1. A veneer dryer, comprising:
a) an elongate drying chamber having an input end and an output end and defining a path of movement between said ends;
b) a conveyor for conveying veneer product to be dried along said path of movement through said chamber;
c) said chamber including a plurality of juxtaposed heating units, each heating unit defining a circulation path for heated air, said path for heated air being substantially transverse to said path of movement of said product to be dried;
d) nozzles forming part of each of said heating units for directing heated air into an impinging relationship with said path of movement;
e) an input seal chamber at said input end of said chamber, including an air seal system for restricting an out flow of gases from said drying chamber, said seal system including an exhausting passage for extracting a sample of gases inputted to said seal section;
f) an exhaust system adjacent said seal section including an exhaust fan for extracting gases from an adjacent heating zone;
g) a first temperature sensor for sensing an ambient temperature external to said input seal chamber;
h) a second temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of said sample of gases in said exhausting passage;
i) a flow controller for adjusting a rate of flow of said exhaust fan as a function of the difference in temperature sensed by said first and second temperature sensors; and
j) a heater cooperating with said seal system mounted down stream of said second temperature sensor for raising said temperature of said sample of gases in said exhausting passage to a temperature greater than the pitch condensation temperature for the volatile organic components in said sample of gases.
2. The veneer dryer of claim 1 wherein said heater comprises a combustion heater.
3. The veneer dryer of claim 2 wherein said combustion heater comprises a natural gas heater.
4. The veneer dryer of claim 1 wherein said heater comprises an electric heater.
5. The veneer dryer of claim 1 wherein said heater comprises a heat exchanger.
6. Apparatus for drying sheet material containing pitch, comprising:
a) an elongate drying chamber including means for conveying sheet material to be dried from an input end to an output end;
b) at least two adjacent dryer sections each providing a means for circulating air within said section;
c) a main exhaust system including an exhaust fan communicating with one of said dryer sections and operative to extract exhaust gases from said dryer section with which it communicates;
d) an input seal section located at said input end of said drying chamber and including an air seal system for restricting an outflow of gases from said drying chamber into said input seal chamber and further including means for providing a restricted flow of ambient air into said input seal section;
e) a sampling conduit communicating with said input seal section by which gas samples are extracted from said input seal section;
f) a first temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of said ambient air entering said input seal section;
g) a second temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of said gas samples extracted from said input seal section;
h) an exhaust controller for controlling a rate of exhaust flow through said main exhaust system as a function of a difference in said temperatures sensed by said first and second temperature sensors; and
i) a heater cooperating with said input seal section and said sampling conduit for heating to an elevated exhaust temperature said gas samples, wherein said elevated exhaust temperature is greater than a pitch condensation temperature of the pitch contained in said gas sample;
j) wherein said second temperature sensor is located downstream of said heater along a direction of flow of said gas samples.
7. The veneer dryer of claim 6 wherein said heater comprises a combustion heater.
8. The veneer dryer of claim 7 wherein said combustion heater comprises a natural gas heater.
9. The veneer dryer of claim 6 wherein said heater comprises an electric heater.
10. The veneer dryer of claim 6 wherein said heater comprises a fluid filled heat exchanger.
11. A method for operating a dryer, comprising the steps of:
a) providing a drying chamber having a plurality of individual drying sections;
b) cross-communicating fan inlet plenums of said drying sections;
c) providing a single point exhaust system communicating with a first drying section;
d) controlling a rate of exhaust flow out of said first drying section by monitoring a temperature of ambient air drawn into a wet seal section and comparing it with a temperature of gases sampled from said wet seal section;
e) adjusting said rate of exhaust flow in said single point exhaust system in order to maintain a substantially constant temperature differential between said ambient air temperature and said temperature of gases sampled from said wet seal section; and
f) heating said gases sampled from said wet seal section above a pitch condensation temperature of pitch contained in said gases sampled.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An air conditioner device comprising: an ion generator adapted to create at least ions in an airflow in a downstream direction from an inlet to an outlet, the ion generator having a partially insulated collector electrode.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the collector electrode includes a front edge and a rear edge capable of forming ions therefrom when charged, wherein insulating material is disposed on at least one of the front and rear edge.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the ion generator further comprises an emitter electrode that is one of (1) downstream and (2) upstream of the front edge of the collector electrode.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the collector electrode includes an elongated flat sheet.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein the collector electrode has a cylindrical configuration.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein the collector electrode includes a grid configuration having a plurality of air passageway cells.
7. The device of claim 1 wherein the collector electrode includes a plurality of collector blades and a grid configuration therebetween having a plurality of air passageway cells.
8. An air conditioner comprising:
a. an emitter electrode; and
b. a collector electrode having a front edge located adjacent to the emitter electrode, the collector electrode having insulating material disposed on the front edge.
9. The device of claim 8 wherein the collector electrode further comprises a rear edge, wherein insulating material is disposed on the rear edge.
10. The device of claim 8 wherein the emitter electrode is one of (1) downstream and (2) upstream of a front edge of the collector electrode.
11. The device of claim 8 wherein the collector electrode includes an elongated flat sheet.
12. The device of claim 8 wherein the collector electrode has a cylindrical configuration.
13. The device of claim 8 wherein the collector electrode includes a grid configuration having a plurality of air passageway cells.
14. The device of claim 8 wherein the collector electrode includes a plurality of collector blades and a grid configuration therebetween having a plurality of air passageway cells.
15. An air conditioner comprising:
a. an emitter electrode; and
b. a collector electrode having a front edge and a rear edge, the collector electrode having an insulating material disposed on at least one of the front edge and the rear edge, wherein the insulating material prevents ions from forming on said insulated edge; and
c. a driver electrode located adjacent to the collector electrode.
16. The device of claim 15 wherein the emitter electrode is positioned one of (1) downstream and (2) upstream of the front edge of the collector electrode.
17. The device of claim 15 wherein the collector electrode includes an elongated flat sheet.
18. The device of claim 15 wherein the collector electrode has a cylindrical configuration.
19. The device of claim 15 wherein the collector electrode includes a grid configuration having a plurality of air passageway cells.
20. The device of claim 15 wherein the collector electrode includes a plurality of collector blades and a grid configuration therebetween having a plurality of air passageway cells.