Patent ID: 7108767

Claim:
An apparatus, for pyrolytic processing of biomass material into useful byproducts, which comprises: an enclosure; a pair of axially parallel, rotating rollers in said enclosure, said rollers being narrowly spaced-apart to grab and crunch said biomass material fed therebetween; means for rotating said rollers; means for heating said rollers to an incinerating temperature; means for feeding said biomass material between said rollers; and, means for extracting said byproducts from said enclosure; wherein said means for heating comprise means for circulating a continuous flow of highly heated fluid within said rollers; and, wherein said means for circulating comprise: each of said rollers having a circumferential wall made of heat-conducting material, and having inner and outer circumferential surfaces; a body coaxially mounted within said roller in close proximity to said circumferential wall, said body having a plurality of peripheral outlets and at least one intake port; and means for passing said highly-heated fluid through said intake port and out said outlets against said inner circumferential surface.