Contact Dryer Jacket Space Phase Change Heat Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dryers, such as convection and contact dryers, face inefficiencies and complexity in drying moist goods like biomass, particularly due to energy losses, high operational costs, and the need for complex heat transfer systems, which limits their effectiveness and practicality, especially for smaller-scale applications.
Innovation Solution
A contact dryer design featuring a jacket space surrounding multiple coaxial drying tubes with a heating medium that changes phase to provide uniform heating, eliminating the need for external heat sources and reducing structural complexity, allowing for efficient heat transfer and energy use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If a conventional contact dryer with external heat sources is used, then heat transfer can be achieved, but the structural complexity and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the heating medium storage function and the heat transfer function into a single integrated system. The jacket space serves both as the storage container for the heating medium and as the heat transfer pathway to the drying tubes, eliminating the need for separate external heat sources and reducing structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating medium automatically changes phase from liquid to gas within the jacket space, generating its own heat transfer capability without requiring external heating equipment. This self-service mechanism reduces both structural complexity and operational costs while maintaining effective heat transfer.
2Productivity
If multiple drying tubes are used to increase drying capacity, then productivity improves, but the device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent arranges multiple drying tubes coaxially within the jacket space, allowing them to be nested or closely positioned around a common central axis. This nesting arrangement increases drying capacity by accommodating multiple tubes while minimizing the overall space requirement and simplifying the structural design compared to distributed arrangements.
Solution Approach 2:
The jacket space serves multiple functions simultaneously: it stores the heating medium, provides the heat transfer pathway to all drying tubes, and structurally supports the coaxial arrangement of multiple tubes. This multi-functionality increases productivity without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Use of energy by moving object
If a heating medium that changes phase is used in the jacket space, then heat transfer efficiency improves, but the temperature control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the phase transition of the heating medium from liquid to gas within the jacket space as the primary heat transfer mechanism. This phase change provides high heat transfer efficiency due to the latent heat of vaporization, while the enclosed jacket space design maintains simple temperature control by containing the phase transition process within a fixed volume.
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 design achieves high efficiency in drying, with heat transfer coefficients improved by condensation on the drying tubes, reducing energy consumption and operational costs while maintaining control over drying temperature and moisture levels, making it suitable for various materials including biomass.
Implementation Method 1
a heating medium is located on the outside of the drying tube... which changes phase to provide uniform heating
Implementation Method 2
heat transfer coefficients improved by condensation on the drying tubes
Implementation Method 3
The heating medium surrounds the drying tube and the heating medium is surrounded by a sheath forming a jacket room
Implementation Method 4
in which by means of a conveyor provided in its interior conveyor, which may preferably be a conveyor screw, which is well transmitted to dry through the drying tube
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a contact dryer (1) for drying moist material as well as to a method for drying moist material. The contact dryer (1) consists of at least one drying tube (9) inside which the material (2) to be dried can be conveyed and outside which a heating medium (3) is located in an enveloping space which at least partially surrounds the drying tube (9). At least one additional drying tube (9) is arranged in the enveloping space, and the at least two drying tubes (9) are designed in such a way that the material (2) to be dried cannot mix along at least one longitudinal section of the at least two drying tubes (9).