Desolventizer Toaster Thermal Recirculation Loop
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing desolventizing apparatuses often fail to efficiently remove solvents from solvent-wet solid materials, particularly low-density materials like palm kernels, due to insufficient heat transfer and pressure control, leading to inadequate drying and increased energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
A desolventizer system with multiple vertically stacked trays and a thermal recirculation loop that generates forced convective currents by drawing and reinjecting gas through the material bed, enhancing heat transfer and solvent vaporization, while independent pressure control across stages allows for optimized processing conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional desolventizing apparatuses are used, then the structure is simple, but the heat transfer efficiency is insufficient leading to inadequate solvent removal
Solution Approach 1:
The desolventizer is divided into multiple stages with each stage having independent pressure control and heating zones. The material bed is segmented into regions with different gas flow patterns, allowing optimized solvent removal at each stage while maintaining manageable structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Forced convective currents are generated by controlling gas flow through the material bed using pressure differentials between stages. Gas is circulated through heating zones and then forced through the material bed to enhance solvent vaporization and removal efficiency without requiring complex mechanical moving parts
2Productivity
If increased throughput is implemented, then processing capacity increases, but desolventizing efficiency decreases leading to insufficient solvent removal
Solution Approach 1:
Forced convective currents continuously circulate heated gas through the material bed, maintaining constant solvent vaporization and removal. Multiple stages operate simultaneously with continuous material flow, ensuring that increased throughput does not compromise the completeness of desolventizing
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds a pressure control dimension to traditional single-stage design. By independently controlling pressure at each stage, the system creates multiple pathways for solvent removal that work simultaneously, allowing higher throughput while maintaining adequate desolventizing efficiency
3Productivity
If more heating is applied to improve solvent vaporization, then solvent removal increases, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Heating is applied locally at specific zones where gas is circulated before entering the material bed, rather than uniformly heating the entire apparatus. Each stage can be heated according to its specific solvent removal requirements, reducing total energy consumption while maintaining effective vaporization
Solution Approach 2:
Gas that has passed through the material bed and absorbed solvent vapors is recirculated back through the heating zones for reheating and reuse. This recovers thermal energy that would otherwise be wasted, reducing the energy required for continuous solvent vaporization
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 more thorough drying and efficient solvent removal, reducing residual solvent concentration and energy requirements, offering improved operational flexibility and performance compared to traditional designs.
Implementation Method 1
the desolventizer includes a thermal recirculation loop that recirculates gas within a processing space between two trays of the desolventizer. The recirculation loop may draw gas within the processing space from a location below the top surface of the bed of solvent wet solid material and inject the gas back into the processing space above the top surface of the bed
Implementation Method 2
The tray may be heated and/or a heat transfer medium (e.g., steam, hot air) may be introduced into the processing space to heat the solvent wet material and vaporize solvent from the material
Implementation Method 3
Desolventizing vaporizes solvent from the solid material, allowing the solvent to be recovered for reuse in the extraction process as well as drying the solid material
Data Source
AI summary
A desolventizer for processing solvent-wet solid material may include a thermal recirculation loop to increase thermal performance. In some examples, the desolventizer includes a housing, an ejector, and a vent. The housing contains a first tray and a second tray vertically elevated above the first tray to define a processing space. The ejector has an inlet located between the first tray and the second tray and an outlet also located between the first tray and the second tray. The vent has an inlet located between the first tray and the second tray. In operation, the ejector can draw gas from the processing space via the inlet and discharge the gas through the outlet back into the processing space, creating a recirculation loop.