R-O2
R-O2 drying systems are transforming the industrial drying sector, delivering proven energy savings compared to traditional systems while significantly reducing drying losses. With faster cycle times and increased operational efficiency, R-O2 technology sets a new standard for high-performance industrial drying systems across a range of applications.
WHAT IS R-O2 DRYING?
R-O2 dryers are uniquely designed to operate in either a conventional mode or superheated steam mode, or a combination of both, to optimise the drying cycles. R-O2 drying technology offers numerous advantages, including:
- The specific heat of steam is twice that of normal air, allowing it to transfer more than twice the amount of heat for the same mass air flow.
- The viscosity of steam is approximately half that of air at the same temperature, creating a much greater effect, particularly on difficult-shaped products.
- R-O2 dryers are designed to operate in a direct firing mode if required. A fully modulating gas and air valve is added to the burner to give stoichiometric control and minimise oxygen input during the main drying phase.
R-02 DRYING ADVANTAGES?
The benefits of R-O2 drying technology recorded by customers have been as follows:
- Shortest possible drying times.
- Virtually zero percentage drying losses.
- Best possible energy consumption, up to 25% less than the best recorded conventional drying times.
- Capability to accept difficult products much earlier into the dryer, vastly reducing work in progress and consequently saving valuable floor space.
WHAT IS THE R-02 DRYING CYCLE?
During the R-O2 drying phase, oxygen is displaced above 100°C with dry superheated steam, allowing the product to be rapidly dried. The specific heat of steam is twice that of air, and the viscosity is approximately half that of air, providing a greater drying medium.
The heating continues until the product is dry, at which point ambient air is introduced into the dryer to cool both the chamber and products via automatically controlled dampers (fresh air and exhaust). The R-O2 drying technology cycle has the ability to operate using both conventional and superheated steam parts of the drying cycles to achieve the optimum conditions for delicate ceramic products.
In summary, the combination of conventional control, using humidity injection during the warm-up phase, and rapid moisture removal during the drying phase allows R-O2 drying technology to achieve substantial reductions in drying times compared to conventional techniques.
HOW DOES STEAM REPLACE AIR?
The steam is generated from the moisture contained only within the product. When water boils and becomes steam, its volume increases by a factor of 1,670. As the water evaporates, each kilogram of water occupies a volume of 1.67m³.
R-O2 dryers operate on full recirculation, meaning no new air is required to enter the system. As both the recirculation mix and the product get hotter, 1.67m³ of increasingly humid air is vented as each kilogram of water evaporates. This process continues until the dryer is virtually free of air, which is replaced with dry superheated steam.
R-O2 ENGINEERING CONSIDERATIONS
An R-O2 dryer has evolved to be built in a radically different way to conventional dryers. Key build features now include:
- Specially designed main structure and interlocking panel system.
- Fully welded supply and recirculation ductwork system to eliminate any conventional air or superheated steam gas loss.
- Specially developed and designed supply and recirculation fans to eliminate air leakage.
- Improved door design and ease of operation.
- Stoichiometric-designed modulating gas & air burners.
- Introduction of atomised water vapour.
- Airtight doors, either manual or automatically operated.
WHAT CAN BE DRIED BY R-O2 DRYING?
The answer is simple: Anything that can safely tolerate a temperature above 100°C can be dried in the R-O2 dryer. The list of products that can be dried by the R-O2 drying technology is continually expanding and includes:
- Raw materials; Eg. sand and aggregates
- Paper sludge
- Food products
- Food wastes
- Timber
- Waste woods
- Biomass
- Municipal solid wastes
- Various sludges and slurries
- Laundry
- Agricultural wastes
- Industrial wastes
- Chemicals
- Pharmaceuticals
- Animal feeds
- Animal effluent
- Bagasse
- All sanitaryware bathroom products
- Plaster moulds
- All types of ceramic bodies
- Refractory products
- Insulating bricks
- Clay Brick
- Tiles
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