GB2039013A

GB2039013A - Drying apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2039013A
Application number: GB7849885A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: DRYTECH ENG Ltd
Current assignee: DRYTECH ENG Ltd
Priority date: 1978-12-22
Filing date: 1978-12-22
Publication date: 1980-07-30
Also published as: GB2039013B

Abstract

A drying chamber 10 has heating means, a plenum 16 housing a dehumidifier 20 on its roof and means 18, 22, 24 for transferring air from the chamber to the plenum, passing it through the dehumidifier and redistributing it in the chamber. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to drying apparatus The present invention concerns drying apparatus, particularly but not exclusively drying apparatus for use in the manufacture of pottery.

Presently employed drying apparatus normally comprises an enclosure in which the material to be dried is arranged, heated air being passed through the enclosure. In drying the material within the enclosure vapour becomes entrained in the air and clearly to ensure the efficiency af the apparatus it is essential that the vapour-bearing air is exhausted. This exhaust air is at a higher temperature than ambient and consequently the make-up air has to be heated before introduction into the enclosure. It has often been found that the heat lost in exhausted air is greater than the heat acutally taken up in drying the material within the enclosure. Clearly this wastage of heat is uneconomic.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate this disadvantage.

According to the present invention there is provided drying apparatus including an enclosure, a plenum in association with the enclosure and including circulating means for extracting air from the enclosure and reintroducing said air into the enclosure by way of a distribution means, a dehumidifier for removing moisture from the air and heating means for the air.

Preferably the dehumidifier and heating means are located within the plenum.

Preferably the air distribution means within the enclosure comprises a downwardly converging frusto-conical rotatable member supported on bearings at its upper and lower ends and provided wifh longitudinally extending slots through which air from the plenum is distributed into the enclosure.

Preferably the enclosure comprises a plurality of interfitting panel-like members, An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows diagrammatically a cut-away perspective view of a drying apparatus.

The apparatus comprises an enclosure 10 assembled from a plurality of similar side panels 12 and top panels 14, a plenum 16 being supported on the top panels 14 one of which is provided with an opening 1 8 for admitting air to the plenum from the enclosure. The plenum has a dehumidifier 20 for removing vapour from at least some of the air in the plenum to an air distributor 24 which distributes dehumidified air about the enclosure. Heating means (not shown) may be incorporated in the plenum, but it will be realised that heat is supplied to the air in the plenum by the motor of the fan 28, the electrical apparatus of the dehumidifier 20 and the motor (not shown) for the distributor 24.

The distributor comprises a frusto-conical casing converging downwardly and supported on bearings at each end, only the lower bearing 26 being shown in the drawing. The distributor casing is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending slots 28 through which air passes.

The plenum may be provided with a bleed value 30 to ailow for the escape of hot air if the temperature within the enclosure rises above a predetermined value.

The apparatus described with reference to the drawing is advantageous in that it wastes the minium of heat, normally the only heat being removed from the apparatus being contained in the water extracted by the dehumidifier 20 and subsequently passed to waste.

The apparatus provides a factory assembled and tested module comprising the plenum with the fan 18, dehumidifier 20, etc. and the distributor 24. This is advantageous as little or no commissioning is required on site and furthermore the user can construct an enclosure having dimensions to suit himself simply by adding standard side and top panels 12, 14.

Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, for example the distributor can incorporate fan means making the extractor fan 1 8 redundant Further the distributor can take any suitable form and need not be in the form of the truncated conical arrangement described above. Additionally the module can be adapted for fitment in an existing enclosure.

Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims" protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

1. Drying apparatus including an enclosure, a plenum in association with the enclosure and including circulating means for extracting air from the enclosure and reintroducing said air into the enclosure by way of a distribution means, a dehumidifier for removing moisture from the air and heating meansforthe air.

2. Drying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the dehumidifier is located within the plenum.

3. Drying apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or in claim 2, in which the heating means is located within the plenum.

4. Drying apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, in which the air distribution means within the enclosure comprises a downwardly converging frusto-conica rotatable member supported on bearings at its upper and lower ends and provided with longitudinally extending slots through which air from the plenum is distributed into the enclosure.

5. Drying apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the enclosure comprises a plurality of interfitting panel-like members.

6. Drying apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or 5,

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to drying apparatus The present invention concerns drying apparatus, particularly but not exclusively drying apparatus for use in the manufacture of pottery. Presently employed drying apparatus normally comprises an enclosure in which the material to be dried is arranged, heated air being passed through the enclosure. In drying the material within the enclosure vapour becomes entrained in the air and clearly to ensure the efficiency af the apparatus it is essential that the vapour-bearing air is exhausted. This exhaust air is at a higher temperature than ambient and consequently the make-up air has to be heated before introduction into the enclosure. It has often been found that the heat lost in exhausted air is greater than the heat acutally taken up in drying the material within the enclosure. Clearly this wastage of heat is uneconomic. It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate this disadvantage. According to the present invention there is provided drying apparatus including an enclosure, a plenum in association with the enclosure and including circulating means for extracting air from the enclosure and reintroducing said air into the enclosure by way of a distribution means, a dehumidifier for removing moisture from the air and heating means for the air. Preferably the dehumidifier and heating means are located within the plenum. Preferably the air distribution means within the enclosure comprises a downwardly converging frusto-conical rotatable member supported on bearings at its upper and lower ends and provided wifh longitudinally extending slots through which air from the plenum is distributed into the enclosure. Preferably the enclosure comprises a plurality of interfitting panel-like members, An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows diagrammatically a cut-away perspective view of a drying apparatus. The apparatus comprises an enclosure 10 assembled from a plurality of similar side panels 12 and top panels 14, a plenum 16 being supported on the top panels 14 one of which is provided with an opening 1 8 for admitting air to the plenum from the enclosure. The plenum has a dehumidifier 20 for removing vapour from at least some of the air in the plenum to an air distributor 24 which distributes dehumidified air about the enclosure. Heating means (not shown) may be incorporated in the plenum, but it will be realised that heat is supplied to the air in the plenum by the motor of the fan 28, the electrical apparatus of the dehumidifier 20 and the motor (not shown) for the distributor 24. The distributor comprises a frusto-conical casing converging downwardly and supported on bearings at each end, only the lower bearing 26 being shown in the drawing. The distributor casing is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending slots 28 through which air passes. The plenum may be provided with a bleed value 30 to ailow for the escape of hot air if the temperature within the enclosure rises above a predetermined value. The apparatus described with reference to the drawing is advantageous in that it wastes the minium of heat, normally the only heat being removed from the apparatus being contained in the water extracted by the dehumidifier 20 and subsequently passed to waste. The apparatus provides a factory assembled and tested module comprising the plenum with the fan 18, dehumidifier 20, etc. and the distributor 24. This is advantageous as little or no commissioning is required on site and furthermore the user can construct an enclosure having dimensions to suit himself simply by adding standard side and top panels 12, 14. Various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, for example the distributor can incorporate fan means making the extractor fan 1 8 redundant Further the distributor can take any suitable form and need not be in the form of the truncated conical arrangement described above. Additionally the module can be adapted for fitment in an existing enclosure. Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims" protection in respect of any patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon. CLAIMS

6. Drying apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or 5, in which a circulating fan is located at the upper end of the rotatable member.

7. Drying apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which a bleed valve is incorporated in the plenum.

8. Drying apparatus as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the plenum is located on top of the enclosure.

9.Drying apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

10. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter herein disclosed, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.