FlexEnergy Inc. channel Partner MBS Engineering (in San Ramon, CA), has designed a mobile natural gas-powered hemp drying unit, utilizing the Flex Energy GT333S model gas turbine generator. MBS, using Flex Turbines®, will be the exclusive manufacturer of commercial mobile hemp drying units, to be used and sold by a large-scale Oregon-based commercial hemp grower, TumbleWeed. The unit, which is enclosed in a semi-trailer, is called the Black Hemp Box, and is capable of drying 75,000 lbs of wet hemp per hour.
While the technical details of the Black Hemp Box are proprietary, the unit is comprised of a power/heat-generating unit and a drying unit. Power comes from a Flex Energy GT333S with an electric starter, and the power profile is both electrical and thermal. The turbine is fueled by an onboard liquid propane gas (LPG) fuel tank and is housed in an exterior blanket or heat recapture shell. Assembly is minimal, as the point of the mobile hemp dryer is to permit rapid pack-up and redeployment, with minimal downtime or technical requirements.