MATHEMATICAL MODELLING AND APPARATUS ARRANGEMENTS OF DEEP DRYING PROCESS OF GRANULAR POLYMERS

A computer - aided analysis is made of the factors influencing the kinetics of the continuous deep drying of granular polymers on the basis of a two-level mathematical model. In terms of the lower (microkinetic) level, which deals with the drying of separate granules, consideration is given to the accuracy of determining the moisture diffusion coefficients in polymers as functions of temperature and concentration D=f(U,t). The expedience of employing the solution of linear and non-linear differential diffusion equations in microkinetic calculations is also considered. In terms of the macrokinetic level, which takes account of the influence of the hydrodynamic and heat-and-mass transfer drying conditions in the dryer, a numerical study is undertaken of how the kinetics is influenced by the granules' dimension nonuniformity and by the difference in the granules' residence time in the dryer. The results are graphically presented in generalised variables. The travel of 12 granular polymers in the shaft (column) dryers is experimentally studied depending on definite determining parameters. Accordingly, some recommendations aimed at ensuring the uniform drying are given. Presented are also the experimental results on the longitudinal mixing for different polymers for a continuous shaft dryer with a ring material layer and with the drying agent performing the radial motion. The findings make it possible to determine the mixing rate and to outline some practical recommendations. The investigations carried out allow one to find the rational construction of the dryer for the deep drying of granular polymers and to refine the kinetic calculations.     

THERMAL DEWATERING OF DILUTED ORGANIC SUSPENSIONS: PROCESS MECHANISM AND DRYING KINETICS

ABSTRACT

Drying of raw hog manure, a highly diluted suspension of organic and inorganic matter was studied experimentally in the multistage screw-in-trough dryer. Laboratory tests included material characteristics (rheological properties, thermodynamic equilibrium, critical settling point), boiling pattern, and kinetics of convective drying at temperatures from 90 to 120°C and air velocity from 0.5 to 1.5 m/s. Three phases of manure drying were identified, namely boiling and release of volatile compounds, evaporation from viscous liquid, followed by drying of a soft paste, and finish drying of semi-dry granular product. Drying kinetics were quantified in terms of reduced moisture content and a generalized drying curve using the characteristic drying time concept. Field tests were carried out in the pilot multistage screw-in-trough dryer to validate design calculations.

     

THERMAL DEWATERING OF DILUTED ORGANIC SUSPENSIONS: PROCESS MECHANISM AND DRYING KINETICS

Drying of raw hog manure, a highly diluted suspension of organic and inorganic matter was studied experimentally in the multistage screw-in-trough dryer. Laboratory tests included material characteristics (rheological properties, thermodynamic equilibrium, critical settling point), boiling pattern, and kinetics of convective drying at temperatures from 90 to 120°C and air velocity from 0.5 to 1.5 m/s. Three phases of manure drying were identified, namely boiling and release of volatile compounds, evaporation from viscous liquid, followed by drying of a soft paste, and finish drying of semi-dry granular product. Drying kinetics were quantified in terms of reduced moisture content and a generalized drying curve using the characteristic drying time concept. Field tests were carried out in the pilot multistage screw-in-trough dryer to validate design calculations.     

Heat and Mass Transfer in an Agitated Contact-Convective Heated Dryer

For the investigation of the drying process of a pharmaceutical fermentation waste and for determining specific heat and mass transfer coefficients an agitated contact-convective heated dryer was constructed. This dryer is also suitable for drying of other granular solids with high moisture content. Hence we investigated the drying of a by-product from bio-ethanol production, as well. The pilot-plant agitated dryer makes possible continuous measurement and data-acquisition. Data-acquisition of heated wall temperature, inlet and outlet air temperatures and humidity, mass reduction of the material makes possible the determination of transfer coefficients by the heat and mass balance of the dryer. The measured heat and mass transfer coefficients serve as proper input parameters for the simulation calculations.     

