A centrifugal processor includes an elongated inlet and outlet in fluid communication
with a rotor housing having an eccentric bowl. A rotor having fan blades and adapted
to hold flat media is rotatably disposed within the rotor housing. An intake gate
is pivotably mounted to the rotor housing to swing about the rotor into a closed
position during a rinse mode and into an open position during a drying mode. The
gate has a wedge that is designed to almost contact the rotor when the gate is
in the open position for drying. The geometry of the elongated inlet, outlet, and
eccentric bowl, in combination with the design of the rotor and that of the intake
gate, work together to create a cross flow fan having a flow path across the flat
media and one that exposes the flat media to large volumes of incoming air only once.
