Energy-saving strategies for your convection dryer
Taking small steps to reduce your convection dryer's energy consumption can provide big payback in lower operating costs. After explaining how to identify the energy-savings potential in your dryer's operation, this article outlines several strategies for cutting the dryer's energy use. The information here applies to conveyor, rotary, spray, fluid-bed, and other types of convection dryers.
Today, ever-increasing energy costs in an extremely competitive business environment are driving many bulk solids processors to look for ways to reduce their energy consumption. Processors using convection drying have a particular incentive to spend less energy because this drying method is one of the most energy-intensive. Why? In a convection dryer (also called a direct-heat dryer), material dries by direct contact with high volumes of heated air. These dryers also tend to be large and operate at high capacity. While convection dryer manufacturers continue to develop technologies to reduce their machines' overall energy consumption, there are several methods you can apply without investing in new equipment that can improve your convection dryer's energy efficiency and boost your profitability.