A method for drying materials is disclosed. The method comprises introducing a material into a dryer chamber, creating steam from vaporizing moisture in the material by maintaining the chamber at a temperature, conditioning the material using the steam created from vaporing moisture in the material by conveying the material along a length of the chamber from an inlet end to an outlet end, exhausting steam near the inlet end of the chamber, exhausting steam near a dry-end exit end of the chamber, controlling a migration of moisture between the inlet and outlet ends by adjusting an exhaust flow rate near the inlet end of the chamber and/or an exhaust flow rate near the dry-end exit end of the chamber, and withdrawing the material from the chamber.

An installation for carrying out a continuous multi-stage industrial process includes a housing that defines a first space and a second space that is connected to the first through a first connecting channel. Different pressure conditions prevail in these spaces during the course of the process. A process material is passed sequentially through the first space, the first connecting channel and the second space. A transported material is provided in the first connecting channel to form a free-flowing sealing zone with the process material and ensures that different process conditions will be maintained in the two spaces, and in particular that different pressures will be maintained in the two spaces. The invention also relates to a multi-stage continuous industrial process using such an installation.

A shoe dryer including a main body, a shoe receiver provided inside the main body and configured to receive a shoe, a blower configured to blow air toward the shoe received in the shoe receiving portion, a camera configured to obtain an image of the shoe by photographing the shoe received in the shoe receiver, and a control device configured to recognize information about the shoe from the image of the shoe obtained by the camera, and control a direction of air blown by the blower based on the information about the shoe.

The invention involves an apparatus and a method for drying and/or curing impregnated wood. The apparatus includes a chamber comprising a stack containing space for containing a plurality of elongated wood planks arranged in a stack of a height H.sub.s, width W.sub.s and length L.sub.s, a heating element arranged within or adjacent to the space, a flow generating device arranged outside the space and configured to generate a circulating flow (F) of curing fluid within the chamber and a fluid flow restrictor arranged between the space and the flow generating device. The flow generating device and the fluid flow restrictor are further configured such that the circulating flow (F) of curing fluid is guided through the heating element generating a homogeneously heated and distributed flow (F) of curing fluid in the space. At least one motor is arranged outside the chamber, the at least one motor being configured to operate the flow generating device via a connecting shaft.

A compressed air drying system is provided for removing moisture from compressed air. The system includes multiple air dryers that each remove moisture from a portion of the compressed air. The air dryers share a reservoir of liquid coolant that is used to cool the compressed air in each of the drying units. The reservoir has inlets for each of the drying units for the liquid coolant to return from the respective unit to the reservoir. The inlets are arranged in the reservoir to mix the incoming liquid coolant from the inlets to ensure that warm coolant from one of the inlets does not flow directly to an outlet of the reservoir.

A microwave drying device has a processing box. Two mounting openings are formed on an external mounting wall of the processing box. Two suction partitions are mounted in the processing box and divide an inner space of the processing box into a microwave drying space and two suction spaces. The microwave drying space is located between and connects to the two suction spaces. Multiple channel partitions are mounted in the microwave drying space to form a meandering wave travelling channel. Two opposite ends of the wave travelling channel connect to the two mounting openings respectively. Two microwave emitting modules are mounted on the external mounting wall and emit microwaves toward the two mounting openings respectively. Multiple openings are formed in the processing box such that a film can travel through the processing box. Therefore, drying speed is greatly increased, and the drying device is more compact.

An installation for carrying out a continuous multi-stage industrial process includes a housing that defines a first space and a second space that is connected to the first through a first connecting channel. Different pressure conditions prevail in these spaces during the course of the process. A process material is passed sequentially through the first space, the first connecting channel and the second space. A transported material is provided in the first connecting channel to form a free-flowing sealing zone with the process material and ensures that different process conditions will be maintained in the two spaces, and in particular that different pressures will be maintained in the two spaces. The invention also relates to a multi-stage continuous industrial process using such an installation.

In order to create a device for minimizing a fluid exchange between adjacent spaces, which is of simple construction and enables an efficient fluidic separation of two adjacent spaces, it is proposed that the device preferably comprises the following: a nozzle device, by means of which a separating fluid stream is introducible into a transition region between the adjacent spaces; and a moveable cover element, by means of which a connecting opening connecting the two adjacent spaces to each other is coverable or closeable at least in sections.

In order to create a conveying system which is of simple construction and enables an efficient conveyance of objects, it is proposed that the conveying system comprises a first conveying device and a second conveying device, wherein the objects are able to be taken over from the first conveying device and/or are transferrable to the first conveying device by means of the second conveying device.

A treatment plant and method for treating workpieces, in particular for coating and/or drying vehicle bodies, having a treatment device with a housing in which a treatment space is accommodated. A conveyor system having a multitude of transport trolleys for conveying workpieces through the treatment space, wherein each transport trolley has a chassis and a fastening device for at least one workpiece, which are coupled together by means of a connecting device. Outside the treatment space, there is a guiding area with a travel space for the chassis. The travel space is connected to the treatment space via a connecting passage such that the chassis of a transport trolley can move in the travel space and at the same time the fastening device is entrained in the treatment space and the connecting device extends through the connecting passage. The travel space is defined by a travel space housing and a gas device is present to feed a throughflow gas, in particular air, to the travel space. At least a major part of the throughflow gas can again be discharged from the travel space as exhaust gas, without this throughflow gas reaching the treatment space through the connecting passage.