United States Patent (19) 1 3,906,961

Rowell et al.
(45) Sept. 23, 1975
(54) ROTARY TOBACCO DRYER 3,556, l l 11 1971 Wochnowski....................... | 3 || 35
(75) Inventors: Lorne A. Rowell, Lachine; James H. 3,614,074 10, 1971 Wellford............................. 34/46 X
Cartmell, Preville, both of Canada
(73) Assignee: Imasco Limited, Montreal, Canada Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell
Assistant Examiner-John F. Pitrelli
22 Filed: Aug. 30, 1973
(21) Appl. No. 393, 197 (57) ABSTRACT
Related U.S. Application Data A tobacco dryer is disclosed which comprises a rotat
(62) Division of Ser. No. 227,693, Feb. 17, 1972, Pat. No. ing substantially cylindrical drum in which the tobacco
3,785,765. is dried. The drum has a first end and a second end
and the tobacco which is to be dried enters the first
52 U.S. Ct. .................... 131/135; 34/46; 1311 137; end of the drum and leaves at the second end of the
1311 140 R; 432/107 drum, Process air which has a low absolute humidity is
(51) Int. Cl........................................... A24B 03/04 introduced into the drum at the second end and flows
(58) Field of Search........ 13 1/133 R, 134, 135, 137, through the drum in the opposite direction to the flow
131 f 138, 40 R, 136, 21, 140 A, 140 B, 140 of tobacco, so as to pick up and remove from the
P, 40 C, 139; 34/46, 60, 135, 137, drum, moisture released from the tobacco. A gas fired
139; 432/107 burner located within the dryer housing produces
56) References Cited heating air. This heating air is forced over the exterior
UNITED STATES PATENTS surfaces of the rotating drum at a velocity between
2,746, 170 5/1956 Wilson et al...................... 34/13 X 500 feet per minute and 3,500 feet per minute so as to
2,768,629 10/1956 Maul................................... 34.f46 X increase the heat conductance through the rotating
3,013,785 12/1961 King........ - - - - - - - 432/107 X drum. In addition, the dryer is also provided with a
3,269,715 8/966 Wellford. a a - 34/46 controlled water spray which is introduced into the
3,357,436 12/1967 Wright................................ 34/46 X second end of the rotating drum and thereby controls
3,386,448 6, 1968 Wochnowski. 13 / 35 the moisture content of the tobacco leaving the dryer.
3,389,707 6/1968 Wochnowski....................... 131 / 135
4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures
US Patent Sept. 23, 1975 Sheet 1 of 2 3,906,961
US Patent Sept. 23, 1975 Sheet 2 of 2 3,906,961

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ROTARY TOBACCO DRYER ture operating range represents a steam pressure varia
This is a division of application Ser. No. 227,693 filed tion from 5 to 80 psi. In order to increase the dynamic
Feb. 7, 1972, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,785,765. temperature range of the steam tobacco drying unit be
GENERAL DESCRIPTION, DISCUSSION OF PRIOR yond 100°F it would be necessary to build pressure ves
ART AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION sel parts capable of withstanding pressures in excess of
80 psi. Pressures below 5 psi are not practicable.
The present invention relates to a rotary drum type There are several other disadvantages of the present
tobacco drying device and more particularly to a de steam type dryers which are overcome by the forced
vice for drying tobacco while maintaining the moisture hot air drum dryer of the present invention. The steam
content of the outgoing tobacco substantially constant 10 drying system requires a boiler room and pipes inter
within close tolerances. This novel drying device also connecting the boiler room with the drying unit. The
exhibits a dynamic operating range which is wider than boiler room is costly and less efficient compared with
many known devices by increasing the quantity of heat the present invention which generates all of the to
transferred through the dryer drum surface by moving bacco drying heat within the drying unit itself.
the heating air over the drum's exterior surface at high 15 The tobacco dryer of the present invention has a ro
relative velocities. In addition, the dryer of the present tating drum which is free of steam pipes, rotating joints
invention further increases the quantity of heat trans and radially oriented steam pipes. These obstacles tend
ferred to the tobacco by forcing heating air at high ve to afford places within the dryer where tobacco can
locities through hollow paddles which are arranged on hang up, producing gum and over drying the tobacco.
