A method and apparatus for direct drying of inorganic sludge with a drum drawing process, comprising the following steps: 1) drum mixed drying of slag and sludge: respectively conveying the slag and sludge into a drum (1) in proportion, completing mixing, heat exchange, dehydration, cooling and crushing of the slag and sludge under the rolling action of the drum (1) and a steel ball to achieve cooling, crushing and drying of the slag and sludge, and directly discharging the obtained mixture; 2) slag and sludge separation: separating the steel slag and dry sludge in a manner of combining screening and rotary separation; 3) tail gas treatment: treating dusts, sulfides and organic compounds in tail gas generated by the dry sludge by using wet alkali washing and activated carbon adsorption, and discharging the treated tail gas; and 4) tailing sludge treatment: generating steam and dusts in the drum treatment of the slag and sludge, allowing dusts to enter a tail gas treatment device (4) with steam, aggregating the dusts after wet washing or spraying, and then conveying into a tailing sludge blending device (5) by means of a conveying device, mixing and stirring the tailing sludge and original sludge, conveying the obtained mixture into the drum (1), and drying the mixture to realize zero discharge of undried sludge.

A drying apparatus of porous material includes a reduced-pressure fermentation dryer configured to: store porous material containing water in an airtight container; heat and stir the porous material under reduced pressure so that a temperature of the porous material is within a predetermined temperature range; feed microorganisms into the airtight container so that the microorganisms enter pores of the porous material; and evaporate the water contained in the porous material by fermentation heat by the microorganisms so as to dry the porous material.

Air is taken out from a drying oven 1 for drying a coating film of a work piece 2, and the air is cooled such that each of at least part of moisture and at least part of a VOC which are contained in the air is condensed to be removed from the air. The air after the cooling is heated, and is returned into the drying oven 1. A heat pump 3 whose heat absorption source is the air taken out from the drying oven 1 and whose heat radiation source is the air after the cooling is provided. By using the heat pump 3, cooling and heating of the air are performed.

A plant for drying objects which release volatile substances may include: a drying tunnel; a conveying system configured to convey the objects through the drying tunnel; a plurality of sensors arranged along the drying tunnel; and/or a plurality of air exchange units. The sensors may be configured to measure a concentration of the volatile substances along the drying tunnel. The air exchange units may be controlled by the sensors to keep the concentration of the volatile substances in the drying tunnel below a pre-established value. A method for keeping volatile substances below a pre-established value within a plant for drying objects may include: measuring with sensors concentration of the volatile substances at points along the drying tunnel; and/or operating air exchange units, according to the concentration of the volatile substances measured by the sensors, to keep the concentration of the volatile substances in the drying tunnel below the pre-established value.

A process for separating solvent from spent oil sand solids involves drying the solids using superheated steam, and thereby producing a vapor comprising the vaporized solvent and vaporized water. The vapor is conveyed through a hot side of a first heat exchanger to produce a cooled stream comprising condensed solvent and condensed water, while a water stream is conveyed under vacuum through a cold side of the first heat exchanger to produce steam. A vacuum blower that applies the vacuum may also compress the steam to adiabatically heat the steam, before the steam is further heated by a steam superheater. The condensed water is separated from the cooled stream, and used in producing the water stream that is conveyed through the cold side of the heat exchanger, as the process continues. The steam is used in producing the superheated steam for drying the solids, as the process continues.

A drying plant (1) for granular polymer material based on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) comprises a hopper (2), which the granular polymer material is dried and a supply and recirculation circuit (10) for a process gas which is provided to dry the granular polymer material and comprising a catalysing group (25) which is configured to promote a decomposition reaction of contaminating substances which are present in the process gas and which are released from the granular polymer material in the hopper.

Systems and methods in accordance with the present invention provide for the efficient distillation of ethanol in an ethanol plant including a beer column. Heat is captured in the distillation process and utilized to drive operations in the ethanol plant.

A process for separating solvent from spent oil sand solids involves drying the solids using superheated steam, and thereby producing a vapor comprising the vaporized solvent and vaporized water. The vapor is conveyed through a hot side of a first heat exchanger to produce a cooled stream comprising condensed solvent and condensed water, while a water stream is conveyed under vacuum through a cold side of the first heat exchanger to produce steam. A vacuum blower that applies the vacuum may also compress the steam to adiabatically heat the steam, before the steam is further heated by a steam superheater. The condensed water is separated from the cooled stream, and used in producing the water stream that is conveyed through the cold side of the heat exchanger, as the process continues. The steam is used in producing the superheated steam for drying the solids, as the process continues.

A drying apparatus of porous material includes a reduced-pressure fermentation dryer configured to: store porous material containing water in an airtight container; heat and stir the porous material under reduced pressure so that a temperature of the porous material is within a predetermined temperature range; feed microorganisms into the airtight container so that the microorganisms enter pores of the porous material; and evaporate the water contained in the porous material by fermentation heat by the microorganisms so as to dry the porous material.

The invention relates to a method of drying a material, that includes the steps of: providing a gaseous atmosphere with superheated steam in a housing, transporting a material into the housing, and drying the material in the gaseous atmosphere. Thereafter, transporting the dried material out of the housing and extracting from the gaseous atmosphere volatile substances which escape from the material into the gaseous atmosphere, especially flavors. The invention is also direct to an apparatus for drying the extruded material.