Electrostatic separation of chaff from grain
US6225587A · kind A · utility
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 27, 1997 |
| Grant date | May 1, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 27, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB03C7/08
- WIPO fieldChemical engineering
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A method and device for the electrostatic separation of chaff from grain. An nonconductive continuous belt moves a mixture of grain and chaff past an ionizing electrode, which imparts an electrical charge to the grain particles and the particles of chaff within the mixture. A grounded electrically conductive rotating drum spaced apart from the end of the continuous belt toward which the mixture of chaff and grain is transported so that the charged particles will be acted upon both by the force of gravity and the electrical field between the particles and the grounded drum with the result that the grain particles, having a greater ratio of mass density to electrical charge than do the particles of chaff will be influenced principally by gravity and caused to fall toward the ground while the particles of chaff will be influenced primarily by the electrostatic field and attracted to the drum, the rotation of which drum will move the attracted particles of chaff up and over the ground drum to the side of the grounded drum that is away from the continuous belt where a scraper assures that virtually all of the chaff is removed from the grounded drum.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.