INDUSTRIAL THROUGH-AIR DRYING OF NONWOVENS AND PAPER BASIC PRINCIPLES AND APPLICATIONS

The requirements for drying and thermobonding equipment working on the basis of the hot air flow-through system vary considerably due to the large variety of nonwovens qualities, production methods and required production speeds. It is therefore necessary to construct diverse drying systems in order to be able to offer appropriate machines for the desired purposes. Optimum heat and mass transfer from the penetrating air to the permeable material to be dried is ensured by through-air drying

Following Hans Fleissner's invention of the through-air system for drying of textiles and its practical application in the perforated drum dryer for more than 50 years a second engineering breakthrough for the paper and nonwovens industry has been achieved by Gerold Fleissner with the high-tech through-air drum

This paper presents various possibilities of air flow through the material and provide criteria to facilitate selection of the proper drying system     

RELATIONSHIP OF PROCESS PARAMETERS AND STACK WIDTH IN TIMBER DRYING

ABSTRACT

Drying schedules applied in kiln drying, especially for hardwood species should be supplemented with values of air velocity. When dryers have no air velocity control their drying schedule can be suitably corrected. The correction should take into account factors related to dried material, i.e. wood moisture content, timber thickness, dried timber volume and primary width of a stack. Drying efficiency may be the criterion of modifications. The applied procedure of drying efficiency calculations lets to determine quantitative relationships between process and material factors.     

COMPARISON OF TIMBER DRYING USING SOLAR ENERGY,ELECTRICAL HEATING AND DEHUMIDIFIER.

ABSTRACT

The performance of three different types of dryers for the hot air drying of sawn-limber planks are compared. These were the electric resistance dryer, solar dryer, and the dehumidifier dryer. Whilst the electric and solar dryers depended only upon hot air for drying, the dehumidifier dryer relied on hot dehumidified air. The results of investigations carried out on timber drying employing these three types of dryers in the Engineering Faculty are compiled and compared here in this paper. The results showed that the electric dryer produced the fastest drying lime and lowest moisture content, followed by dehumidifier drying. The solar dryer achieved a lower moisture content and a faster drying rate compared to natural drying, although the difference in drying times was marginal.     

Drying Potential Of Humid Air - A Thermodynamical Anlysis

ABSTRACT

Theoretical analysis of thermodynamical potentials relevant for water vapour transfer processes in the system: wet material - moist air, pertormed in the paper. leads to the conclusion that masimal possible isothermal decrease of chemical potential of water vapour in the moist air might be considered as the measure of humid air afinity to unbound water vapour. The concept developed provides better estimation of the drying ability of humid air of different states, as well as tracing Lines of equal values of humid air drying potential into psychrometric charts and constructing several new types of diagrams for convective drying processes in which air is used as the drying medium.     

DEEP LAYER MALT DRYING MODELLING

ABSTRACT

In malt production drying operation plays an important role in the total processing cost, however there are not many studies on malt drying modeling and optimization.

In this paper a deep layer malt drying mathematical model in the form of four partial differential equations is presented.

To determine drying constants, malt thin layer drying experiments at several air temperatures and relative humidities were made.

The model were validated at industrial scale. The greatest energy savings, approximately 5 5% in fuel and 7.5% in electric energy, were obtained by an additional (and increased) air recirculation, which is carried out during the last 6 hours of the drying process and a significant decrease of air flow-rate during the last 6 hours of the drying process.     

DISCONTINUOUS VACUUM DRYING OF OAK WOOD: MODELLING AND EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS

Abstract

Vacuum drying and especially discontinuous vacuum drying is a very attractive process for such a wood as oak, because of a reduced drying time and a high quality of the final product. In this paper, a model describing heat, mass and momentum transfer in a capillary porous and hygroscopic medium under vacuum drying with no external heating agent (the material is pre-heated during a convective phase), is presented. The choice of the following three independent unknowns, moisture content, enthalpy and dry air density, leads to a fully well described problem where the effect of gaseous pressure inside the material is taken into account. A new formulation of the boundary conditions and its numerical resolution are validated by experimental results.     

