This article was downloaded by: [North Dakota State University]

On: 23 October 2014, At: 16:47

Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House,
37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

Drying Technology: An International Journal

Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information:
http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ldrt20

PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION DRYING: MODELING AND

COMPUTATIONAL SIMULATION
a a a
Blasco R. , Diaz G. & Reyes A.
a
Chemical Engineering Department , Universidad de Santiago de Chile , E-mail:
Published online: 28 Nov 2010.

To cite this article: Blasco R. , Diaz G. & Reyes A. (1998) PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION DRYING: MODELING AND COMPUTATIONAL
SIMULATION, Drying Technology: An International Journal, 16:1-2, 199-215, DOI: 10.1080/07373939808917399

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07373939808917399

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained
in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no
representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the
Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and
are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and
should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for
any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever
or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the
Content.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic
reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any
form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://
www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
 DRYING TECHNOLOGY. 16(1&2). 199-215 (1998)

PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION DRYING:

MODELING AND COMPUTATIONAL SIMVLATION
Downloaded by [North Dakota State University] at 16:47 23 October 2014

Blasco R., Diaz G., Reyes A.

Chemical Engineering Department
Universidad de Santiago de Chile
E-mail: Rblasco@lauca.usach.cl

Key Words: Mass transfer, Diffusion, Apple pulp drying.

ABSTRACT

This paper presents an alternative method for drying

suspensions, which consists in wetting inert polypropylene
particles with suspension and drying these wet particles while
they are pneumatically transported with hot air or combustion
gases. A mathematical model was developed to simulate the drying
process and the pneumatic transport. Experimental work was carried
out in a pilot pneumatic dryer, using polypropylene particles like
inert transport phase to verify these models. Apple pulp -
maltodevtrine mixtures was dried and the results confirm the
technical feasibility of the proposed technology.

INTRODUCTION

Drying of suspensions is traditionally carried out in spray

dryers, but the high investment cost and its low thermal
efficiency have led to probe the alternative in which the
suspensions is dried Over particles of inert material
lpolypropylene chipsl, which are pneumatically transported in the
dryer. Alternately the spouted bed dryer with inert particle, was
used for animal blood drying(Pham 1983). tomato paste (Kachan
19881 and alumina paste (Reyes 1993) and in all of these cases
the main effort was on the development of efficient equipment.

Copyright O 1998 by Marcel Dekker. Inc.

 200 BLASCO. D ~ A Z ,AND REYES

Pneumatic(f1ash) drying is a unit operation in which

simultaneous transport, heating and drying of particles occurs.
This type of dryer have been studied by Kamey and Toei (1952) and
Debrand and Stanley (19741. Kauh (1969) predict the behavior of
the pneumatic dryer and Matsumoto (19841 show experimentally
investigation and proposed models to drying particulate material
under constant drying period. Rocha (1988, 1996) developed a
mathematical model based in equations of momentum, energy and
Downloaded by [North Dakota State University] at 16:47 23 October 2014

material with axial and radial dispersion. In some cases specially

with inorganic substrates, the drying rate is controlled only by
the external conditions, but for porous substrates or suspensions
like apple pulp, the drying rate is strongly dependent of
diffusional phenomena (Santibaiiez 19961.
For the pneumatic process with inert particles for the
transportation, the drying capacity is limited by the adherence of
the suspension to the inert particle. Different types of inert
carriers, concentration of suspension, retention and feeders has
been studied in previous works (Blasco 19941 and the polypropylene
chips are recornended by technical and economical considerations.
This work present and experimental study and a mathematical
model for the pneumatic drying of apple pulp - maltodextrine
suspensions using chips of polypropylene.

MATHEMATICAL MODEL

The mathematical model, based in the equation of momentum,

heat and mass transport, under steady state and diluted phase was
developed by Strumillo and Kudra 11986) and adapted for this no
typical drying process. The falling rate period, was interpreted
with a variable diffusion model given by Alvarez and Legues (19861
with the diffusional parameters experimentally determined for the
suspension. The balances are applied over a differential element

.
dZ (figure 11 with the hypothesis:
Uniform radial distribution of particles in the transport duct.

. Constant size (dp and film thickness).

