Pelleting Process

Charles Stark
Kansas State University
 Overview

• Steam Systems
• Conditioning
• Pelleting
• Cooling
 Pelleting
• Benefits to Pelleting
– Improve palatability
– Decrease feed wastage (feeder management)
– Destroys pathogens/microorganism
– Reduce ingredient segregation
– Improves flowability
– Increases formulation flexibility
• Alternative ingredients
• Higher fat levels

Behnke, 1994
 Steam Quality

• How do you define steam quality?

– Technically: 95% Steam quality = (95% vapor and
5% water droplets by weight)
– Consistency: The same steam quality (dryness)
24/7
Saturated Steam Table

1 bar = 14.5 psi

 General Boiler Information
• 1 boiler horse power = 42,000 BTUs of INPUT
• 1 pound of steam =1,200 BTUs of INPUT fuel
• Typical boiler efficiency = 75-85%
• New high efficiency near 90%
• Fuel sources:
– Natural Gas = 1,031 BTU/ft3
– Propane = 91,000 BTU/gal
– Fuel Oil = 139,000 BTU/gal
Pellet Mill Steam Harness
 Steam Lines and Header
• Steam lines must be sized based on the
volume of steam that is required at a given
pressure.
• Minimize corners or turns
• Steam lines must be insulated.
• Steam header allows for multiple pellet lines.
 Steam Traps
• Steam traps remove water from the steam as
it travels from the boiler to the process.
• Inverted bucket traps:
 TLV Cospect Valve

• Pressure
Regulating Valve Pressure
Adjustment
• Steam Separator
• Steam Trap
 Regulators & Controls

• Masoneilan Valve
– The eccentric plug design of the valve
with a high 100:1 turndown ratio
provides excellent throttling control
over a wide range of process
conditions.
– Computer interface
– Rugged triple guiding ensures accurate
trim alignment throughout the entire
operating range.
 Pellet Mill
Conditioner

Feeder

Die & Rolls

http://www.cpmroskamp.com/pelletmill/products/pelletmills/
Factors that Affect Pellet Quality
Grinding
0.5%

Die Formulation
43% 23% Feed Rate
0.5% Behnke, 1994
Drying /
Conditioning
Cooling
33%
Die 5%
15%

Conditioning
20%
Fahrenholz, 2012
Formulation
Grinding
40%
20%
 Ingredient Variability
Does ingredient source matter?…Yes!
Crops
Weather
Soil type
Maturity at harvest
Fertilizer
Irrigation

Co-products
Raw grains
Dryer designs, speeds
& temperature
Fermentation process
& thoroughness

Behnke, 2010
Ingredient Characteristics that Affect Pelleting

• Protein content
• Fat/oil content
• Fiber content
• Ingredient Variability
• Abrasiveness
 Effect of Protein & Temperature
on Pellet Quality
Linear effect protein (P<.08)
561 micron corn Temperature (P<.05)
100

99

98
PDI,%

97

96

95
CP 15% CP 20% CP 25%
70 C 85 C

Stark, 1994
 Effect of Fat Type on Pellet Quality
Fat x Level interaction (P<.05)
100
95
90
85
80
PDI, %

75
70
65
60
55
50
Poultry Fat Soy Oil Choice White Tallow
Grease
Control 1.50% 3.00% 6.00%
Stark, 1994
 Effect of Fat Addition on
Pelleting Production Characteristics
Fat Addition, % Pelleting Production Characteristics

Mixer PPLA Fines, % Prod. Rate, tph Energy Cons., kWh/t

1.0 4.7 18.0 11.6 11.0

2.0 3.7 22.0 12.1 9.7
3.0 2.7 29.2 13.2 8.7
4.0 1.7 31.6 13.2 7.9
5.3 .3 50.8 - -

Richardson and Day, 1976

Effect of Process Factors on Pellet Durability

Process Factor % PDI

Control 70.0
Increase temperature 5oC 75.1
Increase temperature 10oC 79.4
Reduce fat by 0.5% 75.0
Add 1.5% calcium lignosulfonate 82.5
Decrease production rate by 20% 71.3
Add 10% wheat 75.4

Source: T.S. Winowiski

CONDITIONING & PELLETING
 Single and Multi-port Steam Addition

Multi-port

Single Port
Pellet Mill Conditioner
Factors that Affect Particle Binding in Pellets

• Heat transfer
• Moisture or water content the feed
ingredient or feed mash
• Chemical composition (ingredient
composition)
• Compressive pressure
• Particle size
 Conditioning Principles

• Conditioning requires:
– Time
• Conditioner Length
• Conditioner Speed
• Conditioner Pick Set Up
– Moisture
• Steam
• Water
– Heat
• Steam
 Steam Condensation

 T=142 F
(61 C)

Amylopectin
212 F 70 F (21 C)
Molecule
Grain
(100 C) Particle
 Conditioning Time
• Time
– Increasing the conditioning time will increase the
moisture and heat penetration into the particles
– Starch at the surface of the particle is gelatinized
and becomes soluble

Conditioning Time
Adjust Pick Angles to Change Fill
 Conditioning Targets
• Moisture & Temperature – Corn/Soy Diets
– Target 17-18% moisture
– Target 180 – 200 F temperature
– 1% moisture increase per 20-25 F (10 C)
temperature
– Examples:
• Winter 40 F to 190 F
– 150 F delta = 6% moisture
– 12% to 18%
• Summer 90 F to 190 F
– 100 F delta = 4% moisture
– 12% to 16%
 Hot Pellet Temperature
Conditioning Hot Pellet
Temperature Temperature
• Increasing the conditioning °F/C °F/C
temperature will decrease
185/85 192/89
the temperature rise through
the die during the pelleting 191/88 194/90
process
• Temperature rise is due to 194/90 195/91
frictional heat between the 200/93 199/93
die and pellet surface
• Moisture acts as a lubricant
in the die hole Frictional Heat
 Effects of Conditioning Temperature

