Apparatus and method for heated air flow control in granular material drying
OwnerStephen B. MAGUIREinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus and methods for simultaneously drying a plurality of different polymer materials preparatory to molding or extrusion into finished or semi-finished products includes a heater, a blower, a collection of hoppers, conduits connecting the blower with the hoppers, air speed indicators for measuring speed of heating air entering the heating air inlet of the hoppers, and a microprocessor for controlling all of the above.
Claims20
Apparatus for simultaneously drying a plurality of different polymer materials preparatory to molding or extrusion of those materials into finished or semi-finished plastic products, comprising:
- a) a heater for heating air to be used for drying the polymer materials;
- b) a blower for drawing air through the heater;
- c) a collection of hoppers, at least one hopper for each of the different polymer materials to be dried, each hopper having a heating air inlet, a polymer material inlet, and a polymer material outlet;
- d) a collection of conduits connecting the blower with the hoppers;
- e) a plurality of air speed sensors, at the heating air inlets of the hoppers for measuring speed of heating air entering the heating air inlet of the associated hopper;
- f) a microprocessor connected to the heater, the blower, and to the air speed sensors, for regulating the heater and/or the blower and/or one or more of the air speed sensors in response to data received from the air speed sensors to regulate speed of heating air input to the hoppers to dry the polymer material therein.
Apparatus for simultaneously drying different polymer materials preparatory to molding or extrusion of those materials into finished or semi-finished plastic products, comprising:
- a) a heater for heating air to be used for drying the polymer materials;
- b) a blower for drawing air through the heater;
- c) a collection of hoppers, for the different polymer materials to be dried, each hopper having a heating air inlet, a polymer material inlet, a polymer material outlet, and at least some of the hoppers having damper valves for limiting volume of heating air exiting the hopper;
- d) a collection of conduits connecting the blower with the hoppers;
- e) a plurality of air speed sensors for measuring speed of heating air entering the heating air inlet of an associated hopper;
- f) a microprocessor connected to the heater, the blower, the air speed sensors, and the damper valves, for regulating the heater and/or the blower and/or one or more of the air speed sensors and/or one or more of the damper valves, in response to data received from the air speed sensors to regulate heat input to the hoppers to dry the polymer material therein.
Apparatus for simultaneously drying a plurality of different polymer materials preparatory to molding or extrusion of those materials into finished or semi-finished plastic products, comprising:
- a) a heater for heating air to be used for drying the polymer materials;
- b) a blower for drawing air through the heater;
- c) a collection of hoppers for the different polymer materials to be dried, each hopper having a heating air inlet, a polymer material inlet, a polymer material outlet, and at least some of the hoppers having damper valves for limiting volume of heating air leaving the hopper;
- d) a collection of conduits connecting the blower with the hoppers;
- e) a plurality of heat input sensors, positioned in at least some of the conduits at the heating air inlet of a respective hopper, for measuring heat entering the heating air inlet of the associated hopper, each heat input sensor comprising:
- i) a sensor for measuring temperature of heating air entering the associated hopper;
- ii) a sensor for measuring relative humidity of heating air entering the hopper;
- and
- f) a microprocessor including a memory for retaining data respecting the heating air inlet, being connected to the heater, the blower, the damper valves, and the heat input sensors, for regulating the heater and/or the blower and/or one or more of the damper valves in response to data received from the heat input sensors to regulate heat input to the hoppers to dry the polymer material therein.
A method for simultaneously drying a plurality of different polymer materials preparatory to molding or extrusion of those materials into finished or semi-finished plastic products, comprising:
- a) by using a heater, generating heating air for drying the polymer materials;
- b) by using a blower, drawing the heating air through conduits to a collection of hoppers, at least one hopper for each of the different polymer materials to be dried, each hopper having a heating air inlet, a polymer material inlet, a heated air outlet with a damper valve thereon, and a polymer material outlet;
- c) positioning a plurality of air speed sensors, at the heating air inlets of the hoppers for measuring speed of heating air entering the heating air inlet of the associated hopper;
- and
- d) regulating the heater, and/or the blower, and/or one or more of the air speed sensors, and/or one or more of the damper valves, using a microprocessor in response to data received from the air speed sensors to control heat input to the hoppers to dry the polymer material therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.