Mestral

The MESTRAL conical fan is a helical fan fitted to the ceiling of the dryer in the passage between wagons. This fan mixes hot air from the air feed with damp air in the dryer. This air is driven to a cone with a groove along the length of its generator. Air leaves the slit at high speed and so at high pressure, penetrating to the bottom of the wagon. The cone rotates slowly to spread the air mixture all around.

All actuating mechanical parts, both for cone and fan, are outside the dryer. This avoids subjecting the pieces to temperature a humidity conditions found inside the dryer, preventing greater wear and facilitating maintenance. Even lubrication can be done from the outside.

The advantage of this system is that it provides a more even temperature spread between upper and lower sections, with only 3º or 4ºC difference. Furthermore, by exerting greater pressure, drying is better balanced between the inside and outside of the wagon, thus achieving shorter drying cycles than with other fans.