Rotary solids processing apparatus and method

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING PARTICULATE SOLID MATERIAL COMPRISING: (A) A SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED ELONGATED CYLINDRICAL HOUSING, (B) A ROTOR ASSEMBLY WITHIN SAID HOUSING JOURNALED FOR ROTATION ABOUT A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH SAID HOUSING SUBSTANTIALLY COAXIAL THEREWITH, (C) A MATERIAL FEED INLET AT ONE END OF SAID HOUSING AND A MATERIAL DISCHARGE AT THE OTHER END THEREOF, AND A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIMPEDED LONGITUDINAL PASSAGE THROUGH THE HOUSING CONNECTING THE INLET AND DISCHARGE, (D) HIGH SPEED MOTOR DRIVE MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID ROTOR ASSEMBLY FOR ROTATING SAID ROTOR ABOVE THE CRITICAL SPEED NECESSARY TO OVERCOME THE FORCE OF GRAVITY UPON THE PARTICULATE SOLID MATERIAL SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN A RELATIVELY DEEP ANNULAR RADIALLY STRATIFIED TURBULENT FLUIDIZED BED OF DISPERSED GRADATED PARTICULATE SOLID MATERIAL CIRCULATING IN SAID HOUSING, (E) SAID ROTOR ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A MULTIPLICITY OF RELATIVELY SMALL AND RELATIVELY WIDELY SPACED APART RIGID RADIAL PADDLE BLADES, (F) EACH OF SAID BLADES EXTENDING OUTWARDING FROM A RADIAL ARM AND EACH HAVING ITS OUTER EXTREMITY ADJACENT THE HOUSING WALL SURFACE, AND (G) SAID BLADES BEING PRESENT IN NUMBER BETWEEN ABOUT 1/2 TO 3 FOR EACH SQUARE FOOT OF CYLINDRICAL HOUSING SURFACE.