Patent attributes
Employment of one or more resealable access slots in a steam distributor apparatus affords easy access to the internal chambers of the apparatus for cleaning and maintenance. The access slots can be located on the lower walls of the steam discharge chambers where debris tend to aggregate during operation of the apparatus. The apparatus can have multiple discharge chambers that are separated by spaced-apart partitions or baffle panels. Steam that is supplied from a steam header to each chamber exits each chamber through perforations of a discharge screen plate that is permanently secured onto adjacent partition panels. Actuators can regulate the steam flow from the steam header to the individual discharge chambers thereby creating a steam curtain with uniform or non-uniform cross direction profiles as desired.