Multiport Cylinder Dryers, 2004 Paper Summit, Spring Technical & International Environmental Conference, (including Papermakers; Process Control, Electrical & Information; Product & Product Quality)

On many papermaking machines, the drying capacity limits the production rate. Because the massive dryer section is the most expensive component of a paper machine in terms of capital cost, large investments are often required to increase productivity. Therefore, the paper industry is interested in innovative technologies for enhancing the capacity of existing dryers. These technologies must be easily and quickly implemented while keeping investments to a minimum. The objectives of the multiport cylinder dryer project are to prove the feasibility of the concept in a laboratory-scale test apparatus, to design and fabricate a prototype multiport dryer, and to conduct multiport dryer performance tests in a full-scale test dryer for retrofit applications. Multiport dryer technology, originally conceived at Argonne National Laboratory for application in paper dryers, has demonstrated its potential efficiency in laboratory-scale experiments. A full-scale prototype multiport dryer insert has been designed and fabricated for testing under conditions prototypic of the paper industry. A complete set of prototype multiport dryer inserts will be tested in a full-scale dryer operated at the Johnson Corp. R&D facility.