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US 4,567,340 AGranted
Apparatus and method for drying solid materials
AssigneePhillips Petroleum Company
InventorJohn W. Latchum, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for drying a solid material wherein the solid material is exposed to a radio frequency electromagnetic field such that water is expelled from the surface of the solid material as a liquid. The liquid water thus expelled is then collected.
Claims10
An apparatus for drying a solid material containing water comprising:
- generator means for generating a radio frequency electromagnetic field in the vicinity of the solid material;
- detection means for detecting the amount of moisture on the surface of the solid material, the surface moisture so detected being denoted as the surface moisture content;
- control means for controlling the field generated by said generator means in response to the detected surface moisture content so as to maintain a condition wherein water is expelled from the material substantially as a liquid;
- means for collecting the liquid water expelled by the solid material.
1 more element
A method of drying a solid material containing water comprising:
- generating a radio frequency electromagnetic field in the vicinity of the solid material;
- detecting the amount of moisture on the surface of the solid material, the surface moisture so detected being denoted as the surface moisture content;
- controlling the field in response to said surface moisture detection so as to maintain a condition wherein water is expelled from the solid material substantially as a liquid, and
- collecting the liquid water expelled by the solid material.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.