Belt dryer
A belt dryer is an apparatus which is used for continuous drying and cooling of pellets, pastes, moulded compounds and panels using air, inert gas or flue gas.
Working principle
A Belt dryer / Belt cooler is a device designed for the particularly gentle thermal treatment of product. The wet product is continuously and evenly applied through an infeed chamber onto a perforated belt. The belt, predominantly in horizontal position, carries the product through the drying area which is divided into several sections. In these cells drying gas flows through or over the wet product and dries it. Each cell can be equipped with a ventilating fan and a heat exchanger. This modular design allows the drying and cooling temperatures to be controlled separately in the different sections. Thus, each dryer cell can be individually controlled and the drying / cooling air flow can be varied in each cell. In addition, the speed of the conveyor belt can be varied what gives an additional parameter for setting of drying time. The cells can be heated or cooled directly or indirectly, and all heating media, such as oil, steam, hot water or hot gas can be used.
Design features
Belt dryers / Belt coolers are designed in modular system. Each belt dryer consists of infeed head, conveyor belt and discharge end. Different kinds of dryers are possible to construct, e.g.
Ventilation options
In general there are two ways of gas flow pattern. The drying air can flow, according to the treatment process, either through or over the product.
Exemplary conveyer options
Feeding variations
Typical applications
Belt dryers are predominantly used in the following industries:
Product examples
Veneers, wood fiber insulating boards, paints, molding materials, synthetic rubber, superabsorbent polymer, stearate, catalysts, coke, fruits, vegetables, cereals.
Sources and further reading
References
External links
Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt_dryer
