Hydraulic feeder system having compression stage with multi-cylinder hydraulic circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016207273-A1
Application number	US-201615086353-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 31, 2016
Priority date	Apr 8, 2013
Publication date	Jul 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A feeder system for advancing a compressible material has a hydraulic circuit associated with a final compression stage. The hydraulic circuit includes a platen attached to a primary ram configured to travel within a primary cylinder. The platen is operatively connected to a main piston cylinder assembly and at least two ancillary piston cylinder assemblies. In a first mode of operation, the hydraulic circuit forces the ancillary piston cylinder assemblies to advance the platen and ram in a forward compression direction until they reach a first predetermined position between travel extremes, while the main piston cylinder assembly passively travels along in the forward compression direction. Once the first predetermined position is reached, in a second mode of operation, the hydraulic circuit additionally forces the main piston cylinder assembly to compress the compressible material. In a third mode of operation, the hydraulic circuit retracts the platen and primary ram.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A hydraulic feeder system for advancing a compressible material, comprising:
a controller; a primary hydraulic fluid source; a multi-cylinder assembly comprising:
at least one ancillary piston cylinder assembly having an ancillary hydraulic cylinder with an ancillary piston connected to an ancillary piston rod, said ancillary piston dividing the ancillary hydraulic cylinder into an ancillary front cylinder space having an ancillary front connection port, and an ancillary rear cylinder space having an ancillary rear connection port;
a main piston cylinder assembly having a primary hydraulic cylinder with a primary piston connected to a primary piston rod, said primary piston dividing the primary hydraulic cylinder into a primary front cylinder space, and a primary rear cylinder space having a primary rear connection port; and
a primary piston ram operatively connected to the primary piston rod and configured to travel in a reciprocating manner inside a primary cylinder; and
a feedstock inlet connected to the primary cylinder;
wherein:
the ancillary piston has a smaller surface area than the primary piston;
the ancillary piston cylinder assembly is operatively coupled to the main piston cylinder assembly such that the ancillary piston and the primary piston move together; and
the controller is configured to selectively operate the system in a plurality of modes of operation, the modes of operation including at least:
a first mode of operation in which hydraulic fluid is introduced under pressure from the primary hydraulic fluid source into the ancillary rear cylinder space via the ancillary rear connection port but not into the primary rear cylinder space via the primary rear connection port, thereby causing the ancillary piston to travel in a forward compression direction, while the primary piston passively travels in the same forward compression direction;
a second mode of operation in which hydraulic fluid is introduced under pressure from the primary hydraulic fluid source into both the ancillary rear cylinder space via the ancillary rear connection port and the primary rear cylinder space via the primary rear connection port, thereby causing both the ancillary and primary pistons to simultaneously travel in the same forward compression direction; and
a third mode of operation in which hydraulic fluid is introduced under pressure from the primary hydraulic fluid source into the ancillary front cylinder space, thereby causing the ancillary piston to travel in a rearward non-compression direction, while the primary piston passively travels in the same rearward non-compression direction.

2 . The hydraulic feeder system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second piston cylinder assembly having a second hydraulic cylinder with a second piston having a second piston rod connected to a second piston ram, the second piston ram configured to travel in a reciprocating manner inside a second cylinder which connects to the primary cylinder at a branch opening; wherein:
the feedstock inlet is connected to the primary cylinder via the second cylinder.

3 . The hydraulic feeder system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a plug disintegrator assembly configured to break up a plug of compressed feedstock formed in the primary piston.

4 . The hydraulic feeder system according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a feed screw assembly positioned to receive broken-up compressed feedstock from the plug disintegrator assembly and transfer the broken-up compressed feedstock in a direction away from the plug disintegrator assembly for further processing.

5 . The hydraulic feeder system according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a thermochemical reactor connected to the feed screw assembly; wherein: the feed screw assembly is configured to transfer said broken-up portions of compressed feedstock into the thermochemical reactor.

6 . The hydraulic feeder system according to claim 5 , wherein:
the thermochemical reactor is a fluidized bed reactor, which is pressurized; and compressed feedstock within the primary cylinder forms a pressure seal between the thermochemical reactor and the feedstock inlet.

7 . The hydraulic feeder system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a surge tank selectively in fluid communication with at least the primary rear connection port of the main piston cylinder assembly; wherein: in the first mode of operation, the surge tank is in fluid communication with the primary rear connection port, to permit the primary piston to passively travel in the forward compression direction; in the second mode of operation, the surge tank is not in fluid communication with the primary rear connection port; and in the third mode of operation, the surge tank is in fluid communication with the primary rear connection port, to permit the primary piston to passively travel in the rearward non-compression direction.

8 . The hydraulic feeder system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the ancillary piston rod and the primary piston rod are parallel to one another.

9 . The hydraulic feeder system according to claim 10 , wherein:
the ancillary piston rod and the primary piston rod are non-coaxial and connected by a common platen to the primary piston ram.

10 . The hydraulic feeder system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor ( 193 ) configured to output a signal reflective of a position of the primary piston ( 202 ); wherein: the controller ( 500 ) is configured to receive the signal from the sensor ( 193 ) and, in response thereto, cause the system to transition between modes of operation.

11 . The hydraulic feeder system according to claim 10 , wherein:
the controller is configured to transition the system from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation, when the signal indicates that the primary piston has reached a first predetermined position which is between its travel extremes.

12 . The hydraulic feeder system according to claim 10 , wherein:
the sensor comprises a linear transducer having a first end attached to a fixed portion of one of the ancillary and main piston cylinder assemblies and a second end attached to a movable portion of one of the ancillary and main piston cylinder assemblies.

13 . The hydraulic feeder system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the multi-cylinder assembly comprises identical first and second ancillary piston cylinder assemblies which move together in all three modes of operation; and the first and second ancillary piston cylinder assemblies are connected in parallel with the primary hydraulic fluid source.

14 . The hydraulic feeder system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the multi-cylinder assembly comprises identical first and second ancillary piston cylinder assemblies which move together in all three modes of operation; and the first and second ancillary piston cylinder assemblies are connected in series with the primary hydraulic fluid source.

15 . A method of compressing a feedstock in a hydraulic feeder system, the hydraulic feeder system comprising:
a multi-cylinder assembly including an ancillary piston cylinder assembly having an ancillary piston and a main piston cylinder assembly having a primary piston operatively connected to a primary ram occupying a primary cylinder, wherein the ancillary piston has a smaller cross-sectional area than the primary piston and the ancillary and primary pistons are connected so that they move together; and a feedstock inlet connected to the primary cylinder; the method comprising: introducing feedstock

Assignees

• Thermochem Recovery Int Inc

Inventors

• Markovich Milan John
• Newport David G
• Whitney Hamilton Sean Michael

Classifications

• B30B15/22

  controlling the degree of pressure applied by the ram during the pressing stroke · CPC title

• B30B9/3057 Primary

  Fluid-driven presses · CPC title

• B30B15/16

  Control arrangements for fluid-driven presses (pumps per se F04; hydraulic accumulators per se F15B; valves per se F16K; control devices in general G05) · CPC title