ANALYSIS OF THE DRYING OF RESIDUAL SLUDGE: FROM THE EXPERIMENT TO THE SIMULATION OF A BELT DRYER

ABSTRACT

The drying of residual sludge is a current environmental problem not sufficiently described in the literature, hence research investigations on this dewatering process are required. This paper proposes a modelling of a conveyor dryer belt. However the study of residual sludges dewatering in order to design or simulate drying equipment requires some experimental investigations. An analysis in terms of drying kinetics is proposed in this paper. Specific experiments were also needed in order to better describe some particular aspects such as crusting, shrinkage, and particle size impact. According to these data some analytical expressions have been derived and integrated in a belt dryer model. The set of air operating conditions (T, RH, v) was reduced to a single parameter, the drying potential. The results of the simulations show that a conveyor belt dryer is not well adapted to activated sludge. This is essentially due to a crust phenomenon. For a PVC industrial sludge this kind of dryer is more efficient and allows drying with reasonable residence times. Several simulations were run in order to point out the relevant parameters of the process.     

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF SORPTION ISOTHERMS AND DRYING KINETICS OF MOROCCAN EUCALYPTUS GLOBULUS

ABSTRACT

The paper deals with sorption isotherms and drying kinetics of Eucalyptus globulus. The sorption isotherms have been determined using a static gravimetric method and then fitted by GAB equation at T = 30, 40, and 50°C over a range of relative humidity from 0.05 to 0.9. The drying kinetics in a solar dryer with an auxiliary heating system are determined. The results show with good reproducibility that temperature is the main factor in controlling the drying rate. The drying rate equation is determined empirically from the characteristic curve of drying.     

OPTIMAL DESIGN OF WELL-MLXED FLUIDIZED BED DRYERS

ABSTRACT

In a recent article, Baker described a novel technique for estimating the energy consumption of well-mixed fluidized bed dryers based on the use of experimental drying curves. An integrated approach to performing sizing and energy consumption calculations for such dryers using this technique is described in the present paper. A computer program, which includes not only the dryer simulator but also a heat recovery module and an exhaust air recycle option, is used to evaluate the viability of different energy-conservation strategies. The effects of operating parameters such as bed temperature, solids loading and air velocity on energy consumption and bed area are also explored. The observed drying kinetics are shown to have a major effect on the optimal design and operation of the dryer.     

Continuous fluidized bed drying: Residence time distribution characterization and effluent moisture content prediction

The mixing and drying behavior in a continuous fluidized bed dryer were investigated experimentally by characterizing the residence time distribution (RTD) and incorporating a micromixing model together with the drying kinetics obtained from batch drying. The RTD of the dryer was modeled using a tank-in-series model. It was found that a high initial material loading and a low material flow rate resulted in a reduced peak height and broaded peak width of the RTD curve. To predict the continuous dryer effluent moisture content, we combined: (a) the drying kinetics as determined in a batch fluidized bed dryer, (b) the RTD model, and (c) micromixing models—segregation and maximum mixedness models. It was found that the segregation model overpredicted the effluent moisture content by up to 5% for the cases we have studied while the maximum mixedness model gave a good prediction of the effluent moisture content.     

Method for Thermal Design of Paddle Dryers: Application to Municipal Sewage Sludge

Abstract

An experimental methodology was developed to improve the energy design of paddle dryers for sewage sludges. A laboratory batch dryer with a vertical agitator has been especially designed and instrumented to determine the heat flux densities. To determine the drying kinetic and the evaporation rates, the specific heat and the total heat of desorption of the sludge were measured using calorimetric devices. The evaporating flow rates recorded during the pasty and granular phases were then used in a simple model of the paddle dryer. The good agreement between the computed drying kinetics and the experimental ones measured in an industrial paddle dryer shows that the batch dryer can be used to classify the sludges according to their capacity to be dried in a paddle dryer.     

