Provided herein are systems, methods, and processes for drying a softgel having a hydrophilic fill material and one or more active ingredients. After forming the hydrophilic softgel, for example, the softgel is dried by sequentially passing the softgel through a series of specific drying conditions, in which the first drying condition has a low temperature and low dew point. In certain examples, controlled airflow is also used to dry the softgels. By using the systems, methods, and processes, the total time to dry the hydrophilic softgel can be beneficially reduced from several days to about 24 hours without causing shriveling of the softgel.

Devices, systems, and methods for drying a bulk waste product, such as animal waste, having a moisture content of 95% or more water can include a trough configured to receive the bulk waste product and to dispense it in a form suitable for convective drying, one or more conveyors having an air-permeable conveyor belt, each conveyor receiving the waste product from the trough and transporting the waste product along a transport path; and one or more air moving devices (AMDs) that pass air through the air-permeable conveyor belt and across the waste product as it is transported along the transport path to transform the bulk waste product into a dried waste product having a moisture content of about 5% to about 20%, inclusive.

Disclosed is a method for thermally drying pasty products, in particular wastewater sludge, and a belt dryer implementing such a method. The principle consists of partitioning the drying operations and using, for each of the successive operations, a different quality of air: (i) hot air for searing the sludge, (ii) low temperature air, then (iii) cold air for quenching the sludge before the extraction of same. Also proposed are loops of air supply circuits making it possible to optimize the energy consumption of the dryer by reusing energy produced within these circuits. Moreover, the loops make it possible to recover unavoidable low temperature energy or cheap energy, further optimising the consumption of the dryer.

Systems and methods for processing earthen slurries such as slurries of earth cuttings and, in particular, systems and methods that involve two separation units for dewatering the slurry or that involve additive mixing units are disclosed. The systems and methods may include a conveyor such as a drag-slat conveyor that removes slurry from a holding tank at which the material is dumped and toward the separation units to allow the material to be continuously processed and dumped into the holding tank.

A vibration unit assembly for a belt conveyor has a vibration element, and vibration generator and a connection assembly. The vibration generator is operatively connected to the vibration element for inducing vibrations in the vibration element. The connection assembly connects the vibration element to the belt conveyor so that the vibration element may move relative to the belt conveyor. A contact surface of the vibration element engages a material to vibrate and compress the material as it is transported on the belt conveyor. The vibration element may include a plate or a roller. A method for treating a material involves applying a vibration force and applying a compressive force to compact the material. A method for drying a material involves applying a vibration force to the material to release fluid and applying a compressive force to compact the material.

A process and apparatus for removing moisture from sludge. The process and apparatus comprise: conveying on a conveyor the sludge on an incline through a housing such that, as the sludge is conveyed, it is deposited onto an exposed portion of the housing; heating the sludge with a heater as it is conveyed on the incline to evaporate moisture in the sludge, whereby the sludge that it is deposited onto the exposed portion of the housing is also heated to thereby evaporate moisture from the sludge; extracting from the housing using a vacuum device an airflow comprising the evaporated moisture, whereby the airflow includes moisture that has been evaporated as a result of the sludge being deposited onto the exposed heated portion of the housing; and discharging from the housing, separately to the extracting of the airflow from the housing, the sludge from which the moisture has been removed.

A centrifugal dewatering conveyor system for removing liquid from a conveyed product comprises a modular conveyor belt designed to follow a path that includes both straight portions and helical portions. The modular conveyor belt comprises a plurality of hingedly connected modules having side walls and capable of shifting laterally relative to each other and curling up about the hinge rods to form the helical portions. In the helical portions, a centrifugal force imparted on conveyed product forces water through openings in the conveyor belt.

The present invention provides an apparatus 100 for drying a substance 190, the apparatus 100 comprising at least one roller 121 rotatable about a central axis; a first belt 112 having a first side 112 and a second side 112, the first side 112 of the first belt 112 adapted to receive the substance 190; and a plurality of heat induction elements 123 arranged to induce heat in the first belt 112 to heat the substance 190, where in operation, the first belt 112 urges via its first side 112, the substance 190 towards a portion of an exterior circumferential surface of the roller 121, and the substance 190 is heated to remove fluids from the substance 190.

An apparatus for drying loose wood material having a rotating drum dryer is provided with an inlet and an outlet for loose wood material and with an intake port and a discharge port for a first stream of heated air. A belt dryer is provided with an entry opening and an exit opening for loose wood material and at least one intake opening and at least one discharge opening for a second stream of heated air. The apparatus also includes a conveyance component for transferring the loose wood material, the component being interposed between the drum dryer and the belt dryer. The apparatus further includes a component for conveying the first stream in output from the discharge port toward the at least one intake opening and a conveyor belt which is permeable to air is interposed therebetween and is adapted to filter the second stream.

An apparatus for drying loose wood material having a rotating drum dryer is provided with an inlet and an outlet for loose wood material and with an intake port and a discharge port for a first stream of heated air. A belt dryer is provided with an entry opening and an exit opening for loose wood material and at least one intake opening and at least one discharge opening for a second stream of heated air. The apparatus also includes a conveyance component for transferring the loose wood material, the component being interposed between the drum dryer and the belt dryer. The apparatus further includes a component for conveying the first stream in output from the discharge port toward the at least one intake opening and a conveyor belt which is permeable to air is interposed therebetween and is adapted to filter the second stream.