An apparatus and method for providing a simpler and more robust mechanism for transporting materials to be dried through a vacuum microwave chamber in rotating containers. The apparatus (20) has a vacuum chamber (22), an input end (26) to introduce a container (24) into the chamber, and a discharge end (28) to remove the container. The container has spur gear teeth (60) extending along its outer circumferential surface. The apparatus has a single roller (42) having spur gear teeth (46) extending along its outer circumferential surface. The spur gear teeth of the roller mesh with the spur gear teeth of the container such that rotation of the roller about its longitudinal axis rotates the container. The apparatus also includes means for holding the container on the roller, means for moving the container through the chamber, a microwave generator 76 arranged for transmission of microwave radiation from the generator into the chamber, and means for reducing pressure inside the chamber.

The application relates to a process for drying a composition comprising an alkali metal salt of a compound of general formula (I) R.sup.1R.sup.2N—CHR.sup.3—COOM or formula (II) R.sup.1R.sup.2N—CHR.sup.3CHR.sup.3—COOM, in particular N,N-dimethyl glycinate salt, and the use thereof. In the process, the composition, in particular the N,N-di methyl glycinate salt, is dried by feeding the composition into a fluidized bed dryer and subjecting the composition to a heat treatment by contacting the composition in the fluidized bed dryer with a drying gas stream, and during the heat treatment a solution or dispersion of the composition is sprayed onto at least a portion of the composition present in the fluidized bed dryer, or alternatively or in addition the composition, in particular N,N-dimethyl glycinate salt, is fed into a fluidized bed dryer and subjected to heat treatment in the fluidized bed dryer by contacting the composition with a drying gas stream, and the temperature of the composition in the fluidized bed during the heat treatment does not exceed 50° C.

A low-energy drying system and method including a drying bed having at least four edges for holding the material to be dried, walls connected to the edges of the drying bed, a cover encompassing the drying bed and the wall, the cover having air permeable side walls, and air flow directors for directing air over the material in the drying bed.

Various implementations include a biomass dehydration system including a wet biomass chamber containing wet biomass, a belt or chain defining one or more cavities, two or more pulleys including a drive pulley that the belt or chain extend around and that are configured such that the cavities are disposable within the wet biomass chamber as the belt or chain moves along the pulleys to cause wet biomass to enter the cavities, and a drying chamber for dehydrating wet biomass disposed in the cavities into solid pellets. The drive pulley engages the belt or chain and causes the belt or chain to move around the pulleys. At least a portion of the belt or chain extends from the wet biomass chamber through the drying chamber. One of the pulleys includes one or more ejection protrusions for engaging the cavities and ejecting solid pellets from the cavities.

Embodiments provide a conveyor for conveying loads of lumber through a lumber kiln or other structure without the use of lumber carts or pushers. The conveyor may include a plurality of rollers arranged to form a flow path through the lumber kiln. Groups of the rollers may be driven by separate drives that are configured to rotate the rollers in opposite rotary directions and/or at variable speeds. Some or all of the drives may be operable independently of the other drives to transport loads of lumber at different speeds/directions in adjacent areas of the lumber kiln. In the event of a fire or a shut-down, the rollers in the proximal half of the kiln and those in the distal half of the kiln can be rotated in opposite directions to evacuate loads quickly from both ends.

A device for loading and unloading the utility surface (3′) of a drying chamber (2) of a freeze drying system. The device includes a carriage (8) which forms a movable guiding edge for the drying vessels (5), and is moveable on guides (7) disposed on both sides of the utility surface (3) and which extend in parallel with the movement direction and form fixed guiding edges for the drying vessels (5). At least one linear motor is provided to produce a drive for the carriage. All of the components of the device can be located inside the drying chamber (1), and the device of the present invention is suitable for upgrading existing freeze drying systems.

An intelligent manufacturing system for making cleaning sheet includes a multi-stage drying apparatus and a continuous track with non-stick coating. The drying apparatus has at least two stages and a lifting roller arranged between the two stages of the drying apparatus. The continuous track is at its exterior surface coated with the non-stick coating or covered by a medium having the non-stick coating, so that the manufactured cleaning sheet can have active cleaning ingredients therein protected and be easily removed from the continuous track after being dried. The lifting roller between the two stages of the drying apparatus prevents the adhesion between adjacent layers in the rolled cleaning sheet. The intelligent manufacturing system also has an enzyme-adding apparatus for spraying active enzyme that increases cleaning capacity onto the dried cleaning sheet so as to ensure the enzyme to retain good activity.

A freeze-drying apparatus (1) includes an arrangement of individual product platforms (19) that are supported vertically in a frame (20) in a drying chamber, in which each platform is able to be moved to a shift level, in which lateral guides (20, 21) designed to support a carriage (15) are arranged with a fixed height position, and which cooperate with the guides (16, 18) of a loading and unloading device (49). All product platforms (19) in the drying chamber can be loaded by repeating this operation cyclically. The freeze-drying apparatus (1) comprises an electrical drive unit powered by a battery (44).

In order to provide a treatment installation for treating workpieces that is of simple construction and enables optimised workpiece treatment, it is proposed that the treatment installation should include a treatment chamber and a conveying device, by means of which the workpieces are suppliable to the treatment chamber, are removable from the treatment chamber, and/or are conveyable through the treatment chamber in a conveying direction.

In order to provide a treatment installation for treating workpieces that is of simple construction and enables optimised workpiece treatment, it is proposed that the treatment installation should include a treatment chamber and a conveying device, by means of which the workpieces are suppliable to the treatment chamber, are removable from the treatment chamber, and/or are conveyable through the treatment chamber in a conveying direction.