I

E N G I N E E R I N G

T O T A L

Drying Technology

S O L U T I O N S

XL Dryer
XL Dryer Expansion Principle
Maintaining a high internal vapour
pressure within the tobacco cells during
drying is the key to maximising tobacco
expansion.
High vapour pressure prevents:
of the tobacco cell during
collapse
drying
hardening by forcing internal
case
moisture to the surface of the
tobacco cell at a faster rate than it is
removed by evaporation

ickinsonLegg is the World

Leader in Tobacco Drying.

With over 500 dryers in

operation around the World
DickinsonLegg benefit from an
enormous wealth of experience
gained in many varied
applications.
The latest innovations and state
of the art technology ensure
that DickinsonLegg tobacco
dryers are the ultimate solution
for all applications.

The XL dryer is a rotary cylinder dryer

which combines contraflow process air
with an internal steaming zone to
achieve the high vapour pressure
required for maximum expansion.
The XL dryer has three distinct process
zones:
zone: raises the moisture
Steaming
of tobacco to maximise expansion
and limits the drying rate to
minimise case hardening
zone: Tobacco and process
Neutral
air are in equilibrium
zone: Moisture is removed
Drying
from the tobacco at a controlled rate
to maintain expansion and provide
tobacco at the target moisture

Steaming zone
Neutral zone
Heater

Drying zone

H2 0

Fan

Burner
Drying mode

The XL dryer does not require additional

upstream conditioning equipment.

Control
Superb moisture control is a key feature
of the XL dryer.
There are three principal control loops
which control the XL dryer:
spray for rapid response to
Water
small moisture fluctuations
temperature for larger
Drum
fluctuations in moisture
Process air flow controls fill value
A finely atomised water spray at the
discharge end of the dryer modifies the
humidity in the exit zone which in turn
determines tobacco exit moisture.
The exit zone humidity has an extremely
rapid response which ensures good
moisture control even when the tobacco
infeed moisture is variable.
standard deviation
Moisture
+/- 0.25%
The XL dryer has a special fill value
control. By ensuring that the tobacco
exit temperature is correct optimum fill
value is maintained.
The process air flow is varied in order to
keep the tobacco exit temperature
within the desired range for optimal
processing.
XL Dryers are provided with PLC control
and SCADA interfaces as appropriate.
Blend recipes, touch screens, alarm
monitoring, mimic displays and live data
displays are features of the control
system.

Run in and Run Out

A key feature of the XL dryer is the run
in and run out control to minimise under
or overdried tobacco.

Heater

Dryer setpoints are gradually ramped up

from idle conditions at the start of an
operation whilst additional moisture is
applied simultaneously within the feed
end of the dryer to eliminate overdrying.
At the end of the operation the process
is reversed whilst at the same time the
process air is reversed to rapidly force
the tail of the operation out of the dryer.

H2 0
H2 0

Fan

Burner

Run out mode

Offzerospec tobacco is reduced to almost

Heating Medium
The XL dryer can be heated by gas,
steam or oil. A dual fuel version can
be supplied.
The gas/oil dryer is heated indirectly by
a forced hot air stream enabling rapid
changes in drum temperature.
Gas/oil dryers can operate at higher
temperatures than steam dryers which
enables them to double up as a
torrefactor for drying black tobacco and
imparting a toasting effect.
Gas/oil heated XL dryers have additional
benefits:

Rapid response of drum temperature

High temperature capability
XL Dryer Key Features:
High
turn
down
ratio

filling power up to 15%

High
Clean
internal
surfaces
improvement

zone
Steaming
Case
hardening
minimised
Discharge zone humidity
Off spec tobacco almost nilcontrol
Multiple control loop cascade control
Excellent moisture control
High temperature capability for dark
tobacco
Filling power control

Model Range
The XL dryer can be supplied to handle
all throughputs from pilot plant
requirements of 200-500 kgs/hr to over
12,000 kgs/hr.

HXD

he HXD combines a wealth of

development with the
excellence of engineering design
and manufacture of DickinsonLegg
to provide a well proven, easy to
operate, drying system which
aspires to represent the state of
the art for many years to come.
The unparalleled on line tobacco
expansion and flexibility in blend
formulation of the HXD High
Expansion Dryer, provide a unique
opportunity to improve profitability
and quality.
Payback
Cost justification is nearly always the
fundamental consideration when
considering a new drying method. Cost
justification relates directly to tobacco
weight saving.
The HXD is capable of providing fill
value improvement of more than 20%,
which could translate into cigarette
weight savings of between 5% and
12%. The cost benefit would be in direct
proportion to the tobacco savings.
Key Benefits
expansion
Increased
Off
spec
tobacco
nil
Reduced reliance almost
on expanded
tobacco
moisture control
Good
Controllable
Low specific expansion
energy consumption
High throughput
Fast payback capability

Control

HXD Fill Power

Flexibility
The increased expansion available with
the HXD means that there are more
possibilities open to the cigarette
blenders.
Expanded tobacco and expanded stem
inclusion can be reduced or eliminated.
The HXD whole blend expansion
technique allows blend recipes to be
changed to take advantage of
alternative leaf grades.