HOT AIR AND MICROWAVE DRYING OF ONIONS: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

ABSTRACT

This comparative study of conventional (hot air) drying and microwave drying of the onion was carried out on a hot air pilot plant drier for conventional drying where all characteristics (temperature, humidity, and velocity) could be adjusted and controlled. A data logger connected to a computer captured all data. And for microwave drying, a drying tunnel Fitted with a forward/backward movement was used. Mass loss and product surface temperature were monitored for both processing. Factors controlled where: frequency of movement, microwave power, air extraction rate. Other elements included shape (slices/pieces) and variety of product

Drying duration and maximum drying rate constituted comparative criterion for the processes. Quality was measured by the reducing sugars and polyfructans content. Analysis of variance for the microwave drying process suggests that the effective factors were microwave power followed by onion variety and shape respectively. For quality criterion by far the most effective was variety, followed by the interaction of shape and the forward-backward movement of the conveyor. For conventional drying the most effective factor was air temperature for drying duration, and variety for maximum drying rate.     

A COMPREHENSIVE MATHEMATICAL AND NUMERICAL MODELING OF DEEP-BED GRAIN DRYING

ABSTRACT

This paper deals with comprehensive mathematical and numerical modeling of deep-bed grain drying. In order to build the process model, it is necessary to analyze the transport in both grain and gas phases. Experimental works were carried out for a layer of grain bed in order to validate the models. The models consider momentum, energy, and mass conservation within grain and drying air phase. The two-dimensional dynamic equations of energy and mass conservation are solved numerically by finite-difference method (FDM) and utilizing alternating direction implicit algorithm within grain and drying air phase, while momentum conservation are solved by finite difference method by utilizing Semi-Implicit Method for Pressure-Linked Equations (SIMPLE) algorithm. Furthermore, the models will be applied in consideration with developing and designing dryer in order to simulate humidity and temperature profiles of the drying gas together with moisture content and temperature of grain across dryer in term of the dryer performance. The simulations show that the models can be used to predict the dynamic drying characteristic profiles as well as the superficial velocity of drying air phase across dryer.     

Modelling Diffusion-Limited Drying Behaviour in a Batch Fluidized Bed Dryer

ABSTRACT

Fluidized bed dryers are often used to extract water from granular materials. When the drying process is mainly limited by the resistance against water transport inside the particle the drying behaviour is said to be diffusion-limited. In the literature there are several models that predict this drying process with very diverging results. In this study a model is set up to arrive at a better prediction for this drying process. The heat and mass transfer in the granular material and the drying air is described. The resulting equations are solved numerically. The model must be extended to incorporate the heat capacity of the dryer.     

THE INFLUENCE OF PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE ON THE KINETICS OF VACUUM DRYING OF KETOPROFEN

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the influence of temperature and pressure on drying kinetics of 2-(3-benzoylphenil propionic acid) ketoprofen, in a vacuum dryer on laboratory scale, Experimentally determined relations between moisture content and drying rate vs time, were approximated with an exponential model. Model parameters were correlated with drying conditions (temperature, pressure) and defined by functions of their potentions.

From an energy balance of the process, a mathematical model for simulating dependence of sample temperature vs drying time, and moisture content of material, has been developed.

Simulation of the drying kinetics and sample temperature, by use of those functional dependencies shows good agreement with experimental results.     

THIN LAYER AND DEEP BED DRYING OF LONG GRAIN ROUGH RICE

ABSTRACT

The paper presents new data for thin-layer drying characteristics of Thai long grain rough rice measured under various conditions of drying air temperature (35 to 60?°C), drying air relative humidity (30 to 70 % ) and the initial moisture content of rough rice (20 to 40 % dry basis). Empirical equations were developed using the instantaneous weight, the weight loss and drying time, with temperature, relative humidity and initial moisture content of rough rice as the independent variables. A computer program was developed to simulate the deep-bed drying process. The thin-layer drying equation developed before was used in the computer simulation. Experimental data from the fixed bed dryer were compared with the results from the calculation.     

