Modification of existing open troughs

Abstract

Withering is one of the most important steps in black tea manufacture. The large troughs currently used for withering fail to produce uniform wither of the leaf mass. Design modification of the existing open withering troughs have led to improvement in uniformity of withering.
In order to achieve an uniform rate of moisture removal from an open trough, it is imperative to provide uniform flow of air throughout the leaf bed. The modified trough incorporates a honeycomb chamber and streamlining vanes, which reduce turbulence in the airflow and cause uniform distribution of air in the leaf bed.