Computational Fluid Dynamics for Multistage Adsorption Dryer Design

Two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics calculations for multistage zeolite drying are performed for two dryer configurations (1) a continuous moving bed zeolite dryer and (2) a discrete bed zeolite dryer. The calculations concern drying of tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.) as an herbal product. The results reveal the profiles of water, vapor, and temperature in dryer, adsorber, and regenerator in the flow directions. The thermal efficiency ranges between 80 and 90% and is close to overall model calculations. The performance of continuous moving bed zeolite dryer is the best. Residence time of air, product, and zeolite are in accordance to other drying systems.     

DRYING OF POLYMER SOLUTION

ABSTRACT

Drying process of polymer solution,which i s carryed out industrially by three shapes of the drying material,is investigated comprehensively. The three shapes are slab as various polymer films by film casting dryer, cylinder as various synthetic. fibers by solution spinning and sphere (drop) as particle or povder of various food materials and polymers by spray drying. These are analysed basically in common manner by silnul tanews solution of diffusion equations and heat balance equations with activity and concentration dependent diffusion coefficient of polymer-solvent system. The conceptions concerning the     

Experimental and theoretical research on agitated contact drying of sewage sludge in a continuous paddle dryer

Sludge drying is an important intermediate process for sewage sludge treatment, usage, and disposal. A series of drying experiments were conducted in a continuous paddle dryer in order to have a better understanding of the sludge drying mechanism. The couple model of penetration model and Markov chain was used to simulate the drying kinetics in a continuous paddle dryer. The drying process has been compared in experimental and theoretical results, which show good agreement. The sewage sludge drying process in a continuous paddle dryer can be divided into three stages: the pasty phase, the sticky phase, and the complete-granular phase. The influences of the drying parameters on the sludge drying kinetics in a continuous paddle dryer were investigated. The sludge flow rate, dryer wall temperature, and dryer slope have remarkable influence on sludge drying in the examined range, but the stirrer speed and steam temperature have little influence on the drying kinetics.     

INTENSIFICATION OF PENICILLIN DRYING IN INDUSTRIAL VACUUM DRUM DRYER BASED ON SHORT CONTACT THEORY

ABSTRACT

The results of industrial experimental research on penicillin drying in a vacuum drum dryer are discussed. It is shown that drying rate increases with increasing velocity of the drum rotation. Analytical calculations of heat exchange surface dependence on the hold-up of loaded material in a drum dryer are obtained.     

PREDICTING THE ENERGY CONSUMPTION OF CONTINUOUS WELL-MIXED FLUIDIZED BED DRYERS FROM DRYING KINETIC DATA

ABSTRACT

Previous work has shown that it is possible to predict the size of a continuous welt-mixed fluidized bed dryer from batch drying curve measurements. This approach has been extended in the present study to include energy consumption calculations. A computer code was written to simulate the performance of the dryer and to determine its specific energy consumption E_s. Starting in this case with an isothermal bed batch drying curve, the program first calculates the mean solids residence time required under specified operating conditions. Mass and energy balances are then used to calculate the heat duty and E_s. The bed temperature was found to have a significant effect on specific energy consumption in all cases. However, the influences of air flowrate and humidity, and of solids loading, were shown to depend on the solids drying characteristics.     

EXPERIMENTAL INFRARED DRYING STUDY OF A MODEL WATER-BASED EPOXY-AMINE PAINTING COATED ON IRON SUPPORT

ABSTRACT

The aim of this work is to study the infrared drying and curing kinetics of a model water-based epoxy-amine painting coaled on iron support. After a presentation of the model painting elaborated in our laboratory, experimental and theoretical data of the curing kinetics are presented. Then, we described the special laboratory-scale infrared dryer set up in our laboratory. This dryer was able to carry on drying experiments with uniform infrared flux densities between 0 to 25 kW,m^-2 The study of the painting drying as a function of the infrared flux density and of the film thickness shows the influence of these two main physical parameters.     

