Control for the process of drying wet material
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fish meal factories face challenges in efficiently regulating heat exchange mechanisms for energy distribution and synchronization with material flow, leading to inefficiencies and excessive energy loss.
Innovation Solution
A system with a first dryer acting as a steam boiler, where steam is used to heat material and surfaces, and dry air is employed to remove water, with sensors and weight cells for automated regulation to maintain pressure and energy usage within the system, ensuring continuous operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If individual components have individually heat exchange systems, then each component can be controlled independently, but the system complexity increases and energy efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual heat exchange systems into a single centralized heat exchange system that serves all components (evaporators, dryers, cookers). This merging reduces overall system complexity while maintaining the ability to control heat distribution to each component through a centralized control mechanism that monitors and adjusts steam flow based on material flow and energy requirements.
2Device complexity
If steam is bled through each component, then heat distribution is simplified, but energy loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system that monitors the actual energy requirements of each component based on material flow rate and adjusts steam distribution accordingly. Sensors detect material flow and moisture content, and the control system modulates steam flow to each component to match actual needs, preventing excessive steam bleeding and energy waste while maintaining effective heat distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes operating parameters (steam flow rate, temperature, pressure) based on real-time conditions. The control system adjusts these parameters to optimize energy utilization, ensuring that steam is distributed at the right quantity and quality to each component only when needed, thereby reducing energy loss while maintaining effective heat distribution.
3Loss of energy
If heat exchange system responds to energy demand changes, then energy efficiency improves, but response time is too long
Solution Approach 1:
The control system continuously monitors material flow rate and moisture content in advance, predicting future energy requirements before actual demand changes occur. This preliminary monitoring and prediction allows the system to pre-adjust steam flow settings, reducing the lag time between energy demand changes and system response while maintaining optimal energy efficiency.
4Device complexity
If manual regulation of heat exchange is used, then system simplicity is maintained, but synchronization with material flow is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs sensors that continuously monitor material flow rate, moisture content, and energy consumption, feeding this information back to the control system. The control system automatically adjusts steam distribution and heat exchange parameters to synchronize with material flow variations, achieving good productivity and synchronization without requiring complex manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed to automatically regulate its own operation based on sensor feedback. The control mechanism self-adjusts steam flow and heat exchange parameters in response to changing material flow conditions without external manual input, maintaining good synchronization and productivity while keeping the control system relatively simple through automated self-regulation.
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
The system achieves full utilization of input energy, reduces energy loss by maintaining pressure within the system, and allows for automated operation, synchronizing energy input with material flow, thereby enhancing energy efficiency and reducing manual intervention.
Implementation Method 1
a first dryer (2) for evaporating a portion of the water phase from the material
Implementation Method 2
heat exchange elements for conducting heat to the chamber
Implementation Method 3
heat exchange elements for conducting heat to the chamber
Implementation Method 4
dry air is employed to remove water
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a process for continuous of drying or removing the water phase from wet material, such as organic material and for regulating or controlling the drying mechanisms using heating and drying components in a mechanic set up for drying material. The steam generated in the pre-dryer in the process is sufficient to sustain the energy need of the system as the different components of a meal factory are set up as a closed system.