US 2010/0299956 A1 · Apparatus and Method for Drying Wallboard

Abstract

A process and apparatus used for heating and drying a material. The process uses supplemental radiant heat supplied by circulating thermal oil that is heated using fuels, as well as exhaust heat from other sources. The supplemental heat replaces a portion of the heat provided by the direct-firing. The supplemental heating is achieved by retrofitting existing direct-fired or radiant heat gypsum dryers with thermal oil-to-air heat exchangers in the combustion air lines and the air recirculation lines. Heated thermal oil is circulated through the exchangers, providing supplemental heat to both the combustion air and the re-circulated dryer air. The existing natural gas burners are fired to achieve the desired exit temperature. A Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) system is coupled to the dryer exhaust vent to recapture heat energy produced by the thermal oil and produce electricity.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A device for continuously drying a material comprising:

a dryer unit having a series of dryer zones, at least one dryer zone operating at a temperature that is different from the other dryer zones;
a conveyor used to convey the material through the dryer zones;
thermal oil-to-air heat exchangers associated with the dryer and used to supply heat the dryer zones;
a heat source for heating a thermal oil;
a series of supply lines that supply heated thermal oil from the heat source to the heat exchangers;
a series of return lines that return the thermal oil from the heat exchangers back to the heat source;
an organic rankine cycle system positioned downstream from the dryer zones, the organic rankine cycle system configured to recapture heat generated by the heat exchangers to produce electricity.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and Method for Drying Wallboard

Life of this patent

Apparatus and Method for Drying Wallboard

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21