DESIGN AND APPLICATION OF A DEHUMIDIFIER DRYER FOR DRYING PINE CONES AND POLLEN CATKINS

ABSTRACT

A critical issue for the plantation forest industry is the preservation and control of genetic material in order to facilitate the fertilisation process. This is best achieved by drying at low temperature and low humidity prior to extraction of seeds and pollen. For example, freshly picked green cones of Pinus radiata are best dried at 25°C, 20% relative humidity to avoid thermal damage and to prevent mould formation. Similar conditions are required for drying pollen catkins. These conditions can be met efficiently and reliably by the use of a dehumidifier dryer. This paper describes the design of such a drying system, including a review of the dehumidifier and the kiln design parameters necessary to achieve the required drying conditions. Performance data and commercial operating experience are also presented and analysed. The system is effective and reliable, and has increased both the speed of drying and the quality of the product.     

The Spray Drying of Food Flavors

Abstract

Spray drying is the most commonly used technique for the production of dry flavorings. In spray drying, an aqueous infeed material (water, carrier, and flavor) is atomized into a stream of hot air. The atomized articles dry very rapidly, trapping volatile flavor constituents inside the droplets. The powder is recovered via cyclone collectors. Flavor retention is quite satisfactory if dryer operating parameters are properly chosen. Flavor retention is maximized by using a high infeed solids level, high viscosity infeed, optimum inlet (160–210°C) and high exit (>100°C) air temperatures, and high molecular weight flavor molecules. The shelf life of oxidizable flavor compounds is strongly influenced by the flavor carrier.     

Low Temperature Peanut Drying Using Liquid Desiccant System Climatic Conditions∗

ABSTRACT

Field-dried peanuts having 25% average moisture content have been dried by using a liquid dasiccant drying system. This system cansirts of climate simulation subsystem, closed loop air drying subsystem, and regeneration subsystem. The closed loop drying subsystem used in this investigation provides low temperature drying with a little increase in drying air temperature. Regeneration temperature, liquid desiccant concentration, and air flowrate in the drying subsystem have heen kept unchanged during the experiments, but air of different humidity have been used to regenerate the liquid desiccant. Experimental measurements of the system performance have been carried out utilizing a new cost effective desiccant mixrure (CELD) which is composed of equal portions by weight of lithium chloride and calcium chloride. The drying process has been performed using different climatic canditions in the regeneration process. Experimental rasults demonstrate that drying peanuts by the use of a liquid desiccant system is promising.     

DRYING RATE AND TEMPERATURE PROFILE FOR SUPERHEATED STEAM VACUUM DRYING AND MOIST AIR DRYING OF SOFTWOOD LUMBER

Abstract

Two charges of green radiata pine sapwood lumber were dried, either using superheated steam under vacuum (90°C, 0.2 bar abs.) or conventionally using hot moist air (90/60°C). Due to low density of the drying medium under vacuum, the circulation velocity used was 10 m/s for superheated steam drying and 5.0 m/s for moist air drying, and in both cases, the flow was unidirectional. In drying, stack drying rate and wood temperatures were measured to examine the differences between the superheated steam drying and drying using hot moist air.

The experimental results have shown that the stack edge board in superheated steam drying dried faster than in the hot moist air drying. Once again due to the low density of the steam under vacuum, a prolonged maximum temperature drop across load (TDAL) was observed in the superheated steam drying, however, the whole stack dried slower and the final moisture content distribution was more variable than for conventional hot moist air drying. Wood temperatures in superheated steam drying were lower.     

DYNAMIC SHRINKAGE AND VARIABLE PARAMETERS IN BAKKER-ARKEMA'S MATHEMATICAL SIMULATION OF WHEAT AND CANOLA DRYING

Abstract

The bulk volume shrinkage was linearly related to instantaneous grain moisture reduction. The shrinkage coefficient was found to be primarily a function of air relative humidity. The Bakker-Arkema's bulk grain drying model was modified to incorporate the shrinkage equation. A correction factor for thin layer drying equation was also introduced to reduce deviation between the experimental and simulated moisture content. The Bakker-Arkema model showed significant improvement due to these modifications.     