the interior of the drying drum. The second most common form of rotary tobacco
It is advantageous that tobacco dryers be capable of dryer is known as the "Gas Roaster type'. The gas
operating over a wide range of loads. For example, one roaster type dryer is comprised of a rotating drum hav
week a dryer might be required which is capable of dry ing a flue mounted directly above it and a fire situated
ing tobacco at the rate of 10,000 pounds per hour, and directly below it. The fire, usually a gas fire, runs the
that same dryer the next week, might be required to dry 25 entire length of the drum. The fire heats up the air sur
tobacco at the rate of 2,500 pounds per hour, repre rounding the surface of the rotating metal drum
senting a loading change on the dryer of approximately thereby transferring heat into the tobacco. The heated
400%. This type of load change can be thought of as a air is circulated around the surface of the drum by con
long term load change. A tobacco dryer capable of vection only and as a result, in order to transfer suffi
handling this type of long term load change must neces cient heat energy through the rotating drum, the air
sarily have a wide dynamic range of efficient operation. temperature surrounding the drum must be very high.
A second type of load change, defined herein as short Indeed, in order to obtain a wide dynamic range in the
term load change, is also found in tobacco drying. roaster type dryer necessary to efficiently handle wide
Short term load change is caused by drying tobacco variations in long term dryer loading, the air tempera
generally having varying initial characteristics, as for 35 ture surrounding the rotating drum becomes extremely
example, tobacco having a varying initial moisture con high.
tent. A tobacco dryer capable of handling short term The present invention utilizes the fact that the quan
variations must be capable of quickly changing its oper tity of heat transferred through a surface is dependent
ating conditions so that it can "follow' the varying to on the velocity of the heated air passing that surface in
bacco conditions to yield a final product which exhibits 40 addition to the temperature of that air. For example,
constant characteristics. under similar loading conditions, air at a temperature
Steam drying units are one type of known device for of 445°F moving at a velocity of 3,000 feet per minute
drying tobacco. A steam dryer consists generally of a past a surface, transfers the same quantity of heat
long rotating jacketed steam heated tubular shaped 45 through that surface as air at a temperature over 800°F
drum through which is passed the tobacco to be dried. travelling at a velocity of 400 feet per minute over the
Steam pipes are arranged longitudinally within the surface. As a result, a tobacco dryer in accordance with
steam heated tubular drum to form paddles. Steam is the present invention yields an increased dynamic op
fed through rotary joints and radially extending steam erating range without the necessity of raising the air
pipes to the steam heated drum and to the pipes making 50 temperatures surrounding the rotating drum into exces
up the paddles, and in this manner heat energy is trans sive temperature ranges.
ferred via the pipes and drum walls to the tobacco tum It is well known that the main heating load for any
bling within the drum. The quantity of heat transferred dryer is that required to evaporate water. It is also well
to the tobacco is directly dependent on the surface known that the amount of water removed from the ma
temperature of the steam system which, of course, is 55 terial being dried can be altered in a rotary drum type
dependent on the temperature of the steam circulating dryer by changing the temperature of the heated sur
within the system. If the long term load on the dryer faces. However, the response time to such change is
changes, the amount of heat energy released by the quite long due to the large thermal inertia involved and
steam must vary accordingly, to compensate for this the length of time that the material takes to travel
load change. In order to change the heat energy output through the drying drum.
of the steam, its temperature must be varied and this is 60 Within its controllable range, a dryer in accordance
accomplished by changing the pressure of the steam. with the present invention is provided with a constant
The rotating drum and rotating joints must be consid evaporating load. This is accomplished by adding a
ered as pressure vessels, carrying with them all of the water spraying system which injects a fine water spray
limitations of pressure vessel design. Present steam dry 65 into the tobacco exit end of the drying drum, thereby
ing Units normally operate between 227 and 324F providing a variable evaporating load. The sum of
which constitutes a dynamic temperature operating water evaporated from the tobacco and from the fine
range of approximately 100F. This dynamic tempera water spray remains substantially constant.
 3,906,961
3 4
If it is wished to evaporate more moisture from the DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
tobacco, the quantity of water injected into the dryer The invention will be described hereinbelow with the
is reduced. Alternately, if it is wished to evaporate less aid of the following drawings, in which:
water from the tobacco, the amount of water injected FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional side view of one em
into the dryer is increased. The total evaporating a 5 bodiment of a tobacco dryer according to the present
on the dryer remains constant as is illustrated by the - -a
invention;
following table:
Tobacco Moisture Cc intuit Tobacco Moisture Content Moisture Fvaporated
Fintering Dryer leaving Dryer by Dryer
From From Total
Tobacco Spray
2O.) 65 : 3.5 3.6%
NORMA. 19.5% 6.5% 3. () ().6 3.6%
9.() 16.5 2.5% l. 3.6%

With this method of ocntrol, the reaction time to FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional end view of the em
short term evaporating load changes is very short and bodiment shown in FIG. 1 taken along 2-2 of FIG. 1;
thus lends itself to automatic control. and -
A further advantage of the water spray technique ac- o FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional end view of the em
cording to the present invention shows itself in mini- bodiment shown in FIG. 1 taken along 3-3 of FIG. 1.
