Apparatus for the desolventisation of extraction residue

1. Apparatus for the continuous treatment of spent material, said treatment including the desolventisation and toasting of said spent material, said apparatus including a vertically erected cylindrical vessel, said vessel including at least one substantially horizontal pre-desolventising tray and at least one substantially horizontal stripping tray, said at least one substantially horizontal pre-desolventising tray and/or said at least one substantially horizontal stripping tray extending up to the wall of said vessel, said at least one stripping tray being below the at least one pre-desolventising tray, said trays being equipped with rotating stirrer for the mixing and progression of said spent material, said at least one pre-desolventising tray being equipped with hollow chamber configured to receive a supply of heating steam into said hollow chamber for the indirect heating of said spent material, said pre-desolventising tray being further equipped with at least one opening allowing the gravity discharge of the spent material to the adjacent inferior tray, said at least one stripping tray being equipped with hollow chamber configured to receive a supply of heating steam into said hollow chamber and said stripping tray being further equipped with numerous small holes or slots allowing the upward passage of contact steam, said stripping tray being further equipped with at least one rotating valve or chute allowing the discharge of spent material from one stripping tray to the tray below but preventing the upward passage of the contact steam, wherein said apparatus is further equipped for the continuous feeding of spent material, said spent material descending from one tray to the next one while pushed by the rotating stirrers, said apparatus being further equipped of at least one sparging tray located below the at least one stripping tray, said sparging tray being further configured to sparge contact steam in the spent material laying on said sparging tray, said contact steam rising and going through at least one stripping tray via the small holes and/or slots and consequently contacting the spent material loaded on said at least one stripping tray and consequently said contact steam turns into solvent laden vapours, wherein solvent laden vapours are evacuated by at least one side vapours outlet located below the at least one pre-desolventising tray and above the at least one stripping tray and in that the solvent evaporated from the spent material loaded on the at least one pre-desolventising tray is evacuated co-currently and in a downwards motion with the spent material through the at least one opening located in said at least one pre-desolventising tray.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the vessel diameter is substantially constant.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the section of the vessel surrounding the pre-desolventising trays is larger than the part of the vessel surrounding the stripping trays.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , further including at least one sieve tray substantially horizontal and extending radially out to the wall of the vessel said at least one sieve tray being fitted with a multitude of small holes or slots allowing the passage of rising contact steam through said at least sieve tray and the spent material loaded on said at least one sieve tray, said at least one sieve tray being further equipped with a rotating valve or chute allowing the passage of said spent material to the adjacent inferior tray, said rotating valve or chute being substantially hermetic to said contact steam wherein said the at least one sieve tray is not hollow or steam-filled and located below the side vapour outlet and above the sparging tray.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the solvent is hexane.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the spent material is an oleaginous material.

7. Apparatus for the continuous treatment of spent material, said treatment including the desolventisation and toasting of said spent material, said apparatus including a vertically erected cylindrical vessel, said vessel including at least one substantially horizontal pre-desolventising tray and at least one substantially horizontal stripping tray, said at least one substantially horizontal pre-desolventising tray and/or said at least one substantially horizontal stripping tray extending up to the wall of said vessel, said at least one stripping tray being below the at least one pre-desolventising tray, said trays being equipped with rotating stirrer for the mixing and progression of said spent material, said at least one pre-desolventising tray being equipped with hollow chamber configured to receive a supply of heating steam into said hollow chamber for the indirect heating of said spent material, said pre-desolventising tray being further equipped with at least one opening allowing the gravity discharge of the spent material to the adjacent inferior tray, said at least one stripping tray being equipped with hollow chamber configured to receive a supply of heating steam into said hollow chamber and said stripping tray being further equipped with numerous small holes or slots allowing the upward passage of contact steam, said stripping tray being further equipped with at least one rotating valve or chute allowing the discharge of spent material from one stripping tray to the tray below but preventing the upward passage of the contact steam, wherein said apparatus is further equipped for the continuous feeding of spent material, said spent material descending from one tray to the next one while pushed by the rotating stirrers, said apparatus being further equipped of at least one sparging tray located below the at least one stripping tray, said sparging tray being further configured to sparge contact steam in the spent material laying on said sparging tray, said contact steam rising and going through at least one stripping tray via the small holes and/or slots and consequently contacting the spent material loaded on said at least one stripping tray and consequently said contact steam turns into solvent laden vapours, wherein solvent laden vapours are evacuated by at least one side vapours outlet located below the at least one pre-desolventising tray and above the at least one stripping tray and in that the solvent evaporated from the spent material loaded on the at least one pre-desolventising tray is evacuated co-currently and in a downwards motion with the spent material through the at least one opening located in said at least one pre-desolventising tray,

wherein said solvent is hexane and/or said spent material is an oleaginous material.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 7 , wherein the vessel diameter is substantially constant.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 7 , wherein the diameter of the section of the vessel surrounding the pre-desolventising trays is larger than the part of the vessel surrounding the stripping trays.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 7 , further including at least one sieve tray substantially horizontal and extending radially out to the wall of the vessel said at least one sieve tray being fitted with a multitude of small holes or slots allowing the passage of rising contact steam through said at least sieve tray and the spent material loaded on said at least one sieve tray, said at least one sieve tray being further equipped with a rotating valve or chute allowing the passage of said spent material to the adjacent inferior tray, said rotating valve or chute being substantially hermetic to said contact steam wherein said the at least one sieve tray is not hollow or steam-filled and located below the side vapour outlet and above the sparging tray.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said at least one opening of said pre-desolventising tray permits the spent material to be directly discharged to the adjacent inferior tray.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said at least one opening of said pre-desolventising tray permits the spent material to be directly discharged to the adjacent inferior tray.