Multi-Chamber Dryer With Conditioned Air for Consistent Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional drying systems experience variations in performance and product quality due to uncontrolled humidity and temperature of ambient air, leading to inconsistent drying results across different climates and seasons.
Innovation Solution
A multi-chamber dryer with adjustable conditioned air flow that dehumidifies and controls air temperature and velocity to maintain consistent drying conditions, using methods such as chillers, silica gel, and air compressors to condition air, and manifolds to inject air laterally across the drying belt.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ambient air is used for drying, then the drying system is simple in structure, but the humidity and temperature are uncontrolled leading to wide variation in dryer performance
Solution Approach 1:
The dryer is divided into multiple chambers, each with independent air conditioning control. This allows different sections to maintain optimal humidity and temperature conditions for consistent drying performance while keeping each chamber's system manageable in size and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Conditioned air is introduced as an intermediary medium between the heat source and the product. The air is dehumidified and temperature-controlled before contacting the product, ensuring consistent drying conditions regardless of ambient environmental variations.
2Productivity
If thermal energy is conducted from heated water through the drying belt, then the product temperature increases, but water vapor pressure in the product increases which can harm drying efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful effect of increased water vapor pressure is counteracted by extracting moisture from the surrounding air through dehumidification. The air conditioning system removes water vapor from the air in contact with the product, preventing vapor pressure buildup that would hinder further evaporation.
Solution Approach 2:
The air conditioning system changes the parameters of the drying environment by controlling humidity and temperature independently of the product temperature. This allows the product to be heated to the necessary extent while the air environment is maintained at optimal humidity levels for continuous evaporation.
3Manufacturing precision
If a large volume of ambient air is used to remove water vapor, then the drying capacity is sufficient, but the uncontrolled humidity and temperature lead to variation in product quality
Solution Approach 1:
Different sections of the dryer are equipped with independent air conditioning controls, allowing each local zone to be optimized for specific drying requirements. This ensures consistent product quality across the entire drying surface while avoiding the energy waste of conditioning the entire dryer volume uniformly.
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than conditioning large volumes of ambient air, the system applies partial conditioning to the specific air streams that directly contact the product. This targeted approach achieves the necessary humidity and temperature control with reduced energy consumption compared to conditioning the entire dryer atmosphere.
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 ensures consistent product quality and improved drying efficiency by reducing water vapor pressure and humidity, increasing throughput, and optimizing heat transfer, regardless of ambient conditions.
Implementation Method 1
Heat is transferred by conduction from the circulated heated water directly to the product through a belt of a polymer membrane
Implementation Method 2
the manifold includes one or more orifices that inject conditioned air laterally across a width of the drying belt to remove evaporated water from the product
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-chamber dryer using adjustable conditioned air flow is disclosed. According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes a drying belt configured to receive a product to be dried on a first surface of the drying belt and a heat medium in contact with a second surface of the drying belt. The heat medium is configured to heat the product and is maintained at a pre-determined temperature. The apparatus further includes a manifold that is positioned above the drying belt, where the manifold includes one or more orifices that inject conditioned air laterally across a width of the drying belt to remove evaporated water from the product