Bagasse Dryer Role in the Energy Recovery of Water Tube Boilers

The sugar and ethanol industry, which uses sugarcane as raw material, utilizes the by-product, bagasse, as fuel. The bagasse is fed with a moisture content of 50% (w.b). Dryers are not being used in the way it is proposed here. This article proposes the introduction of bagasse dryers connected to the energy recovery system of the boilers operating with the exhaust gases. The combination of the dryer with other thermal energy recovery devices, such as an air heater and economizer, is considered. The performance improvement is evaluated. Costs are also taken into account. Finally, an optimized solution for the boiler energy recovery system is proposed.     

FLASH DRYING OF FISH MEALS WITH SUPERHEATED STEAM: ISOTHERMAL PROCESS

The work considers the application of the flash drying to the moisture removal of fishmeal using superheated steam as transport medium. Heat, momentum and mass transfer equations were applied and an algorithm based on these equations was developed and solved. The model was validated using experimental data obtained in a pilot pneumatic dryer ( total length 60 m) provided with a steam jacket to maintain the superheated steam at a constant temperature. The drying time was less than 10 s to decrease the fish meals moisture content from 53.5% to 28% d.b. and in a second pass by the dryer the moisture down to 16.9% using superheated steam at It 1 ° C and 130 ° C in the jacket. The computational results are in agreement with the experimental data.     

FLASH DRYING OF FISH MEALS WITH SUPERHEATED STEAM: ISOTHERMAL PROCESS

ABSTRACT

The work considers the application of the flash drying to the moisture removal of fishmeal using superheated steam as transport medium. Heat, momentum and mass transfer equations were applied and an algorithm based on these equations was developed and solved. The model was validated using experimental data obtained in a pilot pneumatic dryer ( total length 60 m) provided with a steam jacket to maintain the superheated steam at a constant temperature. The drying time was less than 10 s to decrease the fish meals moisture content from 53.5% to 28% d.b. and in a second pass by the dryer the moisture down to 16.9% using superheated steam at It 1 ° C and 130 ° C in the jacket. The computational results are in agreement with the experimental data.     

造纸污泥干化热力计算及方案选择

文章利用空心浆叶干燥机作为干化造纸污泥的设备,对采用过热蒸气和饱和蒸气作为热源的两个方案进行了热力计算。比较结果表明:把污泥的含水率从80%干化到40%,利用0.4 MPa,200℃过热蒸汽为热介质来干燥污泥时,耗气量是1712 kg/h;利用0.4 MPa,150℃的饱和蒸气作为热源,耗气量是1800 kg/h。     

Newly designed superheated steam dryer bearing heat recovery unit: Analysis of energy efficiency and kinetics of Kelp drying

In this work, a newly designed superheated steam dryer (SSD) bearing exhaust heat recovery unit (RD) was fabricated. The dryer was designed for the superheated steam (SS) to be generated by foodstuff being dried, and the latent heat of the exhaust SS was recovered by microtube radiators and exploited to heat the RD unit. The system was then applied in Kelp drying, in which the drying kinetics was analyzed and fitted with mathematical models. The energy efficiency by the system was further evaluated and compared with hot air (HA)-drying. The results showed that the Kelp drying process in SSD could be described by two stages: heat-upstage (stage I) and superheated steam stage (stage II). While in stage I, different heat-up times of 10, 15, and 20?min were required to generate superheated steam at temperatures of 110–150°C, in stage II, the moisture content in Kelp was decreased to approximately 50?±?5% (wet basis) within 60, 50, and 30?min at 110, 130, and 150°C, respectively. Moreover, the Midilli and Kucuk model best described Kelp drying curve in both stages, whereas the logarithmic model best fitted with that in stage II. Finally, the energy efficiency for SSD-RD was in the range of 1.127–1.425?kWh/kg_water compared with 2.406–2.508?kWh/kg_water for HA operating under the same conditions, demonstrating that the SSD-RD was able to reduce the energy input by at least 46.14%.     

Inversion Temperature and Pinch Analysis,Ways to Thermally Optimize Drying Processes

This work studies the compatibility and suitability of a combined inversion temperature and pinch analysis with the process selection for air and superheated steam spray drying of milk solids. The inversion temperature is a good starting point for an energy analysis because it is a simplified rate-based approach to comparing the steam and air drying systems. pinch analysis enables process integration, at least on a heat recovery and heat exchanger network level.

The resulting inversion temperature for the studied system was estimated as 182°C for the dryer inlet temperature. However, mass and energy balances showed that a minimum inlet temperature for spray drying of 184°C was required for the superheated steam dryer in order to ensure that the outlet solids temperature above the dew point temperature.

