ANALYSIS OF OPEN SUN DRYING EXPERIMENTS

ABSTRACT

Open sun drying has lost its previous importance due to the fact that different factors affect its reliability and the quality of the products obtained.

One of the set–backs for the analysis of solar drying exoeriments is their deoendence on a non–controlled source of energy, i.e. solar radiation depends on climatic conditions and experiments are difficult to compare. It is thus necessary to investigate the advantages of a particular set up as well as the climatic influences. Open sun drying could constitute the natural reference, allowing the comparison of different drying strategies.

A new way of standardizing drying times, based on solar radiation inout, is proposed, to allow better evaluation of the experiments. An equivalent time is defined, allowing comparison of experiments carried out under different circumstances. Carrots and potatoes were used in these experiments.

The use of the average daily solar radiation 15.28 MJ m^-2.d^-1 in Palma de Mallorca (39.33°N, 2.37°E), is proposed for comparison purposes. An improvement of more than 12 % in the explained variance was observed, the unexplained variance being lower than 1 %.     

Infrared Drying Process of an Experimental Water Painting: Model Predictive Control

Abstract

This article deals with the experimental control of an infrared drying process of a water based epoxy-amine painting. This approach is based on a unidirectional diffusional modeling of infrared drying phenomena where both heat and mass transfers under shrinkage conditions are accounted for. The control problem is concerned with the tracking of any given trajectory for one of the characteristics (i.e., the temperature or the mean water content) during the drying cycle. This is solved using the well-known model predictive control framework where the nonlinear diffusional model is directly used in the control formulation. Experimental results show the efficiency of the trajectory tracking. This method can be extended for more general constrained control problem.     

Evaluation of Parameter Values For a High-Temperature Drying Simulation Model Using Direct Drying Experiments

ABSTRACT

An existing drying simulation model for softwood heartwood is revised lrom a theoretical point of view and is completed by extracting all the essential material parameters from moisture and temperature profiles measured in direct drying experiments. Some additional experimental results are presented to validate the qualitative characteristics of the model. The resulting computational model shows good agreement with experiments in the drying temperature range 45-120°C. Special attention is paid to the evolution of moisture gradient during drying, as the next step of the simulation project will be using the result as an input data for a computational stress model.     

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.     

Structure of Drying Costs

ABSTRACT

Cost structures of lumber and coal drying processes together with an application of the factor method for prediction of the drying cost are presented.     

A New Approach to Contact Drying Modelling

ABSTRACT

This paper deals with contact drying modelling. The more general models of granular material contact dryers are based on assumptions proposed by Schlunder and al. (1.21. In this paper, a sensitivity study of the models is presented in order to find and to explain the influence of the different arameters.

A new approach, based on the same Schlunder's assumptions, but with less restrictive hypothesis, which can be applied to drying in the presence of an inert gas as well as vacuum drying and which take into account phenomena which were ignored untill now such as the local grain dehydration kinetics or the vapour diffusion inside the bed has been developped.

This new model has been compared uith some experimental results found in the litterature. A good agreement between the calculated and the experimental results has been observed. Moreover, this model is able to justify some assumptions made by Schlunder, which have not been so untill now.     

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

Abstract

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     

DEHYDRATION BY DESORPTION AND BY SPRAY DRYING OF DAIRY PROTEINS: INFLUENCE OF THE MINERAL ENVIRONMENT

ABSTRACT

A drying method by desorption in a water activity meter was used to simulate the conditions of spray drying and to determine the water transfer inside dairy concentrates towards the surface and from the surface to the drying air. The concentrates were also spray dried and solubility index of powders were determined during reconstitution. Whey protein concentrates (WPC) and native phosphocaseinate suspensions (NPCS) were used to study the effect of NaCl (420 mM), CaCl₂ (222 raM), sodium phosphate (173 mM) and sodium citrate (238 mM) on the water transfers. The decrease in water transfer during drying was explained by the high hygroscopicity of added mineral salts to WPC. NaCl addition to NPCS decreased the water transfer during drying, but increased the solubility index. Citrate and phosphate addition to NPCS increased the water transfer during drying and reconstitution. CaCl₂ increased the water transfer during drying but the solubility index was always low. Results are discussed as a function of the aqueous environment, of the nature of mineral salts, of the structure of dairy proteins and of protein solvation.     

