PET Drying System adjusts to material variations.
Press Release Summary:
IntelliPET(TM) features desiccant wheel dryer design and airflow pattern that enable PET resin processors to conserve energy and plant space while obtaining consistent performance as result of automatic adjustment to rate and material variations. Specifically, automated temperature and speed controls adjust to variations in throughput rate, moisture level, and material temperature. Components include electric or gas-fired heater, cyclone, touch screen control, and 2-zone drying hopper.
Original Press Release:
New PET Dryer Automatically Adjusts to Material Variations, is More Compact, and Saves Energy
Compared to Conventional Dual-Bed and Competing Wheel Dryer Systems, NOVATEC IntelliPET(TM) System Costs Less to Buy and To Operate
BALTIMORE, MD, U.S.A., December 17, 2008--An innovative drying system with a new wheel-dryer design and a unique airflow pattern enables processors of PET resin to save on plant space, maintenance, and energy while obtaining consistent performance as a result of automatic adjustment to rate and material variations, according to NOVATEC, Inc.
The company's new IntelliPET(TM) drying system takes up only 55 to 60% of the floor space required for the competing wheel dryer-based system for PET and uses 40 to 50% less energy than conventional systems based on dual desiccant bed dryers, according to Mark Haynie, NOVATEC dryer product sales manager. Automated temperature and speed controls adjust to variations in throughput rate, moisture level, and material temperature, provide a constant temperature of the resin as it exits the hopper, ensure product consistency, and eliminate need for operator intervention.
The key components of the IntelliPET system are a desiccant wheel dryer similar to NOVATEC's NovaWheel(TM) model, a two-zone drying hopper, an electric or gas-fired heater with 90% efficiency, a cyclone, and an optional self-cleaning "pulse"-type dust collector. By comparison, the competing wheel dryer-based system for PET includes an entire additional drying circuit centered on a hot air dryer and has two cyclones, two dust collectors with cartridges that require periodic changing, and two low-efficiency gas heaters.
"Because of its greater size and complexity, the competing wheel dryer-based system entails higher costs for initial investment, installation, and lifetime maintenance," said Haynie.
One key to the efficiency and simplicity of the IntelliPET system is the re-use of heat in the air returning to the dryer from the hopper. Within the dryer, the air is filtered and then enters a blower, beyond which it is split into two near-equal streams. The air in one stream is cooled before passing through the desiccant wheel and subsequently re-heated before entering the lower zone of the hopper. The air in the other stream is still at such a high temperature that it requires only minimal re-heating before entering the upper zone, thus saving energy.
The Intelli PET color touch screen control also contributes to energy savings. It tracks readings from 11 strategically placed thermocouples as well as air flow and automatically optimizes them without human intervention.
NOVATEC, INC. is a leading supplier of resin drying, blending, and pneumatic conveying systems to plastics processors. The company specializes in custom-engineered material handling systems that meet specific process and production requirements. Its range of dryers is the broadest in the industry, including desiccant and hot air systems and infrared systems for crystallizing and drying PET, as well as the patented NovaDrier(TM) membrane dryer, the NovaWheel(TM) desiccant wheel dryer, and the NovaVac II(TM) vacuum dryer. NOVATEC, Inc. is headquartered at 222 East Thomas Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21225 U.S.A. Tel: 410-789-4811. Fax: 410-789-4638. Email: sales@novatec.com.
