JOHN M CHAMBERS
Engineering in Westfield, NJ

4223452, Sep 23, 1980

Feb 12, 1979

6/011564

John M. Chambers - Westfield NJ

F26B 316

34 28

A process and apparatus for drying wet solid material are provided. The process comprises introducing material into a dryer, bringing it into contact with one side of a plurality of heated surfaces located therein and vaporizing liquid in the material. The liquid is withdrawn from the dryer, compressed to a pressure greater than in the dryer and returned to the other side of the heated surfaces where, upon condensation, latent heat energy is released therefrom and used to vaporize liquid in material on the opposite side of the heated surfaces, withdrawing the condensate from the heated surfaces and substantially dried solids from the dryer. The apparatus comprises a housing having entrance and exit openings and means for delivering material into and dried material therefrom located in the openings and isolating the dryer interior from the outside atmosphere. A plurality of hollow heat exchange means connected to an external heat source and to atmosphere are disposed in the interior of the dryer. Compressor means are connected to the housing in the vicinity of the entrance opening and to the hollow heat exchange means and operate at positive pressure with respect to the pressure in the housing, thus vaporized liquid is withdrawn from the housing and compressed and led to the hollow heat exchange means, condensed, giving up its latent heat energy, and vaporizing the liquid in wet material on the opposite surfaces of the heat exchange means.

4568356, Feb 4, 1986

Oct 23, 1979

6/087475

John M. Chambers - Westfield NJ

C10L 102

44 56

There is provided a process for making anhydrous alcohol denatured with gasoline for ready mixing with additional gasoline to make gasohol and in which aqueous alcohol is introduced into a dehydration drying column along with gasoline. The alcohol, containing gasoline, flows into the lower zone of the drying column and is recovered as a substantially non-aqueous alcohol-gasoline mixture which may be classified as completely denatured alcohol. The rising vapors of the gasoline entrain the water and some alcohol as azeotropes which flow out the top of the column as vapors which are condensed to form a gasoline layer which is returned to the column and a water layer which is removed. Additional water is also removed by decantation on the top several trays of the drying column where it is present as a separate liquid phase. The process also includes utilizing the heat to strip the alcohol from dilute fermented wort for the recovery and reconcentration of the alcohol in the water layers recycled from the drying column while preventing any gasoline from contaminating the fermented feed product and insuring that gasoline is present as a contaminent in all alcoholic streams. Provision is also made to insure that all light ends in the incoming gasoline are contained in the alcohol-gasoline product.