Bituminous Plant Dryer Merging Burners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plants for producing bituminous conglomerates with bituminous and non-bituminous binders require high operating rated powers, leading to excessive power consumption and increased polluting emissions, and lack efficient management of temperature in hot air flows, complicating authorization procedures and maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A plant design featuring a single dryer with a single burner, where the first dryer portion generates hot air for both inert lithic materials and recycled conglomerates, eliminating the need for a separate burner in the second dryer portion, and incorporating a hot air deviation compartment to control airflow and temperature, reducing energy consumption and emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If two separate dryers with two burners are used for virgin aggregates and recycled material, then both materials can be dried simultaneously, but the plant's rated power becomes excessively high (20 MW + 13 MW = 33 MW)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two separate dryers with two burners into a single dryer with one burner that processes both virgin aggregates and recycled material together. This consolidation reduces the total rated power from 33 MW to a lower value while maintaining the drying capacity for both material types through integrated processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The single dryer is designed to perform multiple functions: drying virgin aggregates, drying recycled material, and heating the mixed material stream. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate dedicated dryers for each material type, reducing overall power requirements while maintaining productivity.
2Temperature
If two burners are installed for separate drying of virgin and recycled materials, then temperature control for each material type is independent, but the plant generates excessive polluting emissions
Solution Approach 1:
By combining the drying processes into a single dryer with one burner, the patent reduces the total number of combustion sources from two to one. This reduction in combustion sources directly decreases polluting emissions while the integrated design maintains adequate temperature control for both virgin aggregates and recycled material through unified thermal processing.
3Use of energy by moving object
If recycled material is heated with direct flame contact, then heating efficiency is high, but the material temperature exceeds acceptable limits (above 160°C)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different heating approaches to different material streams within the same dryer: virgin aggregates receive direct flame heating for high efficiency, while recycled material is heated indirectly through contact with heated air and the dryer walls, preventing overheating above 160°C. This localized differentiation of heating quality maintains efficiency for virgin material while protecting recycled material from excessive temperatures.
4Productivity
If multiple burners and separate dryers are used, then drying capacity is sufficient, but the device complexity and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent consolidates two separate dryer systems into one integrated dryer, reducing device complexity by eliminating redundant components such as duplicate burners, separate fuel supply systems, and independent control mechanisms. This merger maintains the drying capacity for both virgin aggregates and recycled material while simplifying the overall system architecture and reducing maintenance requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration reduces the plant's rated power, simplifies authorization, saves energy, minimizes polluting emissions, and enhances maintenance efficiency, allowing for flexible use of recycled materials and reduced jamming issues, while maintaining high capacity and cost-effectiveness.
Implementation Method 1
a single burner (5) placed in correspondence of an end of the first dryer portion (4') generating drying heat for the materials present within the first dryer portion (4') by means of at least one flame (49) of the at least one burner (5)
Implementation Method 2
a first suction system (16) of hot air from said dryer (4)... establishing a hot airflow oriented from the first dryer portion (4') provided with the burner (5) towards the second dryer portion (4'')
Implementation Method 3
drying heat for the materials present within the first dryer portion (4')... the second dryer portion (4'') being devoid of a respective burner intended for the generation of heat for drying the materials present within the second dryer portion (4'')
Data Source
AI summary
Plant for the production and distribution of bituminous conglomerates and operating method of the plant, wherein the plant is provided with a dryer having a first portion and of a second portion, which are connected to each other in series one after the other.