KDS Micronex

The KDS Micronex is a patented grinder-dryer which grinds and dries materials in a single-step process without any heat input. It is manufactured by First American Scientific Corp. of Abbotsford, British Columbia .

The KDS (Kinetic Disintegration System) was originally developed by Spectrasonic Disintegration Equipment Corp. and licensed to First American Scientific Corp. from 1995 until 1999. [1]First American Scientific Corp. KDS technology has been awarded in the United States. The North American patents protecting the KDS technology are:

Device and method for comminution – US Patent # 6,024,307 and Canadian Patent # 2,218,429
Cryogenic comminution of rubber – US Patent # 6655167
Method of recovery of precious metal & heavy minerals – US Patent # 6,682,005
Recovery of oil and clay from a biomass – US Patent # 7481385

Grinding and drying characteristics

The KDS Micronex grinds materials that are fed to spinning chains or bars located in a grinding chamber. Tip speeds of 200 m / s create high velocity airflows (4000 cfm ) [2] and produce high velocity impacts when striking the materials being processed. A simultaneous drying event occurs because:

-the repeated striking of the materials against the chains, the baffle plates contained inside the grinding chamber, and against them themselves create kinetic energy which heats the material

-the high velocity impacts moisture strength of the material, and increasing particle size (increasing exposure to evaporating airflow)

-the airflows created by the airflows in the air and in the air

Once the materials reach a pre-determined size, they will pass through an internal classifier. The classifier in the unit controls the particle size between 30-325 Mesh (scale) . [3]

Government-funded research and development

The KDS Micronex has been the subject of funding from municipal, state and federal levels of government, with funding coming from:

United States Department of Energy to determine the optimum design parameters for the machine and predict its performance [4] [5]

Sustainable Development Technology Canada to demonstrate the ability of KDS to reduce water pollution and to reduce the risk of pollution. [6] [7]

United States Department of Agriculture to Research “Integrated Size Reduction and Separation to Pre-Fractionate Biomass” [8] [9]

Waste & Resources Action Program (UK) to derive economic opportunities from paper mill sludge through its recycling into usable materials [10]

City of Prince George, BC to test the ability of the KDS Micronex to depathogenize biosolids for its use as a class “A” fertilizer [11]

Minnesota Department of Agriculture NextGen Energy Board (in addition to funding from Xcel Energy, Inc. ) to research the KDS Micronex to dry various biomass feedstocks for pellet fuel production. [12] [13]

References

  1. Jump up^ “First American Scientific Annual Report Corp.” . Securities & Exchange Commission filing. June 30, 2000.
  2. Jump up^ “Pilot Testing the Micronex ™ System to Produce Class A Biosolids”(PDF) . Dayton & Knight Ltd., John WC Boyle P. Eng. 2007.
  3. Jump up^ “Biomass Products & Technology” . February 2010.
  4. Jump up^ “Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) project: Combined Drying and Grinding of Biomass in One Operation” . United States Department of Energy. 2003.
  5. Jump up^ “Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) project: Combined Drying and Grinding of Biomass in One Operation” (PDF) . United States Department of Energy. 2008.
  6. Jump up^ “Green Energy Systems Alternative Inc. – Thermix / KDS Biomass Combustion System” (PDF) . Sustainable Development Technology Fund – 2008 Annual Report Supplement.
  7. Jump up^ “Recovery and utilization of fiber from recycled papermill sludge” . Center for Biocomposites and Biomaterials Processing, Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto, Canada. 2005.
  8. Jump up^ “Integrated Size Reduction and Separation to Pre-Fractionate Biomass”(PDF) . Annual Report to Congress on the Biomass Research and Development Initiative for FY 2004. Submitted Jointly by The US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Energy. 2005.
  9. Jump up^ “Integrated Size Reduction and Separation to Pre-Fractionate Biomass”(PDF) . University of Tennessee, Al Womac, Ph.D, PE 2005.
  10. Jump up^ “A New Approach to Paper Mill Sludge” (PDF) . Waste & Resources Action Program. 2007.
  11. Jump up^ “Pilot Testing the Micronex ™ System to Produce Class A Biosolids”(PDF) . Dayton & Knight Ltd., John WC Boyle P. Eng. 2007.
  12. Jump up^ “Application of Kinetic Disintegration System to Process Biomass Feedstocks for Pelletization” . Xcel Energy Renewable Development Fund.
  13. Jump up^ “Focusing on Feed and Fuel” . Biomass Magazine. May 2011.