The HXD has a large number of

controllable elements which when
working in harmony give the ideal
operating parameters for optimum
tobacco drying.
A sophisticated programme has been
developed to ensure that tobacco can be
dried repeatedly to exacting standards.
The HXD has a very short dwell time
which leads directly to:

Excellent moisture control

Fast response
Off spec tobacco almost nil
Rapid run out time

Fill Value

Precision control is required to ensure

that the best advantage of the short
dwell of the HXD is taken.

Steam addition

20

25

zero

30

max

35

Moisture %

Economy
The HXD can be heated either directly
by natural gas or indirectly by oil or gas.
The HXD is more energy efficient than
conventional dryers performing the
same duty.
Quality
The HXD dryer expansion technique not
only offers great benefits in terms of
cigarette design, pressure drop and end
stability but also provides the following
additional quality benefits:
moisture control
Excellent
Case hardening minimised

Special algorithms coupled with a

cascade system of P & ID loops control
the main process variables. The
responsive instrumentation and fast
acting valves ensure the continued
achievement of first class tobacco quality
under daily production conditions.

HXD Conditioner

HXD L
The HXD L process expands the
tobacco strands and maintains the
expansion by stiffening the tobacco
strands during flash evaporation.
A clean in place system avoids
unnecessary operator intervention and
downtime.

MODEL

MAXIMUM THROUGHPUT

Cut Lamina Input kg/hr

The HXD L is able to enhance the fill

value of the total cut lamina blend on
line. The expansion is achieved by the
combination of accurate high moisture
conditioning in the HXD Conditioner
followed by extremely rapid drying in the
HXD pneumatic conveying dryer.

Heat exchanger
Steam

Steam
Screen
Screen
cleaner

Fan
Steam
H 2O

Heated
hood

Output kg/hr

HXD-1

714

540

HXD-2

5685

4297

HXD-3

7253

5482

HXD-4

9248

6990

HXD-5

11791

8912

HXD-6

15034

11363

HXD-7

19169

14488

Maximum input moisture = 35%

Output moisture = 14% (Larger dryers on request)

High Throughput
The HXD has an extremely high
throughput capability. The HXD L can
be supplied from a pilot plant version
running at 500 kgs/hr up to a single
production unit capable of processing
over 20 tonnes per hour.

Multiple process lines eliminated

Vertical
face

Even at high throughputs quality is

maintained.
Recirculating vapour

HXD conditioner

An additional advantage is that because

of the short dwell time the amount of
product in the dryer at any one time is
very small leading to a rapid run out
time.
Rapid run out leads to a fast change
over between operations even for large
capacity dryers.

HXD Dryer

STS
CRS

HXDS Tobacco

HXD S
The HXD S when linked directly to the
DickinsonLegg STS stems expansion
system provides the ultimate stem
expansion process.
The ultra rapid drying which takes place
in the HXD S further enhances the
expansion achieved in the STS.
Expanded stem dried in the HXD is free
from the mechanical action which
conventional dryers can exhibit.
STS

DickinsonLegg Stem Super Line

The DickinsonLegg Admoist stem conditioner
STS and HXD S all have maximum
throughput capability well in excess of
conventional stem expansion systems.
The Admoist, STS and HXD S when
combined together form the basis of the
DickinsonLegg Stem Super Line which has a
throughput in excess of 4000 kgs/hr.
The Stem Super Line avoids the need for
multiple lines and has the following
additional advantages:

Reduced capital investment

Improved efficiency
Improved quality

Annular Dryer
The DickinsonLegg Annular Dryer has
two concentric cylinders which rotate
together about a common axis. Tobacco
is in turn lifted and heated by the outer
cylinder, then dropped onto the inner
cylinder where it is again heated.
Moisture is evaporated from the
tobacco by the process airstream.
The suppressed airflow of the Annular
dryer ensures an impressive fill value
improvement.
Rotation

Product Benefits

Key Features

filling power up to 14% gain

The unique design of the Annular dryer
High
Even
product
drying
ensures:
Minimum degradation
Good moisture control
Reduced time at high temperature
Low cylinder loading
Consistent residence time
Low transit time
Reduced residence
Reduced off spec tobacco
Reduced drying time can have a
Lipped paddles
beneficial effect on the smoking

characteristics of some tobaccos.

Heating Method
The Annular dryer can be either steam
heated or hot water heated. The hot
water dryer benefits from a faster
response time and a corresponding
improvement in moisture control:

The improved definition of the tobacco

path through the dryer ensures that
individual tobacco strands are all
subjected to the same process
parameters, leading to an improvement
in overall tobacco quality.

standard deviation
Moisture
+/-0.2%

A N N U L A R

D R Y E R

S I Z E

R A N G E

Cylinder

Cylinder Heated
length (M)

Water Removal Capacity

with lamina (kg/hr)
140C cyl temp.

