Patent ID: 7574816

Claim:
A drier apparatus for drying a material utilizing a media and a fluid comprising: a) a drying chamber having first and second ends; said chamber being sized and shaped to operably receive heated material and media near said first end and convey the material and media in a mixture through the chamber; the chamber receiving the fluid in a comparatively cool state near said second end and including fluid flow directing structure to flow the fluid through the mixture such that the fluid becomes heated and at least partly saturated with moisture from the material; b) a separator operably separating the mixture as the mixture exits the drying chamber into comparatively cool media and cool material; and c) a regenerator for receiving the media from the separator and subsequently transferring the media to the drying chamber; said regenerator being flow connected with heated fluid exiting the drying chamber and receiving the heated fluid so as to heat the media therein using the fluid.