The disclosure provided herein is directed to a grain dryer, that dries grains such as soy, corn, rice, etc., that may comprise of three or more grain drying towers capable of being arranged in diverse geometric formats, for example, triangular, square, pentagonal, hexagonal, etc. The grain drying towers may comprise airducts arranged transversally in relation to each other and with each airduct containing multiple openings that may be arranged in each of its six faces. Faces of the airducts have interspaced openings where some regions of the airduct may or may not have an opening.

A heating apparatus for supplying heated air to a grain dryer or the like. The apparatus features a biomass furnace with a burn chamber for combustible biomass material, a chimney having a lower end in fluid communication with the burn chamber interior, and air ducting that has a fresh air inlet, an output end connected to the dryer, and directs heated exhaust air from the chimney to the dryer. An airflow control system is configured to both control airflow to the dryer through the air ducting, and control a temperature of said airflow by varying a ratio between the fresh ambient air and the heated exhaust air. The burn chamber has a chain gate with overbed and underbed circulation fans that generate airflow up through the chain grate, as well as tumbling air currents above the chain grate for thorough combustion and cleaner exhaust that won't contaminate the grain.

A system that facilitates the controlled drying of biomass is provided. The system and method provides automated control over the rate of drying and the moisture content of the resulting product. The system and method also includes auto-loading and unloading, thereby providing a fully automated process. The system and method can be adapted to match the scale of the production and therefore has applicability for large operations as well as micro operations. In addition, since the drying rate and moisture content of the material being dried is monitored and controlled, the system and method can be used to dry products for a wide range of different applications (e.g., drying hemp for medical use as well as for industrial use).

A drying apparatus for granular materials in which granular materials in a drying tank are heated and dried; the drying apparatus includes a moving mechanism to move the granular materials in the drying tank; and a control section to control the moving mechanism so as to move the granular materials in the drying tank upon determining that temperature of the granular materials around a heating portion in the drying tank exceeds a glass transition temperature.

A grain dryer unload system is presented that facilitates operation of a discharge system independent of a metering system. A motor connects to an axle that connects to the discharge system, which may be a drag chain, a belt or an auger. The axle also connects to a metering system. A clutch mechanism is connected to an end of the axle and is positioned between the discharge system and the metering system. When the clutch mechanism is in an engaged position, the motor simultaneously operates the metering system and the discharge system. However, when the clutch mechanism is in a disengaged position, the motor operates the discharge system while the metering system does not operate. This arrangement facilitates easier cleaning of the grain dryer without introducing the fines into the grain or a connected grain storage device.

A system that facilitates the controlled drying of biomass is provided. The system and method provides automated control over the rate of drying and the moisture content of the resulting product. The system and method also includes auto-loading and unloading, thereby providing a fully automated process. The system and method can be adapted to match the scale of the production and therefore has applicability for large operations as well as micro operations. In addition, since the drying rate and moisture content of the material being dried is monitored and controlled, the system and method can be used to dry products for a wide range of different applications (e.g., drying hemp for medical use as well as for industrial use).

There is provided a grain dryer in which the whole of a dryer main body can be made effective use of whether the grain dryer is used in either a circulation drying mode or in a continuous flow drying mode, the grain dryer including a dryer main body into which grains are loaded, a hot air chamber provided at one side of the dryer main body to supply hot air into an interior of the dryer main body, and an exhaust air chamber provided at the other side of the dryer main body to discharge hot air from the interior of the dryer main body, wherein the hot air chamber and the exhaust air chamber each have a plurality of upper and lower independent spaces, the corresponding spaces of the hot air chamber and the exhaust air chamber being disposed to be positioned substantially at a same height, and wherein the individual spaces of the hot air chamber communicate with corresponding hot air generators to execute separate supplies of hot air generated by the hot air generators into the individual spaces, and a height range in the interior of the dryer main body into which hot air is supplied from the spaces of the hot air chamber is defined as a drying section to dry grains loaded into the interior of the dryer main body.

There is provided a grain dryer in which the whole of a dryer main body can be made effective use of whether the grain dryer is used in either a circulation drying mode or in a continuous flow drying mode, the grain dryer including a dryer main body into which grains are loaded, a hot air chamber provided at one side of the dryer main body to supply hot air into an interior of the dryer main body, and an exhaust air chamber provided at the other side of the dryer main body to discharge hot air from the interior of the dryer main body, wherein the hot air chamber and the exhaust air chamber each have a plurality of upper and lower independent spaces, the corresponding spaces of the hot air chamber and the exhaust air chamber being disposed to be positioned substantially at a same height, and wherein the individual spaces of the hot air chamber communicate with corresponding hot air generators to execute separate supplies of hot air generated by the hot air generators into the individual spaces, and a height range in the interior of the dryer main body into which hot air is supplied from the spaces of the hot air chamber is defined as a drying section to dry grains loaded into the interior of the dryer main body.

A drying apparatus for granular materials in which granular materials in a drying tank are heated and dried; the drying apparatus includes a moving mechanism to move the granular materials in the drying tank; and a control section to control the moving mechanism so as to move the granular materials in the drying tank upon determining that temperature of the granular materials around a heating portion in the drying tank exceeds a glass transition temperature.

The invention relates to a drying system. The drying system comprises a drying chamber including a bead compartment for accommodating bead particles, a drying compartment and a gas permeable partitioning separating the bead compartment from the drying compartment. The drying compartment may include a product compartment for accommodating a product to be dried. The drying chamber further includes a bead inflow opening for flowing dry bead particles into the bead compartment and a bead discharge opening for flowing saturated bead particles from the bead compartment outwardly.