Energy conserving method and apparatus for pelleting particulate animal feed

Claim 1

In an animal feed pelleting mill including a feed pellet producing apparatus, a steam jacketed mixer/conditioner including means for feeding milled animal feed through same to said pellet producing apparatus and means for mixing the animal feed as it is fed through the mixer/conditioner, means for supplying steam to the mixer/conditioner for heating the animal feed as it is fed therethrough, and means for supplying moisture to the feed being fed through the mixer/conditioner, the improvement wherein: said steam supplying means comprises a steam system including a source of steam, supply conduiting for communicating live steam from said source to said mixer/conditioner, and return conduiting for returning condensation to the source of steam, said system including means for isolating the feed from the steam and condensation of said system, said system being in closed circuit relation for returning to the heat source the condensate created by the supplying of the steam to the mixer/conditioner, said moisture supplying means comprising: a source of water under pressure, a heat exchanger including a vessel having an inlet and an outlet, with said vessel defining a water heating chamber, and a steam receiver in heat exchange relation with said vessel having an inlet and an outlet and that is free of fluid communication with said vessel chamber, infeed water conduiting communicating between said source of water and said vessel inlet, outfeed water conduiting communicating between said vessel inlet and said mixer/conditioner including means for inserting water into the feed being fed through the mixer/conditioner, said vessel and said water conduiting forming a continuous flow water supply system and including flow control means for setting water flow therethrough at a predetermined rate, said heat exchanger including steam infeed conduiting communicating live steam from said steam source and return conduiting for returning condensation in said heat exchanger to said steam source, said heat exchanger steam infeed and condensate return conduiting and said receiver being in closed circuit relation for returning to the heat source the condensate created by the supplying of the steam to said heat exchanger receiver, means for controlling the supply of steam through said steam system from said steam source to the mixer/conditioner to heat the feed being fed by the mixer/conditioner to the pellet producing apparatus to a predetermined temperature level above the temperature of the feed entering the mixer/conditioner, and means for controlling the supply of steam to said heat exchanger receiver to heat the water passing from said heat exchanger vessel outlet to a predetermined temperature level free of boiling.