Patent ID: 7926750
Filing Date: 2011-04-19
Classification: B02C

Abstract:
1. A compactor feeder for feeding relatively low-density biomass materials into a grinding device, comprising: a hopper within which a biomass feed is contained; a feeder connected to said hopper having a first inlet and a charging end, wherein said biomass feed is conveyed from said hopper to said charging end; a compactor having a tapered conical-shaped interior sidewall with an interior top and bottom, said top having an opening into which said feeder charging end communicates for receiving the charge of said feeder, said compactor further including a screw compactor member that has at least one flight that generally conforms to said interior sidewall, such that said screw compactor member has a first wide radial diameter at said top decreasing to a reduced diameter relative to said first diameter at said bottom, said bottom further having a discharge opening in communication with a grinding device; a controller for controlling the rate of said feeder at said charging end into said compactor; and a grinding device in communication with said discharge opening; whereby, in the operation of said apparatus, said biomass feed is forced from said charging end of said feeder into said compactor at a rate so as to substantially fill said compactor at said top and said compactor member takes said biomass feed and compacts it to an increased density relative to a density at said top before discharge to said grinding device; and the controller further controls drives for said feeder, compactor and grinding device, and coordinates said drives so as to yield said increased density so that said compactor is driven at a rate such that said discharge into said grinding device substantially fills said grinding device to a design capacity of said grinding device.