# US 10,480,115 B2 · Dehumidification system and method used for drying fibers

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- Number: US 10,480,115 B2
- Document ID: US10480115B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/640,500
- Filed: 2015-03-06
- Published: 2015-09-10
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2014-03-06
- Assignees: CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd.
- Applicants: CNH Industrial Canada, Ltd.
- Inventors: James Henry; Satyanarayan Panigrahi; Radhey Lal Kushwaha
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10480115B2

## CPC

- D06F 34/26: Condition of the drying air, e.g. air humidity or temperature
- D06F 58/10: Drying cabinets or drying chambers having heating or ventilating means
- F26B 9/06: in stationary drums or chambers
- F26B 13/00: Machines and apparatus for drying fabrics, fibres, yarns, or other materials in long lengths, with progressive movement
- F26B 21/30: Controlling, e.g. regulating, parameters of gas supply
- F26B 21/333: {by condensing the moisture in the drying medium, which may be recycled, e.g. using a heat pump cycle}
- F26B 21/35: Temperature; Pressure
- F26B 25/06: Chambers, containers, or receptacles {(large containers having means for heating, cooling, aerating or other conditioning of contents B65D88/74)}
- F26B 25/22: Controlling the drying process in dependence on liquid content of solid materials or objects
- D06F: LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
- F26B: DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM (drying devices for combines A01D41/133; racks for drying fruit or vegetables A01F25/12; drying foodstuffs A23; drying hair A45D20/00; body-drying implements A47K10/00; drying household articles A47L; drying gases or vapours B01D; chemical or physical processes for dewatering or like separating liquids from solids B01D43/00; centrifugal apparatus B04; drying ceramics C04B33/30; drying yarns or fabrics in association with some other form of treatment D06C; drying frames for laundry without heating or positive air circulation, domestic laundry-or spin-driers, wringing or hot pressing laundry D06F; furnaces, kilns, ovens F27)

## Abstract

A system and method is provided for drying for fibers or fibrous materials, such as flax, hemp, jute, sisal, banana and coir, among others by dehumidifying the fibers in a temperature and humidity-controlled environment. The dehumidification system does not detrimentally affect the fiber's properties (e.g., strength) by evenly drying the fibers and not subjecting the fibers to repeated high temperature environments, allowing the fibers to be used in more biocomposite applications, such as a reinforcement material. Also the dehumidification method reduces/prevents fiber discoloration, odor, and decomposition.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for drying fibrous materials to remove moisture from the fibrous material without damaging the fibrous material, the apparatus comprising:
a) a cabinet having at least one compartment therein defining an interior, and a door for sealing the at least one compartment from an exterior environment;
b) a shelf positioned within the interior of the compartment, wherein the shelf includes a bottom surface including a number of apertures therein; and
c) a dehumidifier operably connected to the interior of the at least one compartment; and
d) a channel disposed on the shelf below the apertures in the bottom surface and configured to direct moisture flowing through the apertures in the bottom surface away from the shelf.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a heating unit operably connected to the interior of the at least one compartment.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a controller operably connected to the dehumidifier.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising at least one temperature sensor disposed within the interior and operably connected to the controller.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising at least one humidity sensor disposed within the interior and operably connected to the controller.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bottom surface is formed of a mesh-like material.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the shelf is slidably mounted within the interior of the compartment.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a number of shelves disposed within the interior of the compartment.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a) a first compartment defining a first interior and having a first door attached thereto;
b) a second compartment adjacent the first compartment and defining a second interior; and
c) a third compartment adjacent the second compartment opposite the first compartment and defining a third interior and having a second door attached thereto.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the dehumidifier is disposed within the second interior and is operably connected to each of the first interior and the third interior.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the first interior and the third interior each include a number of shelves disposed therein.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11 wherein each of the shelves includes a number of apertures in a bottom surface of each shelf, each aperture having a dimension sufficient to enable moisture to flow therethrough but hold a fibrous material on an upper surface of the bottom surface.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The apparatus of claim 12 wherein each of the shelves is disposed at an angle with one end of the shelf higher than the opposite end.

### Claim 14

A method for drying fibrous materials to remove moisture from the fibrous material without damaging the internal structure of the fibrous material, the method comprising:
a) placing the fibrous material within an apparatus comprising:
i) a cabinet having at least one compartment therein defining an interior, and a door for sealing the at least one compartment from an exterior environment;
ii) a shelf positioned within the interior of the at least one compartment, wherein the shelf consists of a bottom surface including a number of apertures therein and a number of side surfaces extending upwardly from the bottom surface; and
iii) a dehumidifier operably connected to the interior of the at least one compartment; and
iv) a channel disposed on the shelf below the apertures in the bottom surface and configured to direct moisture flowing through the apertures in the bottom surface away from the shelf; and
b) operating the dehumidifier to remove moisture from the material.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of allowing the humidity in the interior to come to equilibrium prior to operating the dehumidifier.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 further comprising a heater operably connected to the interior of the at least one compartment, and wherein the method further comprises the step of operating the heater concurrently with operating the dehumidifier.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16 further comprising at least one humidity sensor and at least one temperature sensor each disposed within the at least one compartment, and a controller operably connected between the at least one temperature and the at least one humidity sensor and the dehumidifier and the heater, and wherein the step of operating the heater concurrently with operating the dehumidifier comprises the steps of:
a) determining the temperature in the at least one compartment from the at least one temperature sensor;
b) determining the humidity in the at least one compartment from the at least one humidity sensor;
c) operating the heater through the controller in response to the temperature determined from the at least one temperature sensor; and
d) operating the dehumidifier through the controller in response to the humidity determined from the at least one humidity sensor.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17 further comprising the step of ceasing the operation of the heater and the dehumidifier when the humidity sensed by the at least one humidity sensor is about 2% w/w.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 wherein at least one of the side surfaces includes a number of apertures therein.