We offer two styles of dryers:

• Continuous
• Batch

Continuous Dryer
Basic components of the continuous dryer are:

• Sludge hopper
• Extruder assembly
• Drying chamber with infrared heating elements and stainless steel mesh conveyor
• Air scrubber for particulate removal
• Control panel

Filter cake from the filter press is extruded through a perforated screen to form a "noodle". The noodle increases surface area of the cake for more efficient drying. Use of infrared radiation as a heat source also increases drying efficiency.

The operation of a continuous dryer is simple. Transfer the filter cake to the dryer hopper and turn on the dryer. Loading systems are available if needed. Set the operating parameters. This is usually done once during start-up. Place drum, bag or dumpster under the discharge chute and collect the dried cake.

Each continuous dryer is supplied with a venturi style wet scrubber that is 98% efficient for particulate removal. The automatic control system monitors discharge temperature at the scrubber inlet. If the temperature rises beyond a set point, the extruder speed increases and gas flow reduces. If the temperature falls below a set point, just the opposite happens.

The continuous dryer operates on any of the following:

• natural gas
• propane gas
• electric

There is no direct flame. All wetted components are stainless steel. The automatic operation requires little operator attention. The flexible operation of the dryer and the controlled vapor discharge are a real plus.

Batch Dryer
With the batch dryer, dehumidified (dry) air is forced through the cake. The dry air draws moisture from the cake. Wet air passes across an evaporative coil. The moisture is condensed and discharged. Re-dried air is then re-circulated through the cake.

The basic components of the batch dryer are:

• Cake hopper
• Air filter
• Evaporator coils
• Condenser coils
• Recirculation fan

Simply load the specially designed sludge hopper that allows dehydrated air to be circulated through the wet filter cake. Turn the power on, set the cycle timer and push the start button.

Features and Benefits:

• There are few moving parts.
• Energy requirements are low.
• Due to the closed loop design, there are no emissions to worry about. 
• The automatic processing requires minimal operator attention.

During the drying process, the filter cake remains in the hopper for approximately 16 to 24 hours.  Factors affecting the drying time include:

• Input cake percent solids
• Final dry solids content
• Void space characteristics of the filter cake

Cake solids can be increased from a 20 to 30% solids range to an average of 65 to 85 % solids.  Cake weight may be reduced by approximately 2/3, and cake volume may be reduced by approximately 1/3 to 1/2 depending upon the physical characteristics of the material processed.

Dried solids are discharged by removing the hopper lid, elevating the hopper with a forklift, and dumping into a roll off box or disposal bag.  The hopper has a self-dumping mechanism to simplify the discharge process.  Transfer chutes are available to assist the loading of the material into bags.

Since water is discharged as a liquid, much of the heat energy is recovered by the recirculating air stream.  The J-Mate batch process dryer is very energy efficient and the cost of operation is low.  Electricity is the only utility required for operation, minimizing installation costs.

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