FRUIT AND VEGETABLE POWDERS PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY ON THE BASES OF SPRAY AND CONVECTIVE DRYING METHODS

ABSTRACT

The peculiarities of fruit and vegetable powders production technology based on spray & convective drying methods are shown.

The experimental data related to the drying kinetics of apple juice droplets as well as the production flow diagrams and the performance of a spray dryer intended for the treatment of hygroscopic pasty products are presented.     

HYBRID DRYING OF GRANULAR MATERIALS BY COMBINED RADIATIVE AND CONVECTIVE HEATING

ABSTRACT

As one of the basic steps of the R&D on hybrid drying by combined radiative and convective heating, drying experiments of a stagnant horizontal wet granular layer heated simultaneously by infrared lamps and hot air were conducted throughout a whole period of the drying. An opaque model, in which the incident radiation is assumed to be absorbed only on the surface of the layer, was introduced to explain experimental trends. Then, the effects of combined heating on drying characteristics of three kinds of samples, a silica sand, a brick and a brown coal were discussed by comparing the experimental data with the calculated results.

The calculated results were found to be in a close agreement with the experimental data obtained on the time behaviors of the drying rate and the temperature distribution in the- layer during not only the preheating and the constant rate periods but also the falling rate period. In the case of the coal layer, however, the falling drying rate different from that in ordinary convective drying had to be considered since it appeared that the radiative heating had an effect to enhance the falling drying rate of the coal owing to some interactions of the coal and water.     

COMPARISON OF SUPERHEATED STEAM AND AIR OPERATED SPRAY DRYERS USING COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS.

ABSTRACT

In this paper a numerical simulation of a spray dryer using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code Fluent is described. This simulation is based on a discrete droplet model and solve the partial differential equations of momentum, heat and mass conservation for both gas and dispersed phase.

The model is used to simulate the behaviour of a pilot scale spray dryer operated with two drying media : superheated steam and air Considering that there is no risk of powder ignition in superheated steam, we choosed a rather high inlet temperature (973 K). For the simulation, drop size spectrum is represented by 6 discrete droplets diameters, fitting to an experimental droplets size distribution and all droplets are injected at the same velocity, equal to the calculated velocity of the liquid sheet at the nozzle orifice.

It is showed that the model can evaluate the most important features of a spray dryer : temperature distribution inside the chamber, velocity of gas, droplets trajectories as well as deposits on the walls. The model predicts a fast down flowing core jet surrounded by a large recirculation zone. Using superheated steam or air as a drying medium shows only slight differences in flow patterns. Except for the recirculation which is tighter in steam.

The general behaviour of droplets in air or steam are quite the same : smallest droplets are entrained by the central core and largest ones are taken into the recirculation zone. In superheated steam, the droplets penetrate to a greater extent in the recirculation zone. Also, they evaporate faster. The contours of gas temperature reflect these differences as these two aspects are strongly coupled. In both air and steam there is a “cool” zone which is narrower in steam than in air. Finally, the panicle deposit problem seems to be more pronounced in air than in steam.

Adding to the inherent interest in using superheated steam as a drying medium, the model predicts attractive behaviour for spray drying with superheated steam. In particular. under the conditions tested with the model, a higher volumetric drying rate is obtained in superheated steam.     

INTERMITTENT THIN LAYER CORN DRYING

ABSTRACT

In this study a block oriented modelling technique was introduced in order to simulate the intermittent drying technology process. First, the relevant blocks of the parameters concerning to drying air and the properties of material to be dried were developed. These blocks were then used to set up the full modell of a fix bed dryer including the temperature and moisture distribution of drying air and The material along the depth of the dryer. The simulation results were compared to Bakker-Arkema model with a good agreement. Finally, several measurements were performed for the case of thin layer of com to prove the advantage of the intermittent drying technology. It has been founded that in both energy saving and quality of dried product the intermittent technology has a significant contribution.