CTI Food / Agricultural Drying
CTI Food/agricultural drying
TIME FOR INNOVATION IMPROVEMENTS
The bulk solids drying market includes the drying of crops, lumber, pulp, pet foods, chemicals, medicines, and minerals. This sector contributes to approximately six percent of global emissions, primarily because most drying processes heat air by burning methane or propane (drying through evaporation), and have seen limited innovation over the past two decades. This process is inefficient and makes uniform drying difficult: hot air is blown over the product to evaporate water from its surface, which is both emissions intensive and costly.
Researchers have been exploring the use of electromagnetic (EM) energy (microwaves and RF are different frequency ranges of EM energy) to improve the efficiency, emissions, and cost of the drying process. Widespread adoption, however, has not been achievable to date due to cost and scalability limitations.
We firmly believe CTI can change this, as it allows for large scale volumetric heating via RF energy. Volumetric heating could reach water molecules inside the product, allowing for faster and more uniform drying with much less energy and much lower emissions.
THE RF DRYING ADVANTAGE
The CTI is a proven high-power high efficiency platform that is low cost, and can be applied to bulk solids drying.
RF Drying Advantages:
- Efficient energy transfer – minimal heat losses, maximum energy delivered directly to the water.
- Volumetric heating – results in fast and uniform water removal. This can drive energy input reductions of up to 50 percent for the drying process by delivering energy directly to the water molecule.
- Lower energy cost plus faster drying time can drive operating cost reductions of 50 percent.
- Precise temperature regulation – allowing for higher quality product which can often command a premium price (i.e. grain and food product markets).
- Tight process control and drying customization to optimize consistent results.
