Drying apparatus for the drying of bulk material

A drying apparatus for the drying of bulk material, comprising a drying container having a receiving space for the material to be dried, a gas supply duct for the introduction of drying gas into the drying container, an outlet for the removal of the supplied drying gas, and a switching and regulation system for the regulation of the drying gas volume flow rate to be supplied by a volume flow rate setting assembly arranged along the gas supply duct wherein the gas supply duct comprises at least two parallel branch ducts the volume flow rate setting assembly comprising at least two flow off/on components which are arranged respectively in said at least two parallel-connected branch ducts of the gas supply duct said at least two parallel-connected branch ducts being joined downstream from said flow on/off components to define a single, common gas supply duct for supplying the gas into the heating means, each said flow off/on components being adapted to be selectively switched over by the switching the regulation system between an opened position and a closed position so that the drying gas volume flow rate into the receiving space is set by at least one of a number and selection of the opened flow off/on components.