mizing or eliminating over drying of the tobacco at the DETALED DESCRIPTION
beginning and end of the drying operation. The water
spray acts as a dummy evaporating load. Referring now to FIG. 1, a tobacco drying drum 40,
Canadian Patent No. 596,376 which issued to John as situated within an insulated housing generally indicated
A. Maul on 19 April 1960, discloses a conveyor drying at 41 is mounted for rotation on two sets of trunnion
device which varies the moisture content of the to- wheels 42 and 44 via trunnion rings 46 and 48. An elec
bacco by injecting steam into the dryer. This technique tric motor (not shown) is arranged to drive the drum
however, does not maintain a constant evaporating at a rotational speed of approximately 10 R.P.M. The
load on the dryer because the water introduced has al- io tobacco 50, which is to be dried, is fed by any conven
ready been evaporated and is accompanied by the heat tional conveyor 51 into the tobacco input hopper 52 so
of vaporization. This extra heat increases the exit tem- that it falls on the screw type conveyor 54 which feeds
perature of the tobacco which in turn causes more dry- the tobacco into the drying drum 40. The drum 40 is
ing to take place in the cooler and automatic control of slightly tilted upwardly at its tobacco input hopper end
moisture very difficult. is so that the tobacco entering at that end will eventually
It is therefore an object of the present invention to move along the drum and exit at the tobacco output
provide a tobacco dryer of the rotary drum type which hopper end generally indicated at 56. A fan 58 provides
has a wide useful dynamic range of operation capable process air pressure at the tobacco hopper output end
of being economically used to dry tobacco under a 56. The process air enters the drying drum 40 at its exit
wide range of long term loading conditions. 40 end and travels within the drum in a direction as indi
It is a further object of the present invention to pro- cated by arrows 60 opposite the direction of travel of
vide a tobacco dryer of the rotary drum type which is the tobacco being dried.
capable of maintaining the moisture content of the exit- The process air is extracted via the extractor pump
ing tobacco to within close tolerances. 62 and is exhausted to the atmosphere via exhaust pipe
It is yet another object of the present invention to 45 64. A rotary air outlet screen 68 is situated in the to
provide a rotary drum type tobacco dryer which has a bacco input hopper 52 to remove small particles of to
wide dynamic range of efficient operation while main- bacco which may be suspended in the process air. Air
taining relatively low heating air temperatures by dampers 70 and 72 located in the input and output
achieving high heat energy conductance through the pipes respectively of the process air system control the
drum surface by imparting a high velocity to the heat- 50 quantity of process air flowing in the drying drum. The
ing air passing over the heated metal surfaces in process air entering the tobacco output hopper 56 can
contact with the tobacco. optionally be slightly heated to reduce the tendency of
In accordance with the present invention there is pro- condensation on metal parts. However, the degree of
vided a tobacco dryer, comprising a rotating substan- heating which the process air receives is only slight and
tially cylindrical drum in which the tobacco is dried; 55 does not upset the loading of the dryer.
said drum having a first end and a second end; means The dried tobacco leaving the drying drum enters the
for introducing tobacco at said first end and means for tobacco output hopper 56 and is fed via gravity into the
removing tobacco at said second end; means for intro- metering tube 74. The tobacco upon leaving the meter
ducing process air into said drum at said second end ing tube 74 is removed from the dryer assembly via a
and extracting said process air from said drum at said conveyor 76 which can be of any conventional design.
first end so that said process air travels in a direction It is important that the speed at which the conveyor 76
within said drum opposite to that of said tobacco; heat- removes the dried tobacco be controlled so that the
ing means for maintaining the temperature of heating metering tube 74 does not become empty of tobacco.
