Patent ID: 8043478

Claim:
A retort heating apparatus for processing feed material, the retort heating apparatus comprising: a heating chamber bounded at least in part by a side wall; a plurality of vertically and horizontally spaced apart baffles at least partially disposed within the heating chamber, each baffle comprising an elongated body having a top surface, at least a portion of the top surface comprising a substantially planar first side face and a substantially planar second side face that are disposed in diverging planes, wherein each of the plurality of baffles has a common maximum width, the plurality of baffles comprising: a first row of baffles each horizontally separated by a first distance, the first distance being substantially equal to or less than the common maximum width; and a second row of baffles each horizontally separated by the first distance, the second row of baffles being vertically separated from the first row by a second distance, each baffle of the second row being disposed substantially midway between corresponding baffles of the first row; and means for heating the feed material within the heating chamber.