# US 2008/0184589 A1 · High efficiency drier with heating and drying zones

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- Number: US 2008/0184589 A1
- Document ID: US20080184589A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/075,737
- Filed: 2008-03-13
- Published: 2008-08-07
- Earliest claimed: 2007-02-02
- Assignees: Shivvers Group, Incorporated, an Iowa Corporation
- Inventors: Steve D. Shivvers
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080184589A1

## CPC

- F26B 23/10: using tubes or passages containing heated fluids {, e.g. acting as radiative elements; Closed-loop systems (for combustion gases F26B3/305)}
- F26B 3/08: so as to loosen them, e.g. to form a fluidised bed {("fluidised-bed" technique in general B01J8/24; centrifugal fluidised beds F26B7/007)}
- F26B 15/12: the lines being all horizontal or slightly inclined
- F26B 15/143: {the receptacles being wholly or partly foraminous, e.g. containing a batch of loose material (F26B15/146, F26B15/205, F26B15/26 take precedence)}
- F26B 17/005: {with rotating floors, e.g. around a vertical axis, which may have scrapers (F26B17/002, F26B17/006, F26B17/007 take precedence)}
- F26B 17/04: the belts being all horizontal or slightly inclined (F26B17/08 takes precedence)
- F26B 17/16: the materials passing down a heated surface {, e.g. fluid-heated closed ducts or other heating elements in contact with the moving stack of material (F26B17/128 takes precedence)}
- F26B 17/20: the axis of rotation being horizontal or slightly inclined
- 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 drier for drying wet material includes a drying chamber with a plurality of heating region regions and a plurality of drying regions, alternatively located along the path of the material through the drier. Each of the heating regions is heated with heating fluid by a heating recirculation system wherein the heating fluid overall flows in heat exchange with the material in the chamber, but wherein the heating fluid can flow in various ways within each heating region. A fluid circulation system flows drying fluid through each of the drying regions generally in countercurrent flow relative to the flow of material through the drier, although the drying fluid can flow in various ways within each drying region. The drying fluid exiting the drier is used to preheat the heating fluid exiting the drier prior to the heating fluid reentering the drier. Makeup heat is supplied to the system.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A drier apparatus for drying a material utilizing a heating fluid and a drying fluid comprising:
a) a heating region having first and second ends;
said heating region being sized and shaped to operably receive said material near said heating region first end and discharging the material near said heating region second end;
b) a drying region having first and second ends; said drying region being sized and shaped to operably receive said material near said drying region first end and the drying fluid in a cool state near said drying region second end;
c) a heating fluid recirculation system for operatively flowing said heating fluid through said heating region to transfer heat to said material while said material is within said heating region and such that said heating fluid flows substantially overall counter currently with respect to said material through said heating region, so that said material becomes heated by said heating fluid;
d) a drying fluid circulation system for operably flowing said drying fluid through said drying region generally overall counter current to said material in the drying region so as to become heated and at least partially saturated with vapor from said material;
e) a heating fluid regenerator operably receiving drying fluid in a heated state exiting from said drying region and heating fluid in a cool state exiting from said heating region in heat exchange relationship so as to preheat said heating fluid; and
f) a make up heater operably supplying makeup heat to said drier.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The drier apparatus according to claim 1 including:
a) said heating region has a generally horizontally aligned central axis; and
b) said drying region has a generally vertically aligned central axis.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The drier apparatus according to claim 1 including:
a) a fluid conduit flow joining a drying fluid discharge end of said regenerator system with a drying fluid inlet of said drying region, so as to provide for recycling of the drying fluid; and
b) a heat removing device located in said fluid conduit adapted to cool the drying fluid passing through said fluid conduit to a preselected temperature.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The drier according to claim 3 wherein:
a) the heat removal device is a chiller.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The drier according to claim 3 wherein:
a) the heat removal device is a heat pump that is configured to return heat to be utilized by the drier.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The drier according to claim 1 wherein:
a) said makeup heater is located in said heating fluid recirculation system between said regenerator and said heating region.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The drier according to claim 1 wherein:
a) said heating region includes a tunnel with rotating heating plates.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The drier according to claim 7 wherein:
a) said drying region is a column chamber.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The drier according to claim 1 wherein:
a) said drying region is selected from a group consisting of rotary drum, vertical column, inclined column, conveyorized tunnel, rotary screw, rotary plough, rotary disc, paddle, tray, fluidized bed, web and band drying regions.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The drier according to claim 1 wherein:
a) said heating region is selected from a group consisting of rotary drum, vertical column, inclined column, conveyorized tunnel, rotary screw, rotary plough, rotary disc, paddle, tray, fluidized bed, web and band heating regions.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The drier according to claim 1 wherein:
a) said heating and drying regions are joined by a conveyor.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The drier according to claim 1 wherein:
a) the heating region is divided into sub heating regions and said heating fluid recirculation system is configured in each sub heating region so that flow of the said heating fluid is selected from a group including concurrent, counter current, cross and mixed flows in each separate sub heating region while overall flow of heating fluid relative to said material is counter current through the heating region.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The drier according to claim 1 wherein:
a) the drying region is divided into sub drying regions and said drying fluid recirculation system is configured in each sub drying region so that flow of said drying fluid is selected from a group including concurrent, counter current, cross and mixed flows in each separate sub drying region while overall flow of drying fluid relative to said material is counter current through the drying region.

