Retort heating apparatus

1. A retort heating apparatus for processing feed material, the retort heating apparatus comprising:

a heating chamber bounded at least in part by a side wall;

a plurality of vertically and horizontally spaced apart baffles at least partially disposed within the heating chamber, each baffle comprising an elongated body having a top surface, at least a portion of the top surface comprising a substantially planar first side face and a substantially planar second side face that are disposed in diverging planes, wherein each of the plurality of baffles has a common maximum width, the plurality of baffles comprising:

a first row of baffles each horizontally separated by a first distance, the first distance being substantially equal to or less than the common maximum width; and

a second row of baffles each horizontally separated by the first distance, the second row of baffles being vertically separated from the first row by a second distance, each baffle of the second row being disposed substantially midway between corresponding baffles of the first row; and

means for heating the feed material within the heating chamber.

2. The retort heating apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the top surface of each body includes an elongated narrow ridge disposed between the first side face and the second side face.

3. The retort heating apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the common maximum width of the baffles is in a range between about 5 cm to about 15 cm.

4. The retort heating apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second distance is in a range between about 5 cm to about 10 cm.

5. The retort heating apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least a portion of the top surface has an inverted substantially V-shape configuration.

6. The retort heating apparatus as recited in claim 5 , wherein the at least a portion of the top surface terminates at an apex, the apex having a radius of curvature less than twice a maximum diameter of the feed material passing through the heating chamber.

7. The retort heating apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first side face and the second side face of each body form an inside angle in a range between about 40° to about 80°.

8. The retort heating apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein each body has a bottom surface, the bottom surface of at least some of the baffles at least partially bounding a corresponding collection channel.

9. The retort heating apparatus as recited in claim 8 , wherein the bottom surface of the at least some of the baffles has an inverted substantially U- or V-shaped transverse cross section that at least partially bounds the collection channel.

10. The retort heating apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of baffles are vertically and horizontally spaced apart so that substantially all of the feed material that vertically passes through the heating chamber is horizontally displaced as the feed material passes by the plurality of baffles.

11. The retort heating apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the means for heating the feed material comprises at least one channel formed along at least a portion of the length of each elongated body, an electrical heating element or a fluid being disposed within the at least one channel of each elongated body.

12. The retort heating apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein edges of the baffles in the first row of baffles substantially vertically align with edges of the baffles in the second row of baffles.

13. The retort heating apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein edges of the baffles in the first row of baffles vertically overlap with edges of the baffles in the second row of baffles.