Dielectric heating arrangement for drying a continuously moving web of material
AssigneeChemetron Corporation
InventorsThomas L. Wilson, Charles M. Loring, Jr., Peter H. Smith
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dielectric heating arrangement for drying wide wet webs of material is provided in which a rotatable drum structure is provided for supporting the web on its periphery and moving it past a stationary set of dielectric heating electrodes of the stray field type positioned close to the periphery of said drum over a substantial portion of the circumference thereof. The drum periphery comprises a series of closely spaced members which extend parallel to the axis of the drum, the outer edges of said members acting as the outer periphery of said drum on which the web is supported as it is moved past said electrodes.
Claims28
In a system for drying a web of flexible material, the combination of, means defining a cylinder whose axis is perpendicular to the length of the web, means for moving the web to be dried in an arcuate path conforming to the periphery of said cylinder over a substantial portion of the circumference thereof, a first series of electrodes positioned close to but out of contact with said web around said substantial portion of the circumference of said cylinder, a second series of electrodes interspersed with said first series of electrodes, said first and second series of electrodes collectively forming a surface which is concentric with said cylinder and outside the periphery thereof, and means for applying and R.F. voltage between said first and second series of electrodes, whereby said web is dried by dielectric heating due to the R.F. field developed between said first and second series of electrodes as said web is moved in said arcuate path.
In a system for drying a web of flexible material wherein the web is partially dried by a steam cylinder dryer and steam employed therein is subsequently recondensed, the combination of, means defining a stray field electrode array comprising a first series of hollow electrodes arranged in an arcuate surface, a second series of hollow electrodes interspersed with said first series of electrodes in said arcuate surface, means for moving the web past said array in closely spaced relation to said first and second series of electrodes, means for applying an R.F. potential between said first and second series of electrodes so that moisture is removed from the web by dielectric heating thereof, and means for circulating said recondensed steam through said hollow electrodes to maintain the temperature thereof sufficiently high to prevent recondensation of the moisture removed from the web onto said electrodes.
In a system for drying a web of flexible material, the combination of, means defining a stray field electrode array comprising a first series of hollow electrodes arranged in an arcuate surface, a second series of hollow electrodes interspersed with said first series of electrodes in said arcuate surface, means for moving the web past said array in closely spaced relation to said first and second series of electrodes, means for applying an R.F. potential between said first and second series of electrodes so that moisture is removed from the web by dielectric heating thereof, and means for circulating hot water through said hollow electrodes to maintain the temperature thereof sufficiently high to prevent recondensation of the moisture removed from the web onto said electrodes.
In a system for drying a web of flexible material, the combination of, means defining a cylinder whose axis is perpendicular to the length of the web, a plurality of electrode arrays each positioned around a predetermined segment of the periphery of said cylinder, each of said arrays comprising first and second series of electrodes interspersed with one another and collectively forming a surface which is concentric with the axis of said cylinder and outside the periphery thereof, means for moving the web past said plurality of electrode arrays in closely spaced relation thereto, and means for applying an R.F. voltage between the first and second series of electrodes in each of said arrays, whereby said web is dried by dielectric heating due to the R.F. field developed between said first and second series of electrodes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.