Patent ID: 8806771

Claim:
A low impact centrifugal dryer for separating fluid from particles, the dryer comprising: a fluid-permeable particle-impermeable belt for conveying particles though the dryer; an air knife chamber including: a high pressure jet blowing downward upon the belt to push fluid from the particles through the belt, and a vacuum port located below the belt; a housing with an inlet port for receiving a slurry of particles and fluid, a rotor within the housing for spinning the slurry, a fluid-permeable particle-impermeable mesh within the housing and disposed around the rotor for separating a portion of the fluid from the particles; and, a discharge port in the housing for sending the particles to the belt; a low pressure let blowing upward through the belt to an exhaust port; wherein the belt transports the particles from the air knife; a first and second desiccation chamber, each desiccation chamber including a low pressure jet blowing upward through the belt to an exhaust port; wherein the belt transports the particles from the air knife chamber through the first desiccation chamber to the second desiccation chamber; wherein the air knife chamber includes: a plurality of knife assemblies wherein each knife assembly includes one high pressure jet blowing downward through the belt towards one vacuum port; wherein each knife assembly further includes a laterally adjustable diverter plate positioned above the belt.