Smartwood drying systems are designed to meet the needs of the biomass and agribusiness industries, ensuring uniform and precise drying, which is essential for processes such as pelletizing. These systems reduce the moisture content of material from 40 percent down to 10-15 percent, making it ideal for storage and further processing. The dryer uses hot air produced by heat exchangers, fed by water at 90°C, which is distributed within the system by fans. The real strength of Smartwood dryers is the innovative indirect heat exchange, which prevents any contamination by combustion fumes, unlike traditional methods. This makes them particularly suitable for processing delicate materials, such as agri-food products, wood chips and sawdust. The drying process takes place on microperforated mats specific to each type of material. Hot air is directed from top to bottom, passing through the material and the mat itself, which acts as a filter, drastically reducing particulate emissions. The air flow can be configured according to the characteristics of the material to optimize drying. The system consists of a dryer, a boiler, and moving bottom loaders for biomass or wood chips, which can be customized according to the customer’s needs, including the possibility of using an existing thermal power source. The boilers, available in capacities from 0.5 to 1 MW, are designed to burn low-quality biomass with moisture content below 30 percent, and can be equipped with automatic cleaning and air recirculation systems to optimize emissions. To facilitate the handling of difficult biomass, moving-bottom feeders are designed to efficiently feed material through a hopper-shift system, ensuring accurate metering. This modular design allows the loaders to be configured to suit different plant machines and the specific needs of each customer.
