Impulse Drying: Status of the Pilot-Scale Research Program, 1998 Engineering Conference Proceedings

The Institute of Paper Science and Technology and the Beloit Corporation have a joint project to develop impulse drying for application to board grades. The objectives of the project are to develop the necessary technology and to demonstrate that technology on a pilot paper machine.

Over the past few years much progress has been made toward solving the sheet delamination problem, which had previously been the major stumbling block to the commercialization of impulse drying for board grades of paper. These solutions, which have been demonstrated in laboratory experiments, have now been demonstrated during continuous operation on a pilot paper machine.

This paper describes the process modifications that have allowed impulse drying of board grades to become commercially feasible, discusses the methodologies that were used in developing commercial prototypes, and reports the results of pilot paper-machine experiments where these prototypes have been utilized. In addition, the current status of the commercialization is discussed, as are potential new applications of the technology.