Patent ID: 8744251

Claim:
A method of passing a heated fluid through a moving fluid-permeable substrate, comprising: preheating a fluid; passing the preheated fluid through an expansion zone; passing the preheated fluid through an expanded zone that is fluidly connected to the expansion zone and that comprises a downstream axis and a lateral extent and a tertiary extent, exposing at least a portion of the preheated fluid to at least one of a plurality of trim heaters within the expanded zone, which at least one trim heater of the plurality of trim heaters comprises a longitudinal axis that is at least generally orthogonal to the downstream axis of the expanded zone; passing at least a portion of the preheated fluid through at least one fluid flow-distribution sheet within the expanded zone; and, passing the preheated fluid through an outlet of the expanded zone onto the moving fluid-permeable substrate and passing it through the substrate; and, capturing and removing at least a portion of the fluid passed through the substrate, by a fluid-suction apparatus located on the opposite side of the substrate from the outlet.