High Intensity Drying of M.G. Paper

ABSTRACT

The technological properties of paper are strongly influenced by the drying conditions. This is the case in particular with M.G. paper and machine performance is limited largely for quality reasons. Therefore, the question as to which extent the drying conditions influence the process of drying and the paper quality is of major importance for industry.

Unlike the results already published, tests were carried out with a laboratory machine operating on a continuous basis, with high drying rates, short retention time and application of combined contact/ convectional drying. The kinds of stock used were waste paper containing wood, bleached long-fiber magnefite pulp and unbleached long-fiber sulphate pulp with a basis weight ranging between 37 and 75 g/m2.     

Numerical Analysis of Gas-Particle Flow in Vertical Impinging Stream Chamber

Abstract

For impingement stream drying, it is important to understand the complex gas-particle flow field in order to control the quality of dried products accurately. Hence a numerical analysis of three-dimensional gas-particle flow field was carried out including momentum, heat and mass transfers between the two phases. Simulation results for millet drying in a vertical impingement chamber were obtained and discussed. There is a great difference between gas phase and particle phase flow fields. The impingement planes of gas phase and particle phase are not coincident along the axial direction. Not all the millet particles can be taken away by the gas flow leaving some wet particles in impingement chamber for a prolonged drying. The temperature of millet rises up quickly approaching the value of drying medium in some zones. Consequently, it is important to regulate the inlet gas temperature for drying of thermal sensitive materials.     

The Effect of Particle Size on the Drying of Milled Peat

ABSTRACT

Milled peat production involves the atmospheric drying of a 20-30mm deep layer of milled peat (i.e. peat in a powder or crumb form) on the surface of the bog. Research from various sources indicates that the drying of rate of this layer is highly dependent upon its particle size distribution. Experiments were conducted to confirm this phenomenon for Irish peats.

A drying chamber was constructed that enabled both climatic and material variables to be controlled. Three peat types were evaluated (viz. low (150 g/l), medium (240 g/l), and high (330 g/l) bulk density peats)for three particle size distributions (i.e. small (2.0-5.6 mm), medium (5.6-9.5 mm) and large (9.5-16mm)) diameter particles.

Results showed that large diameter particles (viz 9.5-16 mm) dry some 10-25 % faster than smaller particles.     

Microencapsulation in foam spray drying

Abstract

The article presents the results of the experiments of gas-admixing foam spray drying microencapsulation of oil in co-current spray drying tower. The introduction of a foaming gas resulted in a decrease of encapsulation efficiency: for high foaming gas/liquid ratio (GLR) 6.43·10^?3 kg/kg and T_air,0=215?°C by over 50% relative to the non-foaming process due to damage of the microcapsule structure and leakage of the oil phase to the particle surface. For moderate drying temperatures and GLR, 80% of microencapsulation efficiency might be achieved with simultaneous control of selected product properties like apparent and bulk density or angle of repose. Abbreviations GLR gas-to-liquid ratio

HR Hausner ratio

MDX maltodextrin

PSD particle size distribution

SEM scanning electron microscope.

     

DRYING OF PARTICULATE SOLIDS: DETERMINATION OF THE CHARACTERISTIC CURVE OF BROWN COAL.

ABSTRACT

Variation on the rate of drying of brown coal powder as a function of environmental and intrinsic properties has been studied in a gravimetric laboratory-scale drier.

Raw data have been treated to correlate the constant rate of drying and the equilibrium moisture content as a function of flow rate and temperature of the gas phase, particle size and surface additives. The characteristic drying curve occurs when the reduced rate of drying is plotted as a function of a dimensionless moisture potetial.     

IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN COMBINED MICROWAVE-CONVECITVE DRYING

ABSTRACT

Convective-microwave drying has been recognized as a convenient option for drying of valuable materials. However, the advantages of the method must be carefully evaluated in order to establish the limits for full scale operating conditions because, as demonstrated in this work, the reduction in the absolute drying time as a function of the applied microwave power is devalued by an increase in the unabsorbed microwave energy, decreasing the overall energy efficiency of the drying process.

