Abstract: A system and method for predicting the dryness of clothing articles in a clothes dryer. In one embodiment, the clothes dryer uses a temperature sensor, a phase angle sensor, and a humidity sensor to generate signal representations of the temperature of the clothing articles, the motor phase angle, and the humidity of the heated air in the duct, respectively. A controller receives the signal representations and determines a feature vector. A neural network uses the feature vector to predict a percentage of moisture content and a degree of dryness of the clothing articles in the clothes dryer. In another embodiment, the clothes dryer uses a combination of sensors to predict a percentage of moisture content and a degree of dryness of the clothing articles.

Abstract: A spray booth includes an outer enclosure in which the temperature and humidity of a fluid (such as air) is not controlled and a fluid handling unit within this enclosure, which circulates and controls the temperature and humidity of a smaller volume of the same fluid (air) to develop an environment suitable for application of coatings to desired substrates. In use, fluid is drawn from the outer enclosure into the inner, fluid handling unit in order to clean and modify the temperature and humidity of the fluid being handled, conditioning it to be delivered to the region of limited size which is established for receiving the substrate to be coated.

Abstract: A wood drying kiln and airflow controlling process is described in which the kiln includes an structure with a charge receiving chamber, and a door accessible opening to allow passage of a charge of lumber for drying. Circulating fans in the structure produce airflow that is directed by baffles in a prescribed path through the charge. At least one row of elongated resilient brush bristles within the structure are positioned therein to yieldably engage the charge of lumber placed within the charge receiving chamber. The brush bristles are provided with sufficient density to limit passage of air laterally through the row.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for controlling drying of a photographic material in which, by controlling respective temperatures of a contact-heating device and warm air, temperatures can be controlled to the minimum temperature necessary to provide the photographic material with optimal effects so that the relative contributions of drying the photographic material by the contact-heating device and the warm air are always constant.

Abstract: In a clothes dryer, the air exiting the dryer for wet clothes has a high relative humidity compared to the relative humidity when the load is dry. A change in the relative humidity of the air leaving the dryer indicates a change in dryness of the load. The relative humidity is measured by using two thermistors located in an air outlet of the dryer. The first thermistor is nonself-heating and uses a relatively low current to detect the temperature of the air in the air outlet. The second thermistor is self-heating and operates at a higher current so that its temperature is higher than the air temperature. As the air moves across the heated thermistor it will conduct more heat away from the thermistor when the relative humidity of the air is high than when it is low. The air temperature and heated thermistor temperature are compared frequently during the drying cycle. When the load is wet the difference between the two thermistors is small. When the load is dry the difference is greater.

Abstract: A method for drying a ceramic compact includes: maintaining a ceramic compact containing a gelable binder in a condition having a humidity of 70% or higher and having a temperature the same as or higher than a gelating temperature of the gelable binder for a predetermined period of time; and vaporizing water in the ceramic compact. According to the drying method, gelable binder gelates before water is vaporized in a compact, and thereby the compact hardly deforms in accordance with drying shrinkage. Further, the drying method gives uniform drying to the compact in comparison with the conventional hot-air drying. Therefore, use of the compact produced by the drying method significantly reduces deformation, which results from nonuniformity of drying, during the firing process, and a fired body having excellent preciseness in configuration is obtained.

Abstract: An adiabatic saturator receives a sample of exhaust air exiting a yankee dryer hood to determine the humidity of the exhaust air. The humidity is determined by temperature readings of the exhaust air, saturated air exiting the interior of a saturator cell, and water supplied to the saturator cell interior. An air distributor in the saturator cell interior promotes saturation of the exhaust air and a backflush mechanism backflushes the saturator cell interior to keep the water in the cell interior clean.

Abstract: System for kiln-drying hardwood wherein the weight of a representative sample positioned remote from the batch of wood to be dried is monitored. The moisture content of the representative sample is calculated from the measured weight continuously and operational parameters with the kiln are automatically adjusted in response to the moisture content of the sample to provide desired drying conditions.

Abstract: Apparatus for production of long pasta products has a press, a movable bar hanging arrangement from which the products are suspended and a drier. The drier is constructed as a single level drier with a rapid heating zone and an intense drying zone. The rapid heating zone has several different climate zones of differing temperatures, and fresh and exhaust air ducts. The intense drying zone has a plurality of ventilated elements. The drier includes a climate controller for each climate zone. The rapid heating zone and intense drying zone are formed as a circulating system for fresh and exhaust air. Inside the drier, air flow is zonally controlled and directed, in each element, from top to bottom or bottom to top. A supplemental air system is provided for the plurality of ventilated elements. At least part of the circulating air is blown in as in a turbo system.