducing unnecessary mechanical energy consumption while achieving the same oil extraction function
2Quantity of substance
If screw extruders are used to extract oil, then oil extraction is achieved, but significant heat is generated preventing material from sticking together uniformly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful shearing action from the oil extraction process, using only compression and forcing through a screen without the continuous mechanical work that generates excessive heat in screw extruders
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the temperature parameter by eliminating the heat-generating shearing mechanism, maintaining lower temperatures that allow material to stick together uniformly while still achieving oil extraction through the screen
3Shape
If cooling is applied after extrusion to enable material to stick together, then uniform shape is achieved, but oil and lignin viscosity increases trapping potential oil
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the sticking together action during the extrusion process itself rather than as a subsequent cooling step, forming uniform shapes while the material is still warm and oil is not yet trapped by increased viscosity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the shape-forming function with the oil extraction function into a single simultaneous process, where the screen forces material into uniform shapes while oil is extracted through the same screen, eliminating the need for separate cooling steps
4Volume of stationary object
If pellet mills are used for densification, then densification is achieved, but air voids remain between pellets decreasing bulk density
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a continuous densified mass rather than discrete pellets, copying the beneficial compression of pellet mills but eliminating the harmful air voids between individual pellets by forming a unified structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure where the densified material forms a continuous matrix without internal voids, combining the compression benefits of pellet mills with the space efficiency of a unified mass structure
5Force
If traditional briquetting machines are used, then compression is achieved, but material is not reformed after compression and oil is not extracted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a single device that performs three functions simultaneously: compression (like briquetting machines), oil extraction (like expeller presses), and reforming (like extruders), making the system universally capable of multiple operations that were previously required separate machines
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, reducing energy consumption and maintenance costs while enabling efficient production of densified animal feed products suitable for palletized shipping, thereby decreasing transportation and storage costs.
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 may be configured to drive the piston, directly or indirectly, at least partially through the chamber to drive a fibrous mixture
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 features 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 to another side of the features.