Self-cleaning centrifugal pellet dryer and method thereof

1. A self-cleaning centrifugal pellet dryer for removing surface moisture from pelletized product in the form of a slurry of pellets and water comprising a housing, a cylindrical screen mounted within said housing in spaced relation to the housing, a pellet lifting rotor positioned within said screen, a motor drivingly connected to said rotor, a slurry inlet communicating with an interior of said screen, a dried pellet outlet communicating with the interior of said screen, and a fluid pressure nozzle assembly positioned interiorly of said housing and externally of said screen for discharging pressurized fluid toward said screen and housing for cleaning pellets from said screen and housing.

2. The dryer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said spray nozzles are spaced circumferentially around the screen and in radially spaced relation to the interior of the housing and the exterior of said screen for cleaning the external surface of the screen and the internal surface of said housing.

3. The dryer as claimed in claim 2 , wherein said spray nozzles are positioned in staggered vertical position in relation to said screen and housing to clean all surfaces of the screen and housing.

4. The dryer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said rotor includes a hollow shaft positioned in an elongated vertical hollow body, said hollow shaft including a rotary connection to a source of pressurized air, said hollow shaft including air passages communicating the hollow shaft with the interior of the hollow body of the rotor, said rotor including a bottom having apertures therein for discharging pressurized air into a lower section of said housing for dislodging pellets from said lower section of said housing.

5. The dryer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said slurry inlet is positioned at a lower end of said housing, said dried pellet outlet is positioned at an upper end of said housing, and said motor is mounted on said upper end of said housing.

6. The dryer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an agglomerate catcher is positioned in advance of said slurry inlet for removing pellet agglomerates from said slurry before entering said slurry inlet.

7. The dryer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a pellet dewaterer is positioned in advance of said slurry inlet to remove bulk water from said pellet and water slurry before said pellets enter said slurry inlet.

8. The dryer as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said dried pellet outlet includes a discharge chute and a diverter valve in said chute to enable the discharge of dried pellets to selected discharge openings.

9. The dryer as claimed in claim 6 , further comprising a cleaning spray nozzle associated with said agglomerate catcher for directing pressurized fluid against an agglomerate screen to clean agglomerates from said screen for discharge from said agglomerate catcher.

10. The dryer as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising a cleaning spray nozzle associated with said discharge chute for directing high pressure fluid to dislodge pellets from said diverter valve and to clean said dried pellet outlet and said upper end of said housing and rotor.

11. The dryer as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an underwater pelletizer and a slurry pipe circuit associated with said dryer, including a water box bypass pipe provided with a high pressure for injecting air into said bypass pipe to clean said bypass pipe and related valves and cause a high pressure water surge into said dryer for cleaning purposes.

12. A method of self-cleaning a centrifugal pellet dryer having a housing a cylindrical screen mounted within said housing in spaced relation to the housing, a pellet-lifting rotor positioned within said screen, a motor drivingly connected to said rotor, a slurry inlet communicating with an interior of said screen, and a dried pellet outlet communicating with the interior of said screen, in which dried pellets become lodged in hang-up points in said dryer, which comprises directing high pressure fluids in a timed sequence from spray nozzles selectively positioned inside said dryer toward said hang-up points while continuing to drive said rotor during a cleaning cycle.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said high pressure fluids includes water flowing at a rate between about 80 gpm and about 100 gpm.

14. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said high pressure fluids includes air at a pressure of at least 60 psi.

15. The dryer as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said pressurized air is continuously discharged into said housing lower section while said dryer is in operation.

16. A self-cleaning centrifugal pellet dryer for removing surface moisture from pellets exiting an underwater pelletizer which comprises a housing, a cylindrical screen mounted within said housing in spaced relation to the housing, a generally hollow pellet lifting rotor positioned within said screen, a motor drivingly connected to said rotor, a slurry inlet communicating with an interior of said screen, a dried pellet outlet communicating with the interior of said screen, a liquid pressure nozzle assembly positioned interiorly of said housing and externally of said screen for discharging pressurized liquid toward said screen and housing for cleaning pellets from said screen and housing, and said rotor having apertures therein for discharging pressurized air at least into a lower section of said housing for dislodging pellets from said lower section of said housing.

17. The dryer as claimed in claim 16 , wherein said pressurized liquid is discharged from said pressure nozzle assembly at a rate of at least about 40 gpm, and said pressurized air is discharged from said hollow rotor at a pressure of at least about 60 psi.

18. The dryer as claimed in claim 16 , wherein said dried pellet outlet includes a discharge chute and a diverter valve in said chute to enable the discharge of dried pellets to selected discharge openings and a cleaning spray nozzle associated with said discharge chute for directing high pressure fluid to dislodge pellets from said diverter valve.

19. The dryer as claimed in claim 18 , wherein said high pressure fluid also cleans said dried pellet outlet and an upper end of said housing and rotor.

20. The dryer as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising an agglomerate catcher positioned in advance of said slurry inlet for removing pellet agglomerate from said slurry before entering said slurry inlet and a cleaning spray nozzle associated with said agglomerate catcher for directing pressurized fluid against an agglomerate screen to clean agglomerates from said screen for discharge from said agglomerate catcher.