Response Criteria No Steam

Conditioning Conditioning

Conditioning temp, °F 82 (28 C) 176 (80 C)

Energy consumption,
30.7 11.9
kWh/t
Pellet durability, % 80.3 96.0
Maltose equiv., mg/g 52.2 37.1

(Skoch et al., 1983)

 Effect of Temperature on Pellet Quality
100
Pellet Durability Index (PDI), %

80
62
60 51
55
46
40

20

0
85C (185) 88C (190) 91C (195) 93C (200)

Unpublished
Extended Conditioning - Hygieniser

CPM Hygieniser
CPM Hot Start Conditioner and Hygieniser

Hygieniser is
steam jacketed

Long retention times

2 to 6+ minutes
 Die and Roll Interaction

DIE RESISTIVE FORCE

Lineator with Roll Speed Measurement

Benefits include
higher conditioning
temperatures and
production rates.

Source: CPM
 Roll Speed Measurement

Remote panel readout with lineator control

Source: CPM
Relation between Roll Speed and
Conditioning Temperature

right roll
left roll

Source: CPM
Relation between RollPELLETING Speed and
LINE 4

RollINFLUENCE
Distance
COMBI START NR. 4540, OBSERVATION 13 T/M 20
ROLLER DISTANCE AT ROLLER SPEED
T MIXER 78 C, 7 TH
RPM NOMINAL 364 (ROLLER DISTANCE 0,0 WITH OUT STEAM
360
355
350
Speed le
ROLLER SPEED (RPM)

345
340 Speed r
335
330
325 left roll right roll
320
315
310
305
300
0,0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1,0
ROLLER DISTANCE (mm)

Source: CPM
Corrugated Rolls
Spiral Cut

Straight Cut
 Pellet Die

Die Hole Specifications

Diameter

Counterbore L/D= Length

Hole Diameter
Length

Effective Thickness
1” ¼”
10/64”
L/D=8

One Step Relief

Two Step Relief

 Effect of Die Thickness
Linear (P<0.01) Linear (P<0.01)
120 120

Pellet Durability Index (PDI), %

98 96
100 100
90

80 80
kg/hphr

60
60 60

40 40 32 35

20 20

0 0
Die Thickness Die Thickness
29 35 44 29 35 44
Types of Pellet Die Configurations
 Pellet Die Wear

• “Honey comb” patter of die wear

is most common
• Causes of excessive die wear:
– Improper roller adjustment
– Uneven feed distribution
– Trash metal and stones
• Consequence of die wear
– Reduced pellet mill throughput
– Increased power usage/ton
– Reduced pellet quality

Pacheco, 2016
Effect of Die Size and Material Hole Count

Shockley, 2013
 Conditioning & Pelleting
Summary Points
• Steam is added to the feed to increase the
moisture and temperature of the mash to 16-
18% and 80-90 C, respectively.
• Longer conditioning times provide time for
moisture and heat to penetrate into the feed
• Pellet die specifications determine the
diameter of the pellet and how long the pellet
is held under compression.
COOLING
 Cooling and Drying

• Purpose is to remove moisture and heat generated

during the conditioning and pelleting process
• Pellet "shock" can occur if air volume or the
temperature or humidity of the cooling air is too low,
resulting in stress cracks in the pellets
• Pellet quality and shelf-life will be reduced if air volume
is too low or if the ambient humidity is too high
Requirements for Drying and Cooling Pellets

Air
• Carries away heat and moisture
– Works only on the surface
Heat
• Required to remove moisture
– Heated air expands, lowering the relative humidity, &
increases the drying capability of the air
Time
• Required for heat and moisture to migrate to the
surface
"Grains per pound" (gpp) is the unit used to measure the weight of moisture in air.
Water Holding Capacity of Air

Temperature, C Moisture in Air

(kg water/kg dry air)
25 .020

30 .028

40 .049

50 .087

60 .150

135 1.426
 Heat and Moisture Removal
• Heat and/or Moisture always moves from higher
levels to lower levels until equilibrium is achieved
 Pellet Coolers

• Types
– Horizontal Coolers
• Single Pass
• Double Pass
– Counter-flow Cooler
• Round design
• Square design
 Pellet Cooler

• Purpose
– Remove moisture after the pelleting process
– Remove heat after the pelleting process

www.bliss.com
Counterflow Cooler
 Counterflow Cooler
Warm, Moist
• Features Product In
– Minimal floor space required
– Moderately high capacities
available
– Low air requirement
– Effective at beginning and end Drying Zone
of run
– Lower capital cost than comparable
horizontal
– Mechanically simple
• Limitations
– Not good for small particles
– Difficult to adapt for heat addition
• Performance
– Lowest air requirement Cooling Zone
– Most effective at drying
Cool, Dry
Product Out
Horizontal Cooler – Cross Flow
Horizontal Coolers
Warm ,
M oist
product in Drying Zone

Cooling Zone

Cool, Dry product

out

56
Routinely Check the Pellet Cooler Bed
Air will take the path of least resistance

Wellhausen, 2010
 Pellet Cooler Summary

• Factors that affect cooler performance

– Inlet air temperature
• Cold Air – Low water holding capacity
• Warm Air – Higher water holding capacity
– Bed depth in the cooler
• Horizontal – 12 to 15” level across the pans
• Counterflow – 2/3 to 3/4 full
– Air volume
Questions