Coaxial Ducts
TEA Coaxial Ducts installed on Lavatec Dryers
at Marriott, New Jersey Textile Service Laundry
Improve Dryer Efficiency
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Completely eliminate plant negative air pressure problems . |
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Dryer energy consumption can be reduced by 5% to 10% - passively. |
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Eliminate cold weather plant drafts due to dryer burner air make-up coming through the operating plant. |
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Improved dryer operation will result in shorter cycle times. |
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Shorter cycle times will reduce electrical consumption. |
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It is a fact that TEA’S coaxial dryer ducts can make any dryer run better. The Coaxial Duct is a "duct within a duct" that carries the hot moisture laden dryer exhaust air out of the plant through a center duct to the lint filter while the surrounding outer duct carries fresh outside make-up air directly to the dryer. |
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How TEA'S Coaxial Ducts Work
Dryers use large amounts of hot air in the drying process. All this air, plus lint, moisture and heat must then be ducted to the lint collectors and then discharged to the atmosphere. To operate efficiently the dryers must have an unrestricted air supply. During cooler times of the year, closed plants can have a real problem in supplying the volumes of air needed, especially in multiple dryer operations. The resulting negative plant pressure is disastrous on dryer efficiency.
Dryer make-up air supply should come from outside the plant. It is much more efficient to bring in fresh, dry, and even cold outside air and heat it in the dryer rather than use moisture laden air from inside the plant. An added benefit is that the fresh outside air greatly expands when it is heated to the proper temperature, which results in faster drying.
The TEA coaxial duct is specifically designed to carry the hot moisture laden exhaust gases out of the plant through a properly sized center exhaust duct. The incoming outside make-up air is carried in a fully surrounding outer duct directly to the dryer air inlet.
To combat the combined corrosion effects of heat and moisture, the inner ducting can be made of 304 stainless steel. The outer duct, which carries the fresh air make-up, can also made of 304 stainless steel.
A major feature of the coaxial duct is the heat recovery benefits. With 200° F plus exhaust air on the inside, the cold make-up air picks up significant quantities of heat on the way to the dryer. Actual testing has proven that between 5% and 10% of total dryer energy can be recovered in this way. The best part of is that it is totally passive, no controls, cleaning, or maintenance of any kind is required to get these benefits.
Coaxial ducts can be used on any dryer and with most lint collectors. TEA’S wet or dry all stainless steel lint collectors are ideally suited to match up with coaxial ducts.
Most installations are specifically engineered for each plant and the coaxial ducts completely supplied by TEA. Plant installation need be no more than mount the coaxial duct in position, connect the supplied flange to the dryer exhaust connection, and connect the discharge to the lint collector. Generally some inlet air transitions are necessary, and can be easily done by the installer.