Dryer apparatus using hot gases in free standing vortex
This invention relates to improvements in industrial dryers of the type using a free standing vortex for drying purposes and, more particularly, to a dryer which generates a free standing vortex with the use of an improved transmission between straight line hot gases and a free standing vortex condition. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Industrial dryers of conventional construction have often used a free standing vortex containing hot gases swirling around in a vortex mode in an open space. Drying of wet materials directed into the path of travel of hot gases flowing through the space causes the liquid content of the materials to be separated and evaporated from the solid content of the materials directed into the path of the hot gases. The vortex seems to work on the principal of centrifugal force wherein the liquid content is dripped from the solid content, leaving the solid content in the vicinity of the vortex while the liquid content and portions of the solid content are removed by evaporation from the space in which the vortex takes place. While the desired aim is the saving of time in drying industrial materials and waste of all types, it is also important that the apparatus for drying materials using a free standing vortex be simple and rugged in construction and have a relatively few number of moving parts yet the dryer provides for the drying of industrial materials in a minimum of time with a high degree of efficiency. The present invention provides such a dryer. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to several embodiments of an industrial dryer for drying all types of industrial materials, such as sludge, salt water, brines and the like. The apparatus of the present invention is provided with relatively few moving parts and its structure is simple and of substantially minimal complexity. 
     The several embodiments of the apparatus of the present invention all rely upon an improved transition plate which is slotted in a manner to cause hot gases flowing toward and through the slots to be immediately transformed into a free standing vortex on the downstream side of the transition plate. The vortex itself will be formed in a minimum of time and will operate on the wet materials directed into the path or center of the vortex to immediately cause drying. Structure is provided to collect the water vapor created by the drying action. 
     In a first embodiment of the apparatus, hot gases are created by the operation of a blower which directs air under pressure and increasing velocity through a heater and then into and through the slotted transition plate from whence the free standing vortex is generated in a downstream space. 
     In a second embodiment, a resonating engine is used as a source of hot gases, such gases moving out of the engine and along a central barrel of the engine and in through the slots of the transition plate. A tube moves the materials into the space in which the free standing vortex is generated. The material being dried absorbs the engine heat by the resonating and mixing of the vortex by the resonating engine, thereby causing instant drying. This step minimizes the drying time required to dry the wet materials directed into the apparatus at a location downstream of the transition plate. 
     The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved, industrial dryer using a free standing vortex as the drying means wherein is provided an improved slotted transition plate downstream of a source of hot gases and the hot gases are directed into and through the slots of the plate to a space at the downstream side of the plate in which the free standing vortex is generated and into which the materials to be dried are directed for immediate drying. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of drying industrial materials which provides that hot gases move through a slotted transition region to form a free standing vortex following which the materials to be dried are moved into the free standing vortex to thereby create the drying action immediately to thereby minimize drying time yet assure that the drying is done efficiently and in a confined space. 
     Other objects of the present invention will become apparent as the following specification progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings for an illustration of the invention. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevational view of a free standing vortex generator forming a first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing a second embodiment of a free standing vortex generator, the generator using a resonating engine; 
     FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of a disk-like member having slots therethrough for causing the generation of a free standing vortex; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 3; and 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a segment of the member of FIGS. 3 and 4. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     A first embodiment of the materials dryer of the present invention is broadly denoted by the numeral 10 and includes a blower 12 of conventional construction, the outlet 14 of the blower 12 being coupled to the inlet 16 of a heater 18 which heats the air from blower 12 before it flows through a pipe 20 to the inlet 22 of a tubular member 24 whose outlet 26 has a slotted member 28 extending across the path of the air. The air flow through slotted member 28 causes a free standing vortex to be generated for drying wet materials. 
     Member 28 is shown in detail in FIGS. 4-6. The member includes an outer, annular flange 30 mounted on the annular outer periphery of a disk-like member 32 having slots 34 therein which are non-radial. Each slot 34 has a certain width and extends outwardly from one end of a cylindrical segment 38 to flange 30. Member 38 is secured to wall segments 40 which define a front wall 42 (FIG. 4) of member 30. 
     There are six slots 34 in member 32. Each slot 34 is generally parallel to an imaginary radial line passing through the central axis 37 of member 38 and flange 30. The outer peripheral edge of each segment 40 is secured to flange 30. Each slot 34 is formed by a sharp edge 35 and a turned down edge 39 in which the portion of the disk that was cut to form the slot 34 is bent down and extends inwardly from front wall 42 (FIG. 5). 
     The liquid materials to be dried by dryer 10 are directed into the interior of member 30 by pipe 50 whose outlet end is in the vicinity of the front, open end of cylinder 38 which is closed at the rear end thereof by a disk-like element 41. By placing the outlet end of pipe 50 as shown in FIG. 4, the wet materials to be dried are forced directly into the free standing vortex. 
     In operation, dryer 10 is put into use by energizing blower 12 which causes air under pressure to be directed through air heater 18 and then through tube 20 to the expanding space 24 from whence the hot air passes through the slots 34 of plate 28 and forms a free standing vortex 60. Liquid materials are directed through tube 50 into the vortex. 
     The presence of slots 34 causes the generation of the free standing vortex 60 in the free space whose outer boundary is identified by the envelope 61. This vortex causes the drying of the wet materials sent into the vortex, directly downstream of the slots 34. The drying effect is done almost instantaneously and the materials which are drying gravitate to a bottom surface 62 where the materials are collected and re-used as deemed necessary. Water vapor from the drying is directed upwardly through a stack 63. 
     In a second embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, a dryer 70 includes a resonating engine 72 placed within a barrel 74 having an upstream end 75 by which a flow of hot air is directed toward and through the downstream, slotted member 77 (FIG. 2) at the downstream end of barrel 74. The passage of hot gases through slotted member 77 causes a free standing vortex 91 to be generated. 
     Resonating engine 70 can be conventional in construction. Typical resonating engines are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,462,955 and 3,798,786. 
     Engine 72 includes a combustion chamber 80 having an inlet 81 for air and a fluid fuel inlet tube 76 by which is formed a mixture of fuel and air which is combustible and which is ignitable in any suitable manner, such as by spark plug 79. 
     A conical tube 83 leads from the outlet 83a of resonating engine 70 to the central open space 85 of a slotted member 77. Member 77 has the same construction and the same characteristics as member 16 of FIG. 1. 
     Also, liquid materials to be dried are directed into the vortex 91 downstream of the central portion 85 of member 77 by a tube 87. 
     In operation, the resonating engine is put into use by igniting the fuel/air mixture in chamber 80. When so fired, the combustion gases from the resonating engine accelerate forwardly through conical tube 83 and then through the slots 34 of member 77 which is substantially the same as member 16 of FIG. 1 except that member 77 has no inner end wall 41 as shown in FIG. 4. 
     As soon as the hot gases flow through the slots 34 of member 77, a free standing vortex 91 is formed in the region downstream of member 77. Also, when liquid materials are directed into the vortex, the materials are quickly dried and are free of moisture so that the materials gravitate onto the surface below the vortex generator and the materials can be collected later in a dry condition for further use, for storage or for any other purpose.