Movable Radiant Heating Elements for Drying Apparatus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing drying apparatuses for liquid or paste products are inefficient due to their large size, high maintenance requirements, microbial contamination risks, and limited temperature control, leading to slow and costly drying processes.
Innovation Solution
A drying apparatus with movable radiant heating elements that adjust temperature and wavelength to control the drying process, allowing for precise temperature profiles and efficient heat transfer, eliminating the need for water as a heat source and reducing equipment complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by stationary object
If water is used as a heat source in drying apparatus, then heat transfer is achieved, but the apparatus becomes large in size, complex in structure, and prone to microbial contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the water heat source from the drying apparatus, replacing it with direct radiant heating elements. This removal of the water circulation system simplifies the apparatus structure, reduces size, and eliminates microbial contamination risks while maintaining effective heat transfer through radiant energy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical water circulation and heat transfer system with an electromagnetic radiant heating system. The heating elements directly emit radiant energy that penetrates and heats the product, substituting the complex mechanical water-based thermal transfer mechanism with a simpler electromagnetic field-based heating approach.
2Temperature
If water circulation system is used for heating, then temperature control is provided, but the apparatus requires high maintenance and has limited temperature control capability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical water circulation system with electrically controlled radiant heating elements. These elements provide superior temperature control through electrical regulation, eliminating the maintenance issues associated with water pumps, pipes, and heat exchangers while enabling precise temperature profiles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the heating mechanism from thermal conduction through water to direct radiant heating, allowing for enhanced temperature control parameters. The radiant heating elements can be independently controlled to provide specific temperature profiles, with faster response times and greater precision compared to water-based systems.
3Productivity
If conventional drying apparatus is used, then drying process is achieved, but processing time is slow and energy consumption is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional indirect heating methods with direct radiant heating that penetrates the product. This substitution enables faster heating rates and more efficient energy transfer, reducing processing time and improving productivity while lowering overall energy consumption through direct energy-to-product transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic or cyclic heating patterns through the radiant heating elements, optimizing the drying process by applying heat in controlled intervals. This periodic action enhances drying efficiency by preventing overheating while maintaining rapid processing speeds, thereby reducing total energy consumption.
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 apparatus achieves high-quality drying with reduced energy consumption and increased efficiency, enabling faster processing times and improved product quality by independently controlling temperature and radiation wavelength.
Implementation Method 1
each heater support supports one or more dry radiant heating elements... such that the heating elements emit radiant heat at a predetermined wavelength and heat the product according to a predetermined product temperature profile
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure concerns a drying or heating apparatus that is capable of independently controlling the temperature of the product being heated (e.g., to achieve a desired temperature profile) and the wavelength of the radiation (e.g., to maximize the heat transfer rate). To such ends, a drying apparatus can be provided with one or more heat sources that are movable relative to the product being heated in order to increase or decrease the gap or spacing between the heat source and the product. By adjusting the gap between the product and the heat source, it is possible to control the source temperature in such a manner that produces the desired product temperature and wavelength of radiation.