160C cyl temp.

2.4 outer
0.9 inner

3.7, 4.9, 6.1

7.3, 8.5

315-700

390-900

3.2 outer
1.2 inner

4.9, 6.1, 7.3, 8.5

600-1040

780-1340

Cut rolled expanded stem (CRES) has a

superior fill value when dried rapidly.
Stem which has been expanded using a
steam-based method such as the
DickinsonLegg STS is hot and flexible.
Rapid drying ensures that the individual
stem particles maintain their expanded
form and are prevented from becoming
folded or degraded by the mechanical
action of the dryer.
The DickinsonLegg Rotary Stem dryer
which can be either gas, oil or steam
heated is a cylindrical dryer with lifting
paddles having pre-heated in-line
process airflow.

Contraflow Dryer

Moisture content

Rotary Stem Dryer

Dryer inlet

Dryer exit

expansion level
High
throughput
High
Good
moisture control
At the inlet to the dryer the hot
expanded stem has its temperature
further increased by the heated
cylinder shell and lifting paddles whilst
moisture is rapidly removed by the
in-line process airflow thus ensuring
maximum expansion.

The DickinsonLegg Rotary Contraflow

dryer is a cylindrical dryer with lifting
paddles having pre-heated contra-flow
process air.
The contraflow dryer is ideal for
straightforward lamina drying and a
number of special applications such as
drying cased Burley tobacco.

Economical
moisture control
Good
Robust
contruction

Exhaust plenum

Exhaust to
cyclone and fan

Fluid Bed Dryer

Stainless steel hood

The DickinsonLegg Fluid Bed Dryer is

ideal for drying cut rolled expanded
stem (CRES).
CRES is hot and flexible after expansion
in a steam based process such as the
DickinsonLegg STS unit. Rapid drying
with minimal mechanical action ensures
that stem particles maintain optimum
expansion.
Cut rolled expanded stem entering the
Fluid Bed Dryer is instantaneously
exposed to a hot dry air stream from the
bed of the dryer.
The aspect ratio of the DickinsonLegg
Fluid Bed Dryer is low i.e. it is wider
relative to its length than other dryers.
The low aspect ratio ensures that the
maximum volume of hot dry air comes
into contact with stem in the minimum
time to ensure maximum expansion.

Hood pressure
transducer

Fluidised bed
of product
Temperature sensor

Stainless steel
diffuser panels

Vibrating bed motor

Air inlet filters

Vibrating bed
Anti-vibration
mountings
Finned steam
heat exchanger

Variable speed
inlet fans

Plenum chamber and

air guide vanes

Plenum chamber splitter vanes

Optimum expansion
Low aspect ratio
Adjustable residence time
Consistent drying across width
Gas, steam or oil heated
bed diffuser panels for
Special
uniform airflow
Good moisture control
Single pass process air
3 zone control
Tumbling jets
Uniform airflow in discharge hood
High efficiency

The DickinsonLegg Fluid Bed Dryer has

single pass process air. Single pass
process air ensures that the air at entry
to the FBD has a very low relative
humidity and is thus capable of
facilitating the rapid drying which is
commensurate with optimum expansion.
The bed of the dryer is declined at a
small angle. Forward motion is imparted
to the stem by the action of two out of
balance motors. The amplitude of the
motors can be varied to adjust the
residence time in the dryer.
Special attention has been paid to
ensuring that a uniform airstream is
maintained within the dryer. Guide
vanes, uni-directional bed plates,
exhaust from both sides of the dryer
hood and automatic hood pressure
control all contribute to achieving the
uniform fluidisation necessary for
maximum expansion.

During its transit through the dryer the

fluidised bed of the CRES is turned over
a number of times to maintain a
constant drying rate through the depth
of the product. Tumbling is achieved by
means of unique air jets strategically
placed across the width of the bed at
carefully calculated intervals.
There are two or three temperature
zones according to dryer size. A feed
forward/feed back PLC control system
ensures exemplary moisture control.

www.dickinsonlegg.com

DickinsonLegg Inc.
7851 Redpine Road
Richmond, Virginia
VA 23237
USA
Tel: 804 279 0020
Fax: 804 279 0025
Email: sales@dickinsonleggus.com

A member of the
Brunel Holdings Group
www.Brunelholdings.com
DickinsonLegg Limited reserve the
right to amend information
contained in this brochure as and
when they require

DT270101

Y
G
O
L
O
N
H
R

DickinsonLegg Limited
Moorside Road, Winchester
Hants, SO23 7SS, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1962 842222
Fax: +44 (0)1962 840567
Email: sales@dickinsonlegg.com

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S O L U T I O N S
E N G I N E E R I N G
T O T A L

Drying Technology