Experimental study of the energy efficiency of combined microwave-convective drying of agar gel and Gelidium seaweeds was carried out in a laboratory scale microwave-convective dryer by continuously following the absorption of microwave energy by the sample as well as the change of the sample mass during the drying process, under different operating conditions. Several drying strategies based on the on-off application of the microwave power were proposed and evaluated from the point of view of both drying kinetics and energy efficiency in order to program and rationalize the use of microwave energy in the combined microwave-convective drying process.     

Experimental Study of Cassava Sun Drying

ABSTRACT

Sun drying experiments were performed to compare drying of cassava chips in sheet-metal trays with drying on mesh wire trays: In the sheet-metal trays, there was air flow across the top of the bed chips, while the mesh wire trays permitted air to flow through the bed. Drying rate was faster and more uniform in the trays with through-flow air circulation. Higher temperatures were reached by chips in the sheet-metal trays than those in the mesh wire trays because of contact heating, but the drying rate was lower because of the reduced air flow.     

Industrial Experience in Pressurized Steam Drying of Beet Pulp,Sewage Sludge and Wood Chips.

ABSTRACT

Drying in superheated steam under pressure gives possibilities for pollution free drying, energy recovery. reduced drying time and a very compact drying equipment.

Products are dried i n a pressurized cellular fluid bed by super heated steam blown through the cells. Above the fluid bed dust is separated before the steam is reheated and recirculated to the cells by a fan. The evaporated water leaves the dryer as usable steam at e.g. 3 bar g, and full energy recovery is obtained. Today 14 plants have been builtor are under construction, with capacities from 2 to 40t / h water evaporation.

This technology is suited for drying of beet pulp, residues from starch production of corn or wheat. sludge. spent grain. brown coal. wood chips and bark.

The technology shows great options for integration in steam systems in various industries, whereby drying is possible without using primary energy and pollution is avoided.     

THE STUDY OF INTERRUPTED DRYING TECHNIQUE FOR ROUGH RICE

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to study the optimum strategy of the interrupted drying technique for rough rice. The effects of interrupted drying on drying rates, cracking enhancement ratios, and the performance of a commercial circulating rice dryer were evaluated. The results indicated that the required interrupted period of grains with moisture of ranging from 18 to 20% was 2 around 3 hours. The interrupted drying technique can significantly increase the drying rate. The dryer performance e.g. fuel-consumption rate, drying rate, and drying time were all affected by interrupting the drying process, as expected.     

COMPARISON Of STRATEGIES FOR AMBIENT-AIR DRYING OF LARGE ROUND BALES

ABSTRACT

A comparison of the drying efficacy of ambient-air drying of large forage bales was made between positive and negative pressure systems. Both systems effectively dried the bales to the desired average moisture content, but regions of higher moisture content within the bales were measured with the two systems. Energy consumption as expressed as the ratio of the energy consumed/weight of moisture removed was similar for both drying systems. Final configuration of the drying system will depend on whether heat is required to speed the drying process in order to meet the capacity of the harvesting system.     

A PRELIMINARY STUDY OF STEAM DRYING OF SILKWORM COCOONS

ABSTRACT

An experimental study was conducted to explore the feasibility of silkworm cocoon drying with superheated steam. The influence of steam drying on the drying kinetics and the technological characteristics of the dried cocoons is discussed. A promising new technology of cocoon drying is suggested to improve cocoon quality and decrease raw cocoon consumption in silk production.     

R&D OPPORTUNITES IN DRYING OF ADVANCED ELECTRO-CERAMICS

ABSTRACT

This article presents an inaoduction to the various drying processes operational in the ceramic processing industry, with special emphasis on electro ceramics. An attempt is made to arouse the interest of drying specialists in fields other than ceramics to participate in a concentrated group effort to solve a number of existing problems related to ceramics drying. The importance of materials education is highlighted by referring to a few examples depicting the effect of the drying process on the final product quality. It is argued that with more research, conventional processes like spray drying, rotary drum drying, etc. can be improved or replaced with alternative processes like freeze drying, microwave drying, infrared drying and vibrated fluidized bed drying.