Apparatus, a bottom plate component and a method for drying bulk particulate material

An apparatus for drying bulk particulate material, said apparatus comprising:

• a vessel capable of maintaining superheated steam at a pressure equal to or larger than the ambient pressure surrounding said vessel, said vessel defining a lower cylindrical part having a lower cylindrical inner wall and defining a first cross-sectional area being perpendicular to the length of the lower cylindrical part and an upper cylindrical part having an upper cylindrical inner wall and defining a second cross-sectional area being perpendicular to the length of the upper cylindrical part,
• an inner cylindrical part centrally located within said upper cylindrical part and said lower cylindrical part of said vessel for establishing a first fluid path from said upper cylindrical part to said lower cylindrical part within said inner cylindrical part and a second fluid path from said lower cylindrical part to said upper cylindrical part outside said inner cylindrical part,
• a number of partitioning walls extending radially within said lower cylindrical part between said lower cylindrical part and said inner cylindrical part and defining in said lower cylindrical part an inlet chamber, an outlet chamber and a number of intermediate chambers located between said inlet chamber and said outlet chamber in a circumferential direction, said inlet chamber comprising an inlet for receiving a moist bulk particulate material, said outlet chamber comprising an outlet for ejecting a dry bulk particulate material, said inlet chamber and said intermediate chambers each defining a steam permeable bottom,
• a heat exchanger assembly located within said inner cylindrical part for heating said superheated steam,
• an impeller for generating a flow of superheated steam within said vessel and along said first fluid path from said upper cylindrical part through said heat exchanger within said inner cylindrical part to said lower cylindrical part and generally along said second fluid path from said lower cylindrical part to said upper cylindrical part outside said inner cylindrical part,
• said steam permeable bottom of said inlet chamber being divided into a number of subsections including a first subsection and a second subsection, each subsection defining a first and a second radial centerline, respectively,
• said first subsection and said second subsection each having at least one louvered plate section comprising a plurality of louvers arranged in a first and a second specific direction, respectively, for directing said superheated steam in a first and second blowing direction, towards said lower cylindrical inner wall,
• said specific direction of said louvers of said first subsection defining a first angle in relation to said first radial centerline,
• said specific direction of said louvers of said second subsection defining a second angle in relation to said second radial centerline, and
• said first angle and/or said second angle, being different from 0 degrees;
• wherein said steam permeable bottom comprises a plurality of perforations for guiding said superheated steam in a substantial vertical blowing direction and wherein an opening area of said louvers of said inlet chamber defines an area being 10% to 90% of a total opening area of all of said perforations and louvers of said steam permeable bottom of said inlet chamber.