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US 10,520,252 B2Granted
Dryer using high frequency vibration
AssigneeUT-Battelle, LLC
InventorsAyyoub Mehdizadeh Momen, Kyle R. Gluesenkamp, Edward Allan Vineyard, Roger A. Kisner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dryer includes a plurality of piezoelectric transducers in electrical communication with a high frequency piezoelectric oscillation generator. The piezoelectric oscillation generator controls the duty cycle and resonant frequency source signal that drive the plurality of piezoelectric transducers non-continuously. The piezoelectric transducers dry the wet articles without heating air passing through the articles.
Claims23
A dryer, comprising:
- a piezoelectric oscillation generator;
- a substantially hollow rotary tumbler drum for drying wet articles;
- and
- a plurality of piezoelectric transducers disposed proximate the substantially hollow rotary tumbler drum in electrical communication with the piezoelectric oscillation generator;
- where the piezoelectric oscillation controls a duty cycle and resonant frequency source signal that drive the plurality of piezoelectric transducers that dry the wet articles without heating a portion of air that passes through the articles.
2 more elements
A method of drying a wet article comprising the acts of:
- providing a plurality of piezoelectric transducers having a plurality of resonant frequencies electrically coupled to an amplifier;
- selecting the piezoelectric transducers in direct contact with the article;
- sourcing an electric signal to the selected piezoelectric transducers to dry the wet article without injecting heated air;
- and
- resonating the selected piezoelectric transducers at their respective resonant frequencies by providing power tuned to the piezoelectric transducers non-continuously only when a selected number of the plurality of piezoelectric transducers are in direct contact with the wet article.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.