air; and means for circulating said heating air at veloc- 65 The process air fan 58 provides a positive pressure in
ity between 500 feet per minute and 3,500 feet per the tobacco exit hopper and the tobacco filling the me
minute over the outer surface of said drum to thereby tering tube 74 provides a seal which does not allow the
achieve high heat conductance through said drum. process air to exit via the metering tube. Seals 43 asso
 S 6
ki; tell with the trulinic 1 rings revent the 'scipl. , f' ally indicatec by the arrows 92 in (i. l. The cross sec
process air to the exterior if the lrying unit. tion: ; trea of the annular region '94, the cross sectional
Situated on the sile if the metering tube 7-i is : in cis area of the hollow triangular paddles 98 incl the clusign
ture coni tent sensing heiti 78 which in he fany 'in of the fan 90, are such that the heating air travelling in
vent it nal design which priviles ; contin it is (but it the innular region 94 anci the hollow paddles '98 is
sign; prop it is in to the Innoisture nintent (f the to mintined at a high velocity. This arrangement tends
lice passing through the Intering tube. he litput to transfer a maximum unlount of heat energy into the
sign:l if the Intist Larc c intent sensing hell is felt () : interity ( )f the ruin 40. In addition to the increasec
moisture content on triller 8(). The controller 80 ad heat transfer due to the high velocity of the heating it
justs : surv () (peratu'll water villve 82 scy as to control () h;ssing over the drum and interior paddle surfaces, the
the quantity of water being injected into the cut it encl present invention further increases the quantity of heat
of the drying run 4. The water supply nevale 84 is transferred hy increasing the surface are: ()f the heated
f : conventinil type which provicles fine spray. surfaces hy virtue of the triangularly shaped hollow
When the sensing head 78 senses, for example, a cle nucliles.
crease in the moisture c intent of the to h;acco ) passing 15 As is shown in FIG. 1, it portion of the air re-entering
through the metering the 74, a signal is receivec at the the region 88 of the clryer assembly is reheated anci re
controller 80. The controller 80 then opens the serv) circulated through the annular region 94 and the pad
operatural water valve 82 so that more water is sprayed dles 98, while some of the air re-entering region 88 is
into the tobacco exit end of the drying drum-40. In this exhausted through the chimney 108. If desired, a heat
manner, the in histure intent of the driel exiting t 2) exchanger (not shown) can be insertec in the region 88
bacco can be maintained to within very close toler to slightly heat the process air.
ances. Since the in histure content of the exiting to HIG. 3 is : sectional end view of the dryer assembly
have () is controlled by a water sprly, changes in its taken in the region of the tohacco exit hopper 56 and
In histure content innily be carried out without chunging shows the process air fin 58, the mctering tube 74, the
the temperature of the heating air, provic lect the latter moisture content sensing heact 78, the conveyor 76, the
is within the controll hile range. As a result, the nois water spray inczzle 8- an an access clotr 10. The
ture content of the exiting tob;cco can be maint:lined water system may be connected to the loor with a flexi
it a predeterminel ciesir ecl level by variations taking ble line (not shown) to allow the cloor to swing open.
only a few seconcils. ln operation, the heat transferrect into the tobacco
The heat for drying the tobacco is supplied by : 3)
via the surface of the rotating drum inct the pacitles
burner unit 86 mounted in the housing 41. The burner clrives the water moisture out of the tobacco. The pro
can be of any he: it energy producing source, but a gius cess ir entering the crun at the to hacco exit hopper
tyr ()il firect burner has been found to) bl most efficient. end is relatively free of moisture, but since it is moving
The burner 86 heats up the air in the uter section of in a direction opposite to that of the tobacco the pro
the insulated housing generally inclicatec at 88. The 35 cess air quickly picks up the moisture liberated from
heated air in region 88 of the dryer issnnhly is pumpel the tobacco and carries it away. Because the tobacco
by fan 90 into a pressurized annular plenum '91 which is moving through the dryer in one clirection and the
surrouncils the drying trun 40 in its centre. A series of process air is moving through the dryer in the opposite
hollow triangularly shaped pictules 98, seen in cross direction there exists within the dryer (drum a region,
section in FIG. 2, are arranged longitucinally along the situated at the cxit end of the drum, where the tobacco
interior of the drying clum 40. FIG. 2 shows only four is in its driest state. It is in this region that the water
p; dulles for simplicity, but it can be appreciated that spray is injected for controlling the moisture content of
any number of pacicles could be employed. Each pill the tobacco. In this manner, the moisture content of
kile 98 has a port 100 which communicates the interior 45 the tobacco may be controllect without seriously affect
of the paddles with the outside of the dryer (trum 40 in ing the eviporation loading conditions of the dryer.