The inversion temperature is still very relevant in the early stages of a design process because it allows a quick assessment of which drying medium should result in a smaller dryer. It was evident that the steam system is better from an energy perspective because of the recoverable latent heat of the water vapor carried out of the dryer with the recycled steam. The steam system has between 82 and 92% of thermal energy recovery potential as condensable steam, compared with 13–30% energy recovery of the air system. However, other important design and operational factors are not discussed here in detail.

Combining the inversion temperature and pinch analysis suggests that superheated steam drying both gives better energy recovery and is likely to give smaller dryers for all operational conditions.     

Reducing energy requirement for drying of beet-pulp: Simulation of energy integration between superheated steam and air drying systems

Beet-pulp dehydration in the sugar industry is a highly energy intensive unit operation. Producing 1?kg of dried beet-pulp requires ～2–3?kg of water to be removed. The cost saving is a real challenge in sugar factory as the current dryers are underperforming (around 3?MJ/kg of water evaporated) because the heat recovery is limited and only a small proportion of dryer exhaust can be reused. The aim of this study was to investigate by simulation the energy efficiency of an independent multistage drying method that combines superheated steam drying (SHSD) and hot air drying (AD). Two case studies awarding the two types of energy coupling (AD then SHSD or SHSD then AD) are presented and compared. An approach of optimization is developed from energy balance. A number of operating parameters of the two drying configurations are investigated using sensitivity analysis. It proves that both cases allow an energy economy around 40% compared to the conventional dryer. Nevertheless, the SHSD-AD plant may present more benefits for a better quality product.     

DRYING OF SUGAR BEET FIBER WITH HOT AIR OR SUPERHEATED STEAM

A comparative study of drying thin layers of sugar beet fiber with hot air or with superheated steam in a specially designed pilot dryer is reported. Our present interests are focused on drying rate and on the quality of the dried product. Steam superheated at 130-150°C yields 90 % of dry matter (DM), however steam condensation on the cold product at the beginning of the process may penalize the drying time. The color of the fiber is not modified until reaching 80 % DM. Drying with air heated at temperatures lying in the 40 to 105°C range does not alter the white color up to 90 % DM. The water retention capacity of the original fiber, 14 g water/g DM remains unchanged whatever drying agent is used. The scaling up of the primary hot air drying set up to a ten times larger experimental dryer introduce no modification of drying time, water retention capacity or fiber color. Thick layer drying experiments permit to define parameters of a belt dryer for an industrial fiber processing plant.     

DRYING OF SUGAR BEET FIBER WITH HOT AIR OR SUPERHEATED STEAM

A comparative study of drying thin layers of sugar beet fiber with hot air or with superheated steam in a specially designed pilot dryer is reported. Our present interests are focused on drying rate and on the quality of the dried product. Steam superheated at 130-150°C yields 90 % of dry matter (DM), however steam condensation on the cold product at the beginning of the process may penalize the drying time. The color of the fiber is not modified until reaching 80 % DM. Drying with air heated at temperatures lying in the 40 to 105°C range does not alter the white color up to 90 % DM. The water retention capacity of the original fiber, 14 g water/g DM remains unchanged whatever drying agent is used. The scaling up of the primary hot air drying set up to a ten times larger experimental dryer introduce no modification of drying time, water retention capacity or fiber color. Thick layer drying experiments permit to define parameters of a belt dryer for an industrial fiber processing plant.     

Drying of Fish Press-Cake with Superheated Steam in a Pilot Plant Impingement System

Drying tests for pine sawdust and mackerel press-cake with hot air and with superheated steam were carried out in a pilot impingement cylindrical dryer. Wet particles move axially along the dryer, adjusting the inclination of the equipment, whereas hot gases circulate in cross-flow against the particles, forming a corotational impingement front. Feed rate and residence time of solids were studied experimentally as a function of dryer inclination for hot air and superheated steam as drying media. Drying rates and heat and mass transfer coefficients were found to increase at shorter residence times and higher gas temperatures. Dried mackerel press-cake with superheated steam resulted in a product with high moisture removal and very low losses of the valuable omega-3 fatty acids.     

Steam Drying of Products Containing Solvent Mixtures

Drying experiments with single, porous spheres wetted with mixtures of 2- propanol and water were performed using superheated steam, air, or steam-air mixtures as drying agent. Both the drying rate and the moisture composition were determined experimentally for different temperatures and compositions of the drying agent and for different initial compositions of the moisture. It is shown that evaporation of 2-propanol is enhanced by using superheated steam as drying agent instead of air due to steam condensing on the sample. While the overall drying rate increases with rising steam temperature, the evaporation rate of 2-propanol is hardly affected. When drying samples containing mixtures of 2- propanol and water, internal boiling can occur depending on the vapor-liquid equilibrium. Vapor generated inside the sample may cause mechanical dewatering of the sample which greatly increases the drying rate.     

