Dryer for fuel material
AssigneeAltentech Power Inc.
InventorGordon Tuck
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a dryer for drying fuel materials such as wood bark, wood chips, sludge, garbage, peat moss or the like. In a preferred embodiment the dryer comprises a conveyor, consisting of twin endless belts, which carries the material to be dried along a vertical path defined between parallel runs of the endless belts, and ductwork which serves to direct heated air (received from any appropriate source) across the vertical path to remove moisture from the material as it is being conveyed. The ductwork includes at least one feed duct for use in delivering the heated air to one side of the vertical path, and at least one exhaust duct for use in withdrawing moisture-laden air on another side of the vertical path.
Claims31
A dryer for drying a material to be used as fuel using a drying gas, the dryer comprising:
- conveying means for conveying the material to be dried along a substantially vertical path extending between an upper end of the conveying means where the material is received and a lower end of the conveying means where the material is discharged;
- and,
- directing means for directing the drying gas across the vertical path to remove moisture from the material as the material is conveyed along the vertical path, the directing means comprising a feed means for use in delivering the drying gas to the conveying means on a first side of the vertical path, and an exhaust means for withdrawing the drying gas from the conveying means on a second side of the vertical path;
- wherein the conveying means comprises a plurality of flights connected to a conveyor, the conveyor having a substantially vertical first run and a substantially vertical second run, the first run defining the first side of the vertical path and the second run defining the second side of the vertical path;
- wherein a first group of the plurality of flights is connected to the first run and a second group of the plurality of flights is connected to the second run, wherein the plurality of flights convey the material along the vertical path, wherein the plurality of flights move through the vertical path in pairs, each pair of flights being defined by a flight of the first run and a flight of the second run disposed in side-by-side relationship, wherein the vertical path is substantially closed by each pair of flights, thereby constraining the material from moving along the vertical path faster than the flights.
A dryer for drying a fuel material using a drying gas, the dryer comprising:
- a transport conveyor having a substantially vertical first run and a substantially vertical second run, the first run defining a first side of a substantially vertical path and the second run defining a second side of the vertical path;
- a plurality of flights, wherein a first group of the plurality of flights is connected to the first run and a second group of the plurality of flights is connected to the second run, wherein the plurality of flights convey the fuel material along the vertical path, wherein the plurality of flights move through the vertical path in pairs, each pair of flights being defined by a flight of the first run and a flight of the second run disposed in side-by-side relationship, wherein the vertical path is substantially closed by each pair of flights, thereby constraining the fuel material from moving along the vertical path faster than the flights;
- at least one feed duct located on the first side of the vertical path, the at least one feed duct adapted for directing the drying gas substantially across the vertical path;
- and
- at least one exhaust duct located on the second side of the vertical path, the at least one exhaust duct adapted for receiving the drying gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.