SIMULATION MODEL FOR INDUSTRIAL DRYERS: REDUCTION OF DRYING TIMES OF CERAMICS & SAVING ENERGY

ABSTRACT

A procedure was outlined to optimize industrial dryers for ceramics. The procedure consists of drying experiments on full-size products in a lab dryer, measurements of characteristics of the dryer and by simulations with DrySini. DrySim is a flexible simulation program in which a user can model his own dryer with predefined components. Two examples are given, the optimization of a chamber dryer and the optimization of a tunnel dryer. In both examples the production of the existing dryers could be increased and at the same time cost of energy could reduced by optimal use of waste air of kilns and minimizing mixing of kiln air with ambient air.     

STEAM DRYING OF WOOD CHIPS IN PNEUMATIC CONVEYING DRYERS

ABSTRACT

A model for a pneumatic conveying dryer is presented. Although the main emphasis is put on superheated steam drying of wood chips, it can be used for other porous materials as well

The model includes a comprehensive two-dimensional model for the drying of single wood chips which accounts for the main physical mechanisms occurring in wood during drying. The external drying conditions in a pneumatic conveying dryer were calculated by applying the mass, heat and momentum equations for each incremental step in dryer length. A plug flow assumption was made for the dryer model and the single particle and dryer models were solved in an iterative manner. The non-spherical nature of wood chips were accounted for by measuring the drag and heat transfer coefficients

Model calculations illustrate the complex interactions between steam, particles and walls which occur in a flash dryer. The drying rate varies in a very complex manner through the dryer. The internal resistance to mass transfer becomes very important in The drying of less permeable wood species such as spruce. Two effects were observed as the particle size was increased: firstly the heat transfer rate decreased, and secondly the residence time increased. To some extent, these effects compensate for each other, however, the net result is that larger chips have a higher final moisture content.     

Computational Fluid Dynamics for Multistage Adsorption Dryer Design

Two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics calculations for multistage zeolite drying are performed for two dryer configurations (1) a continuous moving bed zeolite dryer and (2) a discrete bed zeolite dryer. The calculations concern drying of tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus L.) as an herbal product. The results reveal the profiles of water, vapor, and temperature in dryer, adsorber, and regenerator in the flow directions. The thermal efficiency ranges between 80 and 90% and is close to overall model calculations. The performance of continuous moving bed zeolite dryer is the best. Residence time of air, product, and zeolite are in accordance to other drying systems.     

SCALE-UP OF LAYER DRYERS: A UNIFIED APPROACH

Abstract

The concept of Specific Drying Rate is introduced for analysis of experimental drying data for layer dryers and as a convenient scale-up factor. In conjunction with data obtained from a batch laboratory simulation the method is applicable to most types of continuous layer dryers. Three illustrations of the use of this approach for scale-up are presented including a continuous convection heated rotary shelf dryer, an indirectly heated paddle dryer, and an indirectly heated plate dryer with heating zones.     

Identification of the Limiting Mechanism in Contact Drying of Agitated Sewage Sludge

In spite of a great number of industrial applications, the thermal design of contact dryers for sewage sludge remains empirical. To improve the understanding of drying mechanisms, the penetration theory developed by Schlünder and coworkers for mono- and multidispersed packing is used to represent the experimental results from a laboratory-scale dryer. For granular packing, the only adjustment parameter of the model is the mixing number, which characterizes the dryer and its stirrer. For pasty-like materials, the pasty phase is assumed to be a saturated particulate phase. As the calculation of the effective properties calculation is cumbersome for a multi-granular packing, the particulate phase is considered as a monodispersed packing, whose dimension is unknown. To identify the two adjustment parameters, the mixing number was quantified from experiments performed on activated alumina balls, for which physical and thermal characteristics are known, and then the characteristic dimension of the sludge was determined by adjustment of experimental drying kinetics measured in a batch agitated dryer. According to this model, drying is exclusively controlled by the contact resistance between the wall and the biggest particles contained in the dewatered sludge. The model permits to find most of the tendencies experimentally observed for different operating conditions.