Vibratory Curved Drying Vessel for High-Moisture Plant Material
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-moisture content in plant materials, such as freshly mown grass, poses challenges for processing into biofuels due to undesirable chemical and mechanical processing conditions, including localized temperature and moisture profiles in existing drying methods like belt dryers, which require pre-cutting and shallow bed usage.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a vibratory container with a curved inner surface and apertures to direct tangential heated air, combined with a vibration generator to move material in a rising and falling path, facilitating even drying and reducing the need for pre-cutting and shallow bed constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If belt dryers with hot air are used to dry high-moisture plant material, then moisture removal is achieved, but localized temperature and moisture profiles develop causing uneven drying
Solution Approach 1:
The container is vibrated to cause material to move in a rising and falling path of rolling movement along the curved inner surface, which continuously redistributes the material and eliminates localized temperature and moisture profiles, achieving uniform drying throughout the entire material bed
Solution Approach 2:
The container has a curved inner surface disposed about a generally horizontally extending longitudinal axis, which facilitates the rolling movement of material and ensures even exposure of all material surfaces to heated air, preventing localized hot spots and moisture accumulation
2Productivity
If pre-cutting of grass to 20mm is performed to enable efficient drying, then drying efficiency improves, but mechanical processing difficulty increases due to high moisture content and debris
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs drying action on the material before mechanical cutting is required, reducing moisture content to levels that make subsequent mechanical processing easy and efficient, thereby eliminating the difficulty of cutting high-moisture material
Solution Approach 2:
The container is mounted on resilient members and vibrated to create dynamic rolling movement of material, which maintains material in a constantly changing position and prevents clumping, allowing efficient drying of longer grass blades without requiring pre-cutting
3Manufacturing precision
If shallow bed depth is used in belt dryers to avoid temperature and moisture profile issues, then drying uniformity improves, but processing capacity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
Vibration causes material to continuously rise and fall along the curved surface, ensuring that even in deep beds, all material layers are periodically exposed to heated air and subjected to uniform drying conditions, eliminating the need for shallow bed constraints
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from conventional horizontal belt drying to a three-dimensional rolling motion along a curved surface, adding the dimension of vertical movement that enhances heat and mass transfer throughout the entire material bed depth
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 method allows for deeper and more even drying of plant materials, accommodating a wider range of grass blade lengths and reducing mechanical processing difficulties, enabling easier separation of grass from debris and improving overall processing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a vibration generator coupled to the container for producing a vibratory force to cause material within the container to be moved in a generally rising and falling path of rolling movement along the curved inner surface
Implementation Method 2
a fan coupled to a heater and to the plurality of apertures to pass heated air through the plurality of apertures
Implementation Method 3
Method and system for drying high-moisture content plant material
Data Source
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AI summary
A system includes a container (22) having a curved inner surface (28) disposed about a generally horizontally extending longitudinal axis (30), the container having an input end (24) and an axially-spaced output end (26) opposite the input end (24), the container being mounted on a plurality of resilient members (40,42,44) so as to be resiliently supported above a base (46). The curved inner surface (28) is defined by at least one deck plate (200) having a plurality of apertures (204) to direct air tangential to the curved inner surface (28). The system also includes a vibration generator (60) coupled to the container (22) for producing a vibratory force to cause material within the container (22) to be moved in a generally rising and falling path of rolling movement along the curved inner surface (28), and a fan (112) coupled to a heater (116) and to the plurality of apertures (204) to pass heated air through the plurality of apertures (204). A method of drying material is also provided.