Method and device for reducing the water content of carbon-containing solid materials

摘要

The invention concerns a method of reducing the water content of water-containing granular brown coal involving the application of heat energy and pressure to the material spread out in a bed. The brown coal is subjected to mechanically applied initial surface pressure at a level below the maximum surface pressure which occurs in the process, while thermal energy is imparted to the brown coal by steam, which heats the coal and condenses. The surface pressure is then raised without any further steam being supplied to a level (at least 2.0 MPa) at which the water held in the heated brown coal is forced out.