A papermaking process including the steps of forming a wet paper web on a papermaking machine, pulling vacuum through the web to remove water from the web and thereby generate discharge air, and diverting at least a portion of the discharge air through a control loop to a hot air drying system within the papermaking process to aid in drying the web, wherein the vacuum is generated by centrifugal blowers.

Systems and methods for drying or bonding materials are described. A material to be dried or bonded may be passed through a through air dryer (TAD) or through air bonder (TAB). Some of the air output by the TAD/TAB may be recirculated to be passed back through material. As the air is recirculated, it is heated and mixed to a desired uniform temperature distribution. As heated air of the desired uniform temperature distribution is passed through ducting for transport to the material, the desired uniform temperature distribution deteriorates due to heat loss experienced at the walls of the ducting. Heating tape is implemented with respect to particular locations of ducting and selectively operated to maintain air traveling through the ducting at the desired uniform temperature distribution. Heat generated by the heating tape is used to counteract heat loss experienced by air traveling through the ducting.

Systems and methods for drying or bonding materials are described. A material to be dried or bonded may be passed through a through air dryer (TAD) (or other dryer). Some of the air output by a TAD may be recirculated to be passed back through material. As the air is recirculated, it is heated and mixed to a desired temperature for drying or bonding. A separate hot air injection system may heat ambient air and/or air exhausted by the TAD and inject the heated air into the recirculated air.

An electrode sheet drying equipment, an electrode sheet manufacturing system including the same, and an electrode sheet drying method including an air-floating roller disposed downstream of a drying oven, and the air-floating roller is configured to spray hot air through multiple air spraying holes formed on the outer circumferential surface. Accordingly, the electrode sheet discharged from the drying oven in a partially undried state can be additionally dried, thereby preventing contamination of a transfer roller and/or equipment of the subsequent process.

Disclosed herein relates to an electrode sheet drying device including a guide roller having a plurality of perforated holes formed on the outer circumferential surface, and the guide roller is configured to vacuum cling an electrode sheet to prevent an electrode sheet from being lifted from the guide roller during a drying process, thereby having an effect of mitigating the occurrence of creases in a non-coated part and preventing lifting of a current collector and the occurrence of cracks.

Disclosed herein relates to an electrode sheet drying device including a guide roller having a plurality of perforated holes formed on the outer circumferential surface, and the guide roller is configured to vacuum cling an electrode sheet to prevent an electrode sheet from being lifted from the guide roller during a drying process, thereby having an effect of mitigating the occurrence of creases in a non-coated part and preventing lifting of a current collector and the occurrence of cracks.

An oven for baking a thermally curable binder in a mat of mineral fibers, including plural compartments through which the mat of fibers passes successively, the mat being compressed and transported through the compartments by gas-permeable upper conveyors and lower conveyors, each compartment having a length along a direction of movement of the mat and including a mechanism introducing a hot air flow, located either below or above the fiber mat, and a mechanism extracting the air after having passed through the mat, respectively arranged either above or below the opposite face of the mat, so that the binder is progressively brought to a temperature higher than its curing temperature. In one compartment the mechanism introducing hot air includes air inlets that open partly on openings formed on a first lateral side of the compartment and partly on openings formed on the opposite lateral side of the compartment.

An oven for baking a thermally curable binder in a mat of mineral fibers, including plural compartments through which the mat of fibers passes successively, the mat being compressed and transported through the compartments by gas-permeable upper conveyors and lower conveyors, each compartment having a length along a direction of movement of the mat and including a mechanism introducing a hot air flow, located either below or above the fiber mat, and a mechanism extracting the air after having passed through the mat, respectively arranged either above or below the opposite face of the mat, so that the binder is progressively brought to a temperature higher than its curing temperature. In one compartment the mechanism introducing hot air includes air inlets that open partly on openings formed on a first lateral side of the compartment and partly on openings formed on the opposite lateral side of the compartment.

A system for fabricating a sheet product. A first rotatable roller includes a rotatable drum portion having an outer surface that rotates about a rotational axis in a first direction and conveys a sheet product. The rotatable drum portion also has a plurality of ports communicative between an inner surface and an outer surface. The ports extend along and around the drum portion. The first rotatable roller emits a pressurized fluid. A second rotatable roller has an outer surface arranged proximate to the outer surface of the rotatable drum portion of the first rotatable roller, and a heat source portion to heat the second rotatable roller to dry the sheet product. The second rotatable roller rotates in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction. A gap is defined between the second rotatable roller and the first rotatable roller through which the sheet product passes.

A system for fabricating a sheet product. A first rotatable roller includes a rotatable drum portion having an outer surface that rotates about a rotational axis in a first direction and conveys a sheet product. The rotatable drum portion also has a plurality of ports communicative between an inner surface and an outer surface. The ports extend along and around the drum portion. The first rotatable roller emits a pressurized fluid. A second rotatable roller has an outer surface arranged proximate to the outer surface of the rotatable drum portion of the first rotatable roller, and a heat source portion to heat the second rotatable roller to dry the sheet product. The second rotatable roller rotates in a second direction that is opposite to the first direction. A gap is defined between the second rotatable roller and the first rotatable roller through which the sheet product passes.