Vacuum Throttle Flash Generator for Non-Thermal Drying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional drying methods for materials like coal wash fines require large amounts of energy from fossil fuels, leading to inefficiency and environmental concerns, and lack the ability to finely control drying conditions, especially when materials are contained within a processing vessel.
Innovation Solution
A non-thermal drying system utilizing controlled sub-atmospheric pressure and low temperatures, achieved through a flash generator with a vortex-generating plenum and adjustable vacuum throttle, allows for precise control of drying conditions without external heat, enabling efficient moisture removal from materials within a processing vessel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional thermal drying methods are used to remove moisture from materials, then drying effectiveness is achieved, but energy consumption increases and environmental harm is caused
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes phase transition of water from liquid to vapor through vacuum-induced flash evaporation. By rapidly reducing pressure in the drying chamber, moisture in the material undergoes phase change at lower temperatures, achieving effective drying without high energy input from fossil fuel combustion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a vacuum environment (inert atmosphere) in the drying chamber to enable low-temperature drying. This vacuum environment allows moisture to evaporate without requiring high temperatures, thereby reducing energy consumption and eliminating harmful emissions from thermal drying processes.
2Productivity
If traditional thermal drying methods are used to remove moisture from materials, then drying effectiveness is achieved, but environmental harm is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs vacuum flash evaporation to transition moisture from liquid to vapor phase at low temperatures. This eliminates the need for fossil fuel combustion, thereby preventing harmful emissions and environmental pollution while maintaining effective drying performance.
Solution Approach 2:
By creating a vacuum environment, the patent replaces atmospheric oxygen with vacuum, preventing combustion reactions and harmful emissions. This inert environment enables eco-friendly drying that does not generate environmental harm.
3Productivity
If materials are dried while being conveyed through the system, then drying efficiency is improved, but the ability to contain materials within a processing vessel is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the drying system into separate functional modules: a material containment vessel and a vacuum generation system. This segmentation allows materials to be contained within the vessel while the vacuum system operates independently to create the necessary low-pressure environment for efficient drying.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a vacuum as an intermediary between the material containment vessel and the external environment. This vacuum intermediary enables efficient moisture removal from contained materials without requiring direct contact or conveyance systems, thus maintaining both containment capability and drying efficiency.
4Productivity
If vacuum conditions are adjusted to maximize drying efficiency, then drying performance is improved, but system control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic vacuum control where vacuum levels are adjusted in real-time based on drying progress and material characteristics. The system transitions from static to dynamic operation, allowing optimization of drying efficiency while managing control complexity through adaptive rather than rigid control mechanisms.
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
This approach significantly reduces energy consumption and environmental impact while providing precise control over the drying process, maintaining efficiency and effectiveness in drying materials without the need for fossil fuels, even when materials are contained during processing.
Implementation Method 1
a vortex is generated within the plenum chamber
Implementation Method 2
the velocity of the rotating air stream is increased dramatically
Implementation Method 3
Bernoulli's principle, continuum hypothesis, Pascal's law, Boyles law, and the law of conservation of energy
Implementation Method 4
This establishes a pressure in the discharge region that can be substantially less than the pressure in the plenum chamber
Implementation Method 5
controlled sub atmospheric pressure environment
Implementation Method 6
The throttle body includes an internal passageway forming a venturi through which air from the discharge region is further directed
Implementation Method 7
transitioning a substance (e.g. water) with a vapor pressure threshold from a first phase (e.g. liquid) to a second phase (e.g. vapor) utilizing induced, monitored, and controlled pressure conditions
Implementation Method 8
controlled pressure drops, Bernoulli's principle
Data Source
AI summary
A system is disclosed for drying a material to liberate a substance such as a liquid having a vapor pressure from solids and/or dissolved substances in the material. The system includes a plenum chamber and a blower providing a stream of air to the plenum chamber. An outlet communicates with the plenum chamber and a velocity accelerator is disposed downstream of the outlet. The velocity accelerator is arranged to receive air from the outlet of the plenum chamber into a progressively narrowing interior passageway terminating at a downstream choke point orifice. The choke point orifice discharges into a larger diameter discharge region. A throttle body is disposed in the discharge region and is selectively movable toward and away from the choke point orifice to decrease or increase the volume of the discharge region. A passageway is formed through the throttle body for receiving flashed material from the discharge region and conveying the material in a downstream direction. Also disclosed is a system for drying materials contained within a processing vessel wherein flash generators with vacuum throttles are used to maintain drying conditions within the vessel and to remove liberated substance from the processing vessel.