the region of the plenum 91. The ends of the puddles In a second embodiment (not shown) vancs arc ar
98 also have ports 102 and 104 (FIG. I ), which con rangect on the rotating drum to cause the heating air
municate the hollow interior of the puddles with the re travelling in the annular region 94 to follow a helical
gion 88 of the dryer issembly. Mounted externally of path.
the dryer clum 40 is a long stationary cylindrical shell What we claim as our invention is:
96, which, with the exterior wall of the rotating (lyer 1. A tobacco cryer comprising a rotating substan
drum, forms a narrow innular region 94. The extrenni tially cylinclrical drum in which the tobacco is dried;
ties of the shell 96 are arranged to connmunicate with saic crum having a first cind and a second end; means
the region 88 of the dryer assembly in the region of 55 for introducing tobacco at said first end and means for
norts 102 and 104 in the paddles 98. A large ring-like renoving toh cc) it said second encl; means for intro
port 106 in the shell 96 allows for communication be ducing process air into said drum at said second end
tween the plenum '91 in the interior of the annular re and extracting saic process air from saic drum at said
gic in 94. first encl so that said process air travels in a direction
The hot air in the plenum is forced through port 106 within said drum opposite to that of said tobacco to
by the fan 90. Purt of the hot drying air travels at a high () pick up until remove from the drum, moisture released
velocity in a longitucinal clirection relative to the exte from the tobacco, heating means for maintaining the
rior wall of the dryer cirum 40 und exits into the region tenlperture of heating air; means for circulating said
88 in the region of the ports 102 and 104. The remain heating air at a velocity between 5()() fpm and 3,500
ing part of the hot drying air enters ports 100 and trav fpm over the outer surface of said drum to thereby
els longitudinally along the interior of the paddles 98 to achieve high heat conductance through said drum, a
exit back into region 88 of the dryer assembly via ports controllable water spray nozzle for injecting a water
102 and 104. The circulation of the drying air is gener spray into said drum at said second end; a sensing
 3,906,961
7 8
means operatively associated with the tobacco leaving
said dryer, said sensing means having an output signal
which is proportional to the moisture content of said
tobacco; and a controller responsive to said output sig
nal for controlling said controllable water spray nozzle
so as to maintain the moisture content of said tobacco
leaving said dryer at a predetermined constant level.
2. A tobacco dryer according to claim 1 wherein said
water spray, in droplet form, touches either the cylin
drical drum or the tobacco.
3. A dryer for tobacco or the like, comprising a ro
tary structure rotatable about an axis and comprising a
rotary drum, means for introducing material to be dried
at a first end of said drum and discharging it from a sec
ond end, means for generating, for a given set of oper
ating conditions, a substantially fixed quantity of heat
energy in a fluid for supplying substantially all the heat
energy for effecting removal of moisture from said ma
terial, said rotary structure comprising means inter
posed between said fluid and said material to physically
separate said fluid from said material, means for pick
ing-up moisture released from the material and remov
ing said moisture from the drum, said means compris
ing means for introducing process air into the drum at
said second end and discharging it from said first end
so that said process air flows counter-current to mate
rial passing through the drum, sensing means opera
tively associated with material being discharged from
said drum for sensing the moisture content of said ma
terial; and means responsive to said sensing means for
introducing water into the second end of said drum
such that said water, in droplet form, touches either the
material or the drum, the amount of water introduced
being controlled by said sensing means to vary the
quantity of said substantially fixed heat energy ab
sorbed by the material to maintain the moisture con
tent of the dried material at substantially a predeter
mined constant.
4. Apparatus for drying tobacco to a predetermined
moisture content when the moisture content of the to
bacco entering the apparatus and the flow rate of the
tobacco through the apparatus falls within a predeter
mined controllable range, said apparatus comprising:
10 a. a heated rotating drum having an input end and an
exit end;
b. means for introducing from the exterior of said
drum into the interior of said drum a predeter
mined quantity of heat energy, including means for
5 forcing a heating medium over substantially the en
tire exterior of said drum, said drum thus acting to
separate said tobacco from said heating medium,
said quantity of heat energy supplying substantially
all of said heat energy for effecting removal of
20 moisture from said tobacco, said quantity of heat
energy being determined by said controllable
range;
c. means for introducing water into said exit end of
said drum, wherein substantially all of said water, in
25 droplet form, touches either the drum or the tobacco;
and
d. means for controlling the quantity of water intro
duced into said drum so that the sum of the heat
energy used to dry said tobacco to said predeter
mined moisture content and the heat energy used
to evaporate the water introduced substantially
equals said predetermined quantity of heat energy
introduced into said drum.
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