PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND HEATING

摘要

The present invention is directed to drying and heating processes and to an apparatus incorporating a pulse combustion device that can be used in a drying system or in a heating system. In general, the apparatus includes a pulse combustion device for the combustion of a fuel to produce a pulsating flow of combustion products and an acoustic pressure wave. The pulse combustion device has a combustion chamber connected to at least one resonance tube. A resonance chamber surrounds at least a portion of the pulse combustion device and includes a nozzle downstream from the resonance tube. The nozzle accelerates the combustion products flowing therethrough and creates a pulsating velocity head. In a drying system, the nozzle exits into a drying chamber where the combustion products contact a feed stream. When used in a heating system, on the other hand, the nozzle exits into an eductor which mixes the combustion products with a recycled stream of combustion products for forming an effluent that is fed to a heat exchanging device.