Steam Drying of Products Containing Solvent Mixtures

ABSTRACT

Drying experiments with single, porous spheres wetted with mixtures of 2- propanol and water were performed using superheated steam, air, or steam-air mixtures as drying agent. Both the drying rate and the moisture composition were determined experimentally for different temperatures and compositions of the drying agent and for different initial compositions of the moisture. It is shown that evaporation of 2-propanol is enhanced by using superheated steam as drying agent instead of air due to steam condensing on the sample. While the overall drying rate increases with rising steam temperature, the evaporation rate of 2-propanol is hardly affected. When drying samples containing mixtures of 2- propanol and water, internal boiling can occur depending on the vapor–liquid equilibrium. Vapor generated inside the sample may cause mechanical dewatering of the sample which greatly increases the drying rate.     

Drying of Fish Press-Cake with Superheated Steam in a Pilot Plant Impingement System

Drying tests for pine sawdust and mackerel press-cake with hot air and with superheated steam were carried out in a pilot impingement cylindrical dryer. Wet particles move axially along the dryer, adjusting the inclination of the equipment, whereas hot gases circulate in cross-flow against the particles, forming a corotational impingement front. Feed rate and residence time of solids were studied experimentally as a function of dryer inclination for hot air and superheated steam as drying media. Drying rates and heat and mass transfer coefficients were found to increase at shorter residence times and higher gas temperatures. Dried mackerel press-cake with superheated steam resulted in a product with high moisture removal and very low losses of the valuable omega-3 fatty acids.     

Moisture equilibrium of wood and bark chips in superheated steam

This study relating to the steam drying of biofuels suggests that the activities of water in air (defined as relative humidity) and of water in superheated steam (defined as the ratio of the saturated pressure and the saturated pressure at the superheated temperature) are identical. The dependence of the activity in superheated steam on the equilibrium moisture content was studied in various experiments for different wood materials at constant temperatures of 140 and 160°C. The equilibrium moisture content was found to depend on the following factors: the activity of the superheated steam, the temperature and the materials used, the first of these being the most important. The experimentally determined sorption isotherms were compared with different sorption theories. The Dent model gave a good correlation with the experimental data. The sorbed water can be divided into primary water with high binding energy and secondary water with low binding energy. If biofuels are to be dried with superheated steam, an equilibrium moisture fraction of 0.05 seems to be relevant. It will probably be possible to reach this with activities in the range 0.2–0.4 for all real materials.     

Drying Kinetics and Quality of Shrimp Undergoing Different Two-Stage Drying Processes

An innovative two-stage drying concept is presented in this article. The work considered drying of shrimp using a superheated steam dryer followed by a heat pump (SSD/HPD) or a hot air dryer (SSD/AD) both from drying kinetics and dried product quality points of view. The experiments were performed using the first-stage superheated steam drying temperature of 140°C while the second-stage heat pump drying (or hot air drying) was performed at 50°C. The moisture content of shrimp at the end of the superheated steam drying stage was varied between 30 and 40% (w.b.). The effect of tempering between SSD/HPD was also investigated. Shrinkage, color, rehydration behavior, texture (toughness and hardness), and microstructure of dried shrimp were measured. The results showed that SSD/HPD dried shrimp had much lower degree of shrinkage, higher degree of rehydration, better color, less tough and softer, and more porous than single-stage SSD dried shrimp. It was also found that SSD/AD gave redder shrimp compared to shrimp dried in a single-stage superheated steam dryer. No improvement in terms of shrinkage and rehydration behavior was observed, however.     

COMBINED SUPERHEATED STEAM AND MICROWAVE DRYING OF SINTERED GLASS BEADS: DRYING RATE CURVES

A new drying method of combined superheated steam and microwave drying is being proposed. The drying rates of sintered glass beads in combined superheated steam and microwave drying are experimentally and theoretically investigated. Drying experiments have been carried out in a waveguide where a standing wave is formed to uniformly heat a small sample. Concerning drying rate curves in combined superheated steam and microwave drying, a distinct constant rate period has been observed. For the falling rate period, high drying rates have been observed. For both periods, the drying rates in combined superheated steam and microwave drying are higher than those in superheated steam alone. Also, in comparison with the results of combined nitrogen and microwave drying, the normalized drying rates in combined superheated steam and microwave drying are higher than those at less than the critical moisture content in combined nitrogen and microwave drying. Moreover, theoretical drying rates for the falling rate period (predicted by a modified receding evaporation front model) in combined superheated steam and microwave drying, are in good agreement with the observed drying rates. The combined superheated steam and microwave drying method can attain higher drying rates under mild external conditions.     

