Speed Dryer Shaft System Reduces Hydraulic Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing drying methods for solid bulk materials, such as fluidized bed dryers, face inefficiencies due to high hydraulic resistance from supporting grids and inadequate turbulent motion in vortex dryers, leading to suboptimal heat-mass exchange and energy losses.

Innovation Solution

A speed dryer design that replaces supporting grids with a system of shafts and blades, introducing external kinetic energy to create sustainable fluidized beds with controlled gas and solid phase movements, optimizing heat-mass transfer and reducing hydraulic resistance through controlled fluidized bed creation and maintenance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a supporting grid is used to establish and maintain a fluidized bed, then the fluidized bed can be supported and gas distribution can be achieved, but the hydraulic resistance increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefluidized bed stabilityVSAvoidhydraulic resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The invention removes the supporting grid from the fluidized bed system entirely. Instead of using a grid structure at the bottom to support and distribute gas, the patent employs rotating shafts with blades that generate fluidized beds through mechanical agitation. This extraction of the grid eliminates the source of high hydraulic resistance while maintaining fluidized bed functionality through alternative means.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces the static mechanical supporting grid system with a dynamic mechanical system consisting of rotating shafts and blades. The rotation of these shafts creates the fluidized bed condition through mechanical energy input, substituting the gas distribution function of the grid with a mechanically-driven fluidization process that avoids high hydraulic resistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If gas velocity is increased above the haunting point to improve drying efficiency, then heat-mass exchange intensity increases, but the system transitions to pneumatic transportation regime

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedrying efficiencyVSAvoidpneumatic transportation
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention introduces dynamic elements (rotating shafts with blades) into the fluidized bed system to control and maintain the fluidized state. The rotation speed and blade configuration are optimized to keep gas velocity within the fluidized bed regime range, preventing transition to pneumatic transportation while still achieving high drying efficiency through enhanced mixing and heat-mass exchange.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The invention optimizes the operating parameters of the system, specifically controlling gas velocity to remain between the boiling point and haunting point of the solid particles. By carefully selecting and maintaining this parameter range, the system achieves efficient drying through fluidized bed regime while avoiding the harmful effects of pneumatic transportation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of energy

If external kinetic energy is introduced through rotating shafts to create fluidized beds, then hydraulic resistance is reduced and heat-mass transfer is enhanced, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehydraulic resistanceVSAvoidshaft and blade system
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The rotating shafts with blades serve multiple functions simultaneously: they create the fluidized bed condition, control gas-solid mixing, regulate heat-mass transfer, and eliminate the need for a separate supporting grid. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by consolidating several functions into a single integrated mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The rotating shaft system generates its own fluidized bed environment and controls the gas-solid interaction without requiring external supporting structures. The shafts themselves create the conditions necessary for their operation, eliminating the need for separate supporting grids and reducing overall system complexity despite the addition of rotational components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

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 method achieves efficient heat-mass transfer with strong turbulence in the gas boundary layer, reducing hydraulic resistance and enhancing drying efficiency by maintaining stable fluidized beds with controlled kinetic energy input, leading to improved drying performance across various solid bulk materials.

Implementation Method 1

a system of shafts with attached to them blades with tip endings is applied, thus two-phases fluidized bed to be created

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFluidization: Fluidisation

Implementation Method 2

strong turbulence of the gas in the gas boundary layer on the border 'gas-solid substance'

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTurbulence: Turbulence

Implementation Method 3

drying of damp bulk solid materials with hot dry gas

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 4

heat-mass exchange processes in drying of damp bulk solid material with hot dry gas

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 5

strong turbulent motion of the gas in the gas boundary layer on the border 'gas-solid substance'

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTurbulence: Turbulence

Implementation Method 6

intensity of mixing and movement of the phases with strong turbulent motion

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP2718649B1Method and speed dryer for drying solid bulk materials with gas in a fluidized bed
Publication Date: 2017.07.05 SIMENOL
  • EP2718649B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2718649B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2718649B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention refers to a method for drying of solid bulk materials with gas in a fluidized bed and a speed dryer for implementing the method. According to the invention, the method is carried out in such a way that the interaction between the gas and the solid bulk material propeeds in a hydro - dynamic regime of a fluidized bed in which are created and implemented fluidized beds with both straight direction and opposite direction of movement of the phase flows. Pursuant to the invention, the method is realized in a speed dryer, which consists of four rigidly connected structural sections - input section, working section, exit section and supporting section, and as to reduce the hydraulic resistance in the gas phase, instead of supporting grid in order to generate two-phase fluidized beds, a shaft's system (8) is applied.