Continuous-flow hop dryer with endogenous convection heat producers

Abstract

The paper describes a KhS-400 hop dryer configuration that calls for operating conditions to be aligned for autumn conditions due to a lower moisture-absorbing capacity of ambient air, thus making consumer-oriented characteristics unstable. It seems relevant to design a continuous-flow hop dryer to provide endogenous convection drying of freshly harvested hops that reduces operating costs and maintains consumer-oriented characteristics. The innovative idea is that the hop dryer incorporates resonators with concave surfaces and ceramic perforated convex bases, and oscillators operating at close frequencies: 915 MHz, 2375 MHz, 2450 MHz. The scientific goal is to develop continuous-flow methods and equipment with microwave generators and reasonably-configured unconventional resonators for drying hops, providing electromagnetic safety with no shield. The configuration comprises concave paraboloid and concave hyperboloid resonators sequentially fitted to form a drying chamber. The shared bases of the joined resonators are dielectric convex perforated disks rigidly fixed. A conveyor belt runs along the drying chamber. A duct is attached at one side of the base to the junction of the hyperboloid resonator with the paraboloid resonator. An air outlet is attached at the other side of the base to the junction of the hyperboloid resonator with another paraboloid resonator. Generators are located along the perimeter of both paraboloid resonators and along the perimeter of a small-diameter circle of the hyperboloid resonator with an offset of 120 °. The vertices of both paraboloid resonators are truncated and have slots wide enough for letting the conveyor belt pass carrying the raw material.