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A HIGH EFFICIENCY RADIO-FREQUENCY VACUUM DRYER
- Small Business Information
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Woman-Owned: NoMinority-Owned: NoHUBZone-Owned: No
- Phase 2
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Fiscal Year: 1994Title: A HIGH EFFICIENCY RADIO-FREQUENCY VACUUM DRYERAgency: USDAContract: N/AAward Amount: $200,000.00
Abstract:
WE PROPOSE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW RADIO-FREQUENCY VACUUM DRYER THAT UTILIZES AN OVERMODED RESONANT CAVITY TO COUPLE POWER TO WOOD. THE DEVICE WILL BE MUCH MORE ENERGY-EFFICIENT THAN CAPACITOR-PLATE DEVICES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN USE. THE INCREASE IN ENERGY EFFICIENCY COMPARED TO CAPACITOR-PLATE DEVICES IS GREAT ENOUGH THAT THE INITIAL COST OF OUR PROPOSED DRYER WILL BE RECOVERED IN JUST A FEW YEARS DUE TO THE SAVINGS IN ELECTRIC POWER CONSUMPTION. BASED UPON RESEARCH RESULTS, WOOD QUALITY RESULTING FROM RADIO-FREQUENCY VACUUM DRYING IS EQUAL TO THE QUALITY OF WOOD DRIED BY CONVENTIONAL TECHNIQUES, EXCEPT THAT DRYING OCCURS MORE THAN 17 TIMES FASTER. SINCE CONVENTIONAL DRYING IS A SLOW PROCESS, SUBSTANTIAL REVENUES ARE LOST DUE TO LARGE INVENTORIES OF WOOD THAT ARE TIED UP DURING PROCESSING. THIS MONETARY LOSS CAN BE AVOIDED USING RAPID RADIO-FREQUENCY VACUUM DRYING, MAKING THE PROCESS COMPETITIVE WITH CONVENTIONAL TECHNIQUES. SINCE MOST OF THE COST OF PROCESSING WOOD IS INCURRED IN THE DRYING PROCESS, AND BECAUSE A TREMENDOUS VOLUME OF WOOD IS PROCESSED WORLDWIDE THE ECONOMIC GAINS OF A HIGH-SPEED, ENERGY-EFFICIENT WOOD DRYER WOULD BE ENORMOUS.Small Business Information at Submission:Principal Investigator:
Dr Thomas L Owens
0Business Contact:
Genesis Research
631 Sylvan Ct Batavia, IL 60510EIN/Tax ID:DUNS: N/ANumber of Employees: N/AWoman-Owned: NoMinority-Owned: NoHUBZone-Owned: No
Award Information
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Agency: Department of Agriculture |
Branch: N/A |
Award ID: 20923 |
Program Year/Program: 1994 / SBIR |
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Agency Tracking Number: 20923 |
Solicitation Year: N/A |
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A |
Solicitation Number: N/A |