| 摘要 |
<p>The invention provides a rotary drier for tobacco products comprising a cylinder (61) arranged for rotation about an inclined axis and having means (67, 68) for feeding tobacco into one end of the drying cylinder and means (69, 70) for conveying dried tobacco from the other end of the drying cylinder, heating means (84) arranged to heat the cylinder, a housing (60) arranged to contain the drying cylinder and sealed to be substantially air tight, means (71, 87, 88) for reducing the pressure in the drying cylinder below atmospheric pressure; and preferably but not essentially means for superheating steam (72), means for injecting steam (89) adjacent the superheating means, for conveying steam (73) leaving the injection means at one end of the cylinder to the superheating means, and ducting (74) for conveying superheated steam from said superheating means to the other end of said cylinder. The invention further provides a method of drying tobacco products comprising subjecting the tobacco to an atmosphere of superheated steam in a rotary drying chamber, while said atmosphere is maintained at apressure below atmospheric pressure.</p> |