Drying Kinetics and Quality of Shrimp Undergoing Different Two-Stage Drying Processes

Abstract

An innovative two-stage drying concept is presented in this article. The work considered drying of shrimp using a superheated steam dryer followed by a heat pump (SSD/HPD) or a hot air dryer (SSD/AD) both from drying kinetics and dried product quality points of view. The experiments were performed using the first-stage superheated steam drying temperature of 140°C while the second-stage heat pump drying (or hot air drying) was performed at 50°C. The moisture content of shrimp at the end of the superheated steam drying stage was varied between 30 and 40% (w.b.). The effect of tempering between SSD/HPD was also investigated. Shrinkage, color, rehydration behavior, texture (toughness and hardness), and microstructure of dried shrimp were measured. The results showed that SSD/HPD dried shrimp had much lower degree of shrinkage, higher degree of rehydration, better color, less tough and softer, and more porous than single-stage SSD dried shrimp. It was also found that SSD/AD gave redder shrimp compared to shrimp dried in a single-stage superheated steam dryer. No improvement in terms of shrinkage and rehydration behavior was observed, however.     

Energy analysis of a lignite predrying power generation system with an efficient waste heat recovery system

Lignite has been extensively used for electricity generation in many regions worldwide. However, its high water content has obviously negative effect on plant thermal efficiency. Performance of lignite-fired power plant can be improved by predrying the lignite before combustion. In addition, recovery of waste heat from the dryer and the power generation system will enhance the plant thermal efficiency further. In the present study, a new lignite predrying power generation system integrated with an efficient waste heat recovery system was proposed. Both dryer exhaust waste heat and steam turbine exhaust latent heat were recovered to heat boiler feed water. Energy analysis indicates that system performance is improved significantly. The plant thermal efficiency increases linearly with drying degree and then increases at a lower rate. The generation of unused dryer exhaust changes the variation tendency of system performance with drying degree.     

OPTIMUM OPERATING CONDITIONS IN DRYING FOODSTUFFS WITH SUPERHEATED STEAM

It is inferred from experimental data that in drying foodstuffs with superheated steam, the initial drying rate has a direct effect on the rate at which the overall drying takes place. That is, the faster the initial drying rate, the shorter the overall drying time. This criterion is very convenient because at the beginning, water moistens the sample external surface so evaporation does not depend on internal sample characteristics, but only on external convective heat and mass transfer rates. Mass and energy balance equations are solved and the result converted into a general initial drying rate equation, in which all dryer characteristics are grouped into one dimensionless parameter. The initial drying rate equation is mathematically maximized and the optimum working conditions determined. The result shows that initial drying rate always increase with increases of either the superheated steam temperature or velocity, but once these two variables are fixed, there exists at least one “optimum” pressure at which the initial drying rate is a maximum. Finally, the initial drying rate and optimum condition equations are applied to three model dryers, a dryer for a flat sheet, a fixed bed dryer and a rotary dryer. In each case, numeric values are computed and plotted as drying rate versus pressure curves, in which the optimum drying rate is also included. Also presented is a chart to compare the optimum pressures as functions of temperature and steam velocity for the three dryers.     

DRYING WITH SUPERHEATED STEAM

The principle of drying with superheated steam is known for a long time already, and different designs have been worked out and partly realised. The principle of the steam drying described in this paper starts with superheated steam that is blown on to the products to be dried. The superheated steam transfers its sensible heat to the product and the water to be evaporated. The superheated steam acts both as heat source and as drying medium to take away the evaporated water. The majority of the superheated steam has to be recirculated and reheated. The excess steam from this process, corresponding to the evaporated water, can be used elsewhere in the process or plant, thus making an efficient energy recovery possible. Possible emissions from the drying process can be effectively removed by condensation. Drying by means of superheated steam impingement is one of the possible designs that are in progress now for the paper industry. Work is going on with respect to this type of drying for other materials, especially foodstuffs. At present experimental research at the laboratory steam dryer of TNO-MEP is carried out for vegetables, fries, herbs, cacao nuts, wheat, flour, etc. Besides the energy savings and environmental benefits, the oxygen free steam atmosphere and the higher product temperatures in the dryer appear to have positive effects on the product qualities. For foodstuffs combinations of steam drying with blanching, pasteurisation, sterilisation, etc. are possible and make the steam drying very attractive for food producers. Modelling of the processes in foodstuffs during steam drying is established, both on macro and micro scale. In this paper examples and results of research on steam drying for specific products will be presented.