DEHYDRATION APPARATUS AND DEHYDRATION PROCESS

Abstract

It provides a particularly useful apparatus for the dehydration of organic materials and a dehydration process that utilizes the apparatus of the invention. The apparatus includes a drying chamber for receiving and containing the materials to be dehydrated, a cooling section with a first-stage cooling coil and a second-stage cooling coil for extracting moisture from a dehydrating fluid by condensation, a heating section with a controllable first-stage and second-stage heat source for selecting the amount of heat produced, in order to raise the temperature and reduce the relative humidity of the dehydrating fluid, and a dehydrating fluid handling system for conveying the dehydrating fluid within a closed circuit through the sections of the apparatus.The process of the invention includes the general steps of heating a dehydrating fluid, passing the dehydrating fluid over the materials to be dried, cooling the dehydrating fluid over the materials to be dried, cooling the dehydrating fluid to condense moisture, heating the dehydrating fluid to raise its temperature and reduce its relative moisture content, and reintroducing the reheated dehydrating fluid into the process circuit to recirculate it through the apparatus until the desired level of dehydration is reached.