FLUID BED DRYER |seed and grain cleaning|Oliver Manufacturing Company|specific gravity separator|destoner Oliver Manufacturing Company Inc. recently introduced a new fluidbed dryer which represents a new concept in flash or surface drying technology. The application of the Oliver patented fan system to produce uniform, precise air flow has allowed Oliver to create a simple, inexpensive dryer. Adjust each air gate of the fluid bed dryer so that the material has just enough air to remain in a fluid state. Be careful not to open the air gates too much. If too much air is entering via the air gates, the material will appear to be "boiling" rather than flowing smoothly down the deck. Areas where there appears to be too little air might be noted. This is because the deck is not completely covered, allowing excess air to escape through the uncovered portion. When the deck becomes covered, the air pattern will shift to normal. A fluid bed dryer greatly reduces the time for drying compared with a tray or vacuum dryer. A fluid bed dryer exposes the entire product surface area to the high-volume air stream and convection transfers heat to the product surface. Hovever, if the air velocity of the inlet is not properly selected, drying in a consistent and uniform manner will not occur. The velocity of air has a vital role in maintaining proper fluidization and ultimately uniform drying. A complete understanding of the process of fluidization inlet air will help in the development of a fluid bed dryer process that produces uniformly dried granules and minimizes the number of production problems encountered. |
