Process and apparatus for drying and heating

A process for providing heat to a heat exchanging device, said process comprising the steps of:

• generating a pulsating flow of combustion products and an acoustic pressure wave;
• accelerating said pulsating flow of combustion products to create a pulsating velocity flow field;
• supplying said accelerated flow of combustion products and said acoustic pressure wave to a heat exchanging device for transferring heat thereto;
• recirculating at least a portion of said combustion products exiting said heat exchanging device to produce a recycle stream and mixing said pulsating flow of combustion products with said recycle stream after said pulsating flow of combustion products have been accelerated to form an effluent, said effluent being fed to said heat exchanging device;
• and
• maintaining a pressure differential between said pulsating flow of combustion products and said recycle stream prior to mixing of same, said pressure differential being maintained by said step of accelerating said pulsating flow of combustion products, said pressure differential creating a suction force for automatically siphoning said recycle stream exiting said heat exchanging device into contact with said pulsating flow of combustion products.

A process for drying a stream of materials containing solid particles, said process comprising the steps of:

• generating a pulsating flow of combustion products and an acoustic pressure wave;
• directing said pulsating flow of combustion products into a resonance chamber including at least one nozzle, said at least one nozzle accelerating said pulsating flow of combustion products to create a high velocity pulsating flow field;
• and
• contacting said high velocity pulsating flow field of said combustion products with a fluid containing solid particles, said high velocity flow field causing said fluid to atomize and to mix with said combustion products, said combustion products transferring heat to said atomized fluid for drying said solid particles contained therein.