Aeroglide Corporation Operating Parameters Chapter 6 ADJUSTING THE DRIER Section 2.2 Design Conditions, describes the operating conditions that the design of your drier was based upon. If running a lower capacity than that listed in the table, lower air temperatures may be required. Take the product moisture level into consideration along with the production rate. Air temperature set points may be slightly higher or lower than those listed in the table even if other process parameters are at the listed values. This may be due to variations in product moisture level or formulation. When running a product for the first time, itis typically better to set the drier up with slightly higher air temperatures than you require and to back the temperature down once product is through the drier to achieve the proper discharge product moisture. This will minimize the possibilty of wet sticky product getting into the product take-away equipment. If you are unsure and want some help in running different products or different capacities, please contact our Customer Service Department, Operating Parameters Page 4 of 4 Revised 3-26.02Aeroglide Corporation Wet & Dry Bulb Temperature Chapter 6 Wet and Dry Bulb Temperature Measurement / Di Adjustment Theory of Wet and Dry Bulb Temperatures One of the most simple and accurate methods for obtaining the humidity of an environment is to use wet & dry bulb temperatures. Using the psychrometric chart, these two data points will provide you with a humidity measurement that can be expressed in terms of Percent Relative Humidity (%RH), Absolute Humidity, or Dew Point. Dry bulb temperature is the standard temperature measurement with which everyone is familiar. Itis obtained using a standard thermometer, thermocouple, etc. Wet bulb temperature is a ‘measurement obtained by passing high velocity air across a thermometer or thermocouple which has a wet sock covering the sensing area of the thermometer. Wet Bulb: When unsaturated air is passed over a wet thermometer bulb, water evaporates from the wet surface. The latent heat absorbed by the vaporized water causes the temperature of the wet surface and the enclosed thermometer bulb to fall. When the temperature of the wet surface drops below the temperature of the surrounding environment, heat begins to flow from the warmer air to the cooler surface. On the other hand, as the temperature drops, the vapor pressure of water becomes lower, therefore, decreasing the rate of evaporation. Eventually, a temperature is reached where the rate at which heat is transferred from the air to the wet surface is equal to the rate at which the wet surface loses heat as latent heat of vaporization. Thus, no further drop in temperature can occur. This equilibrium temperature is known as the wet bulb temperature. (Zimmerman & Lavine, 1964) Wet Bulb Temperature vs. Humidity: Generally speaking, the wet bulb measurement is based on the principle of evaporative cooling and how this process is affected by the amount of, moisture present in a system and the dry bulb temperature of that system. Specifically, while holding the dry bulb temperature constant, an increase in the humidity of the system will result in an increase in the wet bulb temperature. As the humidity reaches 100%, the air is totally saturated. Therefore, the wet bulb temperature is identical to the dry bulb. Drier Operating Humidity vs. Drying Rates: When relating the humidity of the recirculation air of a drying system to drier performance, the important principle to keep in mind is that the system's humidity and the dry bulb temperature are two critical external factors which govern the speed with which a product will release its moisture to the outside environment. In general, the “drier” the airs, the greater the driving force for drying. Therefore, one would think, a perfect drying scenario would utilize very high temperature air and very low humidities. Wet & Dry Bulb Temperature Page 1 of 8 Revised 3-13-03Aeroglide Corporation Wet & Dry Bulb Temperature Chapter 6 In practice, the problem with this theory is that most products cannot withstand elevated temperatures. Plus, the extra energy needed to increase drier temperatures, the higher “upfront” cost of larger exhaust fans, ductwork, and associated systems decreases the overall efficiency of the drier and result in appreciably higher energy costs. Furthermore, products dried at these accelerated rates will often times seal moisture in the interior of the product because the exterior was dried too quickly, subsequently forming an exterior seal. This is sometimes referred to as case-hardened. Considering the above, the overall goal for setting-up a drier would be to optimize the drying rates without sacrificing product quality and energy usage. Measurement Recommended Equipment: The equipment we recommend to obtain wet and dry bulb measurements is: 1. One (1) digital thermometer (or a voltage meter with a temperature converter). 2. Two (2) flexible thermocouple leads (Type J or K thermocouple wire, whichever your thermometer is set-up to read.) 3. One (1) ‘sock (Example: A thick cotton shoe string, medical gauge pads, etc.) The two determining factors in selecting a suitable sock are: * to recognize that the thickness of the sock controls the speed of the wet bulb cycle (i. a thin sock will result in a very fast and difficult to determine wet bulb measurement while a thick sock will require significantly more time to obtain your reading. (Ref: A typical measurement cycle from insertion of the wet bulb sock into the drier until the wet bulb temperature has been reached will last between 1 and 3 minutes). * to choose a sock which can hold water and “breathe” (i.e., cotton or nylon). 4, A'small container of ambient water. Wet & Dry Bulb Temperature Page 2 of 8 Revised 3-13-03