### Claim 14

A method of drying a material comprising the steps of:
a) providing a drier with at least one heating region and at least one paired drying region;
b) passing the material through the heating region from a first end to a second end thereof;
c) flowing a heating fluid initially in a heated state relative to said material in generally overall counter current flow relative to said material through the heating region and in heat transfer contact with said material;
d) thereafter flowing the material through the drying region and flowing a drying fluid through the material in the drying region, such that the drying fluid receives heat and moisture from the material and the drying fluid exits the drying region in a warm and wet state in comparison to entry of the drying fluid into the drying region and so that the material exits the drying region drier in comparison to entry of the material into the drying region;
e) withdrawing the heating fluid from the heating region and the drying fluid from the drying region and thereafter utilizing the drying fluid to preheat the heating fluid;
f) thereafter returning the heating fluid in a heated state to the heating region to heat the material to be dried; and
g) adding make up heat to the drier for heat lost in the method.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14 wherein:
a) the heating fluid substantially bypasses the drying region; and
b) the drying fluid substantially bypasses the heating region.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14 including:
a) providing a plurality of heating regions and paired drying regions; and
b) passing the material through all of the regions, the drying fluid through all of the drying regions and the heating fluid through all of the heating regions.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14 including:
a) flowing said drying fluid in a flow selected from the group consisting of concurrent, counter current, cross and mixed flows through each individual drying region while flowing the drying fluid generally overall counter current through said drying region relative to said material.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14 including:
a) flowing said heating fluid in a flow selected from the group consisting of concurrent, countercurrent, cross and mixed flows through each individual heating region while flowing the heating fluid generally overall counter current through said heating region relative to said material.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14 wherein:
a) withdrawing said heating fluid from near said heating region first end and withdrawing said drying fluid from near said drying region first end.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14 including:
a) adding the makeup heat to the heating fluid between the regenerator and the heating region.

### Claim 21 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14 including the step of:
a) collecting the drying fluid subsequent to utilizing the drying fluid to preheat the heating fluid and returning the collected drying fluid to the drying fluid entry of the drying region.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The method according to claim 20 including the step of:
a) chilling the drying fluid to a lower temperature prior to returning the drying fluid to the drying fluid entry of the drying region.

### Claim 23 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14 including the step of:
a) counter currently flowing said drying fluid relative to the material through each drying region in the chamber for the entire length of the chamber.

### Claim 24 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14 including the step of:
a) the drying region having multiple sub drying regions cross flowing said drying fluid relative to the material through each sub drying region.

### Claim 25 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14 including the step of
a) flowing the drying fluid at least partially in counter flow through the material while the material is in the drying region.

### Claim 26 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14 including the step of:
a) providing the drying region with sub drying regions and cross flowing the drying fluid through each of the sub drying regions while overall generally counter currently flowing the drying fluid relative to said material while said material is within the drying region.

### Claim 27 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14 including the step of:
a) providing the drying region with sub drying regions and mixed flowing the drying fluid through each of said sub drying regions while overall generally counter flowing the drying fluid relative to said material while said material is within the drying region.

### Claim 28 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14 including the step of:
a) providing the drying region with sub drying regions and concurrent flowing the drying fluid through each of said sub drying regions while overall generally counter flowing the drying fluid relative to said material while said material is within the drying region.

### Claim 29 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14 including the step of:
a) providing the heating region with sub heating regions and counter currently flowing said heating fluid relative to said material through each sub heating region in the heating region for the entire length of the heating region.

### Claim 30 (depends on 14)

The method according to claim 14 including the step of:
a) the heating region having sub heating regions and flowing the heating fluid in a flow selected from cross flow, concurrent flow, counter current flow and mixed flows through each individual sub heating region relative to the material flow in the heating region while generally overall flowing the heating fluid counter currently relative to the material in the heating region.