| abstract |
A compact oven with a box-like housing (11) for efficient use of plant floor space encases a spiral food product carrying conveyor (12). A process vapor (50,56) is uniformly circulated within the housing by "plug fans" (49) with the inlet drawing vapor (50) from the central axial zone (31) of the spiral conveyor (12) and exhausting into plenums (53), which are arranged along the periphery of the conveyor and comprise indirect heat sources (13). The plenums have nozzles (54) orientated to project the process vapor laterally (56) towards the conveyor. |