The challenge
A grain drying tower exhausting warm, moisture-laden air was wasting both heat and, through condensation, creating corrosion. Returning that humid exhaust to the process would re-wet the grain, so moisture recovery was undesirable.
The solution
Sensible plate heat exchangers recovered only the dry-bulb heat from the exhaust to preheat incoming combustion or make-up air. Because the plates transfer temperature only, no moisture returns to the drying air.
The result
Fuel consumption for drying dropped by roughly 25 percent with no impact on final grain moisture, demonstrating why sensible (not enthalpy) recovery is the correct choice for drying duty.