Challenge
Feathers are bulky with uneven moisture; incomplete drying leads to mildew in storage and transport, and drying cost and throughput have to be kept in check.
Solution
Flash airflow drying with instantaneous contact between hot air and feathers for fast dewatering. The drying tube size and air volume were configured to the throughput, with matched dust collection to reduce down escape.
Result
The feathers reached the required moisture, dewatering was thorough for storage and transport, and down escape in the workshop was controlled.
Equipment in this case
Flash Airflow Dryer
Capacity varies with operating conditions and is confirmed by a trial run; parameters fixed by machine size, such as air volume, can be stated precisely.
Related questions
Flash airflow dryer or rotary dryer: which one?
The two have different structures and suit different duties:
Flash airflow dryer
It dewaters through brief contact between high-temperature air and the material. Drying is fast, which suits inorganic salts and chemical powders that need rapid dewatering. Sizes are Φ220, Φ280, Φ325, Φ400, Φ500 and Φ600.
Rotary dryer
The rotating drum tumbles the material for more even heating. It suits sawdust, plastic pellets and flake materials that do not break up while tumbling.
How to decide
Look at the material form and whether it is sticky. Powders and fast-dewatering duties point to flash airflow; granular or flake materials needing even heating point to rotary. The moisture content and target final moisture still have to be considered.
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