Patent ID: 8728802

Claim:
A biomass bearing material treatment pressure and steam containing vessel, comprising: a generally cylindrical rotatable reaction vessel having first and second ends on a rotational axis, said reaction vessel configured for rotation; at least one access opening to an interior of said reaction vessel, and through which biomass bearing material may pass; a concave door for closing said access opening, wherein said concave door has an outer surface defining a cavity; a door sealing system operatively associated with said door for sealing said door to said vessel at said access opening and for maintaining a pressure differential between the interior of said vessel and an exterior thereof wherein at least a portion of said door sealing system is disposed in the cavity of the concave door; and at least one flight of auger vanes on an interior wall of said reaction vessel and extending into the interior of said vessel in a plane, for moving biomass bearing material within said vessel from said first end to said second end of said reaction vessel, and from said second end to said first end of said reaction vessel, said auger vanes having a base edge attached to an interior vessel wall; wherein the door sealing system comprises a first locking rim surrounding said access opening on the reactor vessel; a second locking rim on said door for placement adjacent the first locking rim, a clamp collar and at least one clamp screw coupled to the outer surface of the door by a bearing disposed in the cavity; wherein said clamp collar comprises a first section coupled to a first threaded boss and a second section coupled to second threaded boss, and the at least one clamp screw engaging the bearing and at least one of the first and second threaded bosses for drawing the first and second sections together for sealing said door over the access opening.