Air flotation dryer with built-in afterburner

Air flotation dryer with a built-in afterburner having opposing air bars for floatingly drying a web of material container flammable solvent comprising:

• a. an enclosure including web slots at opposing ends of said enclosure;
• b. opposing air supply headers in said enclosure for supplying heated air to a plurality of air bars in communication with said air supply headers, said air bars being positioned about said web moving through said enclosure, said air bars expelling said heated air into said enclosure interior and towards said web to vaporize said flammable solvent and to float said web;
• c. a variable speed exhaust fan in said enclosure for directing heated air in said enclosure interior into combustion chamber means in communication with said exhaust fan;
• d. burner means in said combustion chamber means, and gas and combustion sources in communication with said burner means for oxidizing at least a portion of said vaporized flammable solvent;
• e. heat distribution chamber in communication with said combustion chamber means for collecting heated gas produced by said burner means;
• f. servo controlled exhaust damper associated with said heat distribution chamber for venting of gases to outside said enclosure;
• g. hot air return duct in communication with said heat distribution chamber, said hot air return duct returning to a sparger any gases not vented outside said enclosure;
• h. recirculating air supply means in communication with said sparger, said recirculating air supply means directing heated air from said sparger to said air supply headers;
• and
• i. servo controlled hot air return damper connected between said hot air return duct and said recirculating air supply means to regulate the amount of hot air returned to said sparger, and thereby regulate the amount of air directed by said recirculating air supply means to said air supply headers, thereby controlling the temperature of the air supplied to said air supply headers without the use of a heat exchanger.

A process for drying a traveling web of material containing solvent, comprising:

• a. feeding said traveling web into a dryer enclosure;
• b. directing heated gas at said web through a plurality of opposed air bars disposed in said enclosure so as to vaporize said solvent while floating said web;
• c. directing heated gas containing the vaporized solvent in the enclosure interior to a combustion chamber;
• d. oxidizing said heated gas containing the vaporized solvent;
• e. collecting said oxidized gas in a heat distribution chamber;
• f. directing a first portion of said oxidized gas out of said enclosure;
• g. returning a second portion of said oxidized gas to said enclosure interior;
• h. recirculating said second portion of said oxidized gas to said plurality of air bars;
• i. providing servo controlled return damper means to regulate the amount of said first portion of said oxidized gas that is directed out of said oxidized gas that is recirculated to said plurality of air bars, thereby controlling the temperature of said the gas directed at said web without the use of a heat exchanger.