Diluted transport phase without particles interaction.
Ideal gas phase and zero equilibrium moisture.
For the aerodynamic, each particle moving in the air stream
is exposed to the action of forces: gravity, aerostatics buoyancy,
 PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION DRYING
Downloaded by [North Dakota State University] at 16:47 23 October 2014

1
.. -
0 Tnlld slags.
Dried auspensron
separation

Figure 1 . D i f f e r e n t i a l l e n g t h o f pneumatic dryer and dryrng model

ambient draEt and inertia. Considering a single particle the

r e s u l t i n g f o r c e i s g i v e n by:

F = ma = s AP - [mg + v, p, g ] (11

and r e p l a c i n g each term:

Bearing i n mind t h a t Vp ;- d d d t and s i m p l i f y i n g f i n a l l y :

with t h e c o e f f i c i e n t Cd g i v e n by Arastoopour (1986):

Cd = 0.44 for REP 2 1 0 0 0

 The pressure drop take into account: gas friction, gravity
force, friction of particles against the tube wall and change of
particles momentum:

were C. is the wet material concentration (kg of wet material per

m3 of dryer volume), obtained from the continuity equation:
Downloaded by [North Dakota State University] at 16:47 23 October 2014

n D~
W. ( 1 + x) = -c.v,
4
(6)

The superficial area for heat and mass transfer is given by:

The mass balance equation:

w.dX + W B dY = 0
W.dX + NdA = 0

For constant drying rate period, after rearranging, the changes of

solid and gas moisture content is:

- - - -6 kv (YW - Y)
dX -
(11)
dz ds P l VD

with k, obtained from the Sherwood number correlation:

For the falling rate period a diffusion model was used. The
Fick's equation, with and effective diffusion was solved. Alvarer
 PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION DRYING 203

and Legues (19861, propose a solution that consider this effective

diffusion coefficient as drying time function:
Dot
nett = Do(l + FO)~ were Fo = - I141
a'
The solution in terms of the average solid moisture X with
boundary and initial conditions:
Downloaded by [North Dakota State University] at 16:47 23 October 2014

and using only the first term,

and the drying rate N = &/at is obtained as:

For the determination of suspension temperature the equation

take in account the material enthalpy, convective heat and
conductive heat between the inert particle and the suspension:

For inert particles (carriers), the average temperature is:

- - - 6 UEI(TS - Ti)
dTi
(191
dz dp PP VP

For gas phase, is take in account the heat losses to the ambient:
 204 BLASCO, DIAZ, AND REYES

The convective heat transfer coefficient (hl, was obtained from

the Brauer and Mewes correlation given by Nekati M.(1979),

The equations are solved using a 4'" order Runge-Kutta method in a

personal computer.
Downloaded by [North Dakota State University] at 16:47 23 October 2014

EXPERIMENTAL DEVELOPMENT

Drying curves were obtained in a experimental tunnel dryer

(figure 2) for a thin layer of apple pulp suspension located over
a polypropylene film and dried with heated air in parallel flow.
The experimental conditions for air temperatures were: 60 C, 80 C,
100 C and 105 C and the average air velocity at inlet conditions
were 6.7 d s and 8.2 m/s.
For the experimentation, a pilot pneumatic dryer was
operated using polypropylene chips as inert carriers.
Two types of suspensions were utilised:
Model suspension, formed by corn starch (4591, maltodextrine (4581
and CMC(lO8)
Industrial suspension: Apple pulp mixed with maltodextrine. The
relation between apple pulp and maltodextrine was varied between
30-700 respectively until 50-508, with a little incorporation of
CMC down 0.28. In both cases the inert particles are polypropylene
chips with an average diameter of 0.004 rn and a density of 940
kg/m3.
The pneumatic dryer (figure 31, consisted of a transport
duct (15 m. length) well isolated, with an upward tract (8 m), a
curve 12 ml and a descending tract ( 5 ml. Direct combustion gases
were mixed with fresh air, and the mixture was sucking by a 3hp
fan. The system was supplied with a separation unit for to remove
the dried suspension and returned the cleaned inert particles. A
date acquisition system was implemented in the pneumatic dryer, in
order to obtain the gas temperature along the duct and monitoring
the steady state.
The relation of inert/suspension in the feeder duct was 0.08
(kg susp/kg inert) constant and the inert flux 0.012 kg/$. The air
 PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION DRYING 205

SUSPENSION FILM
OVER POLYPROPYLENE

ISOLATION
Downloaded by [North Dakota State University] at 16:47 23 October 2014

Figure 2. Tunnel dryer for drying rates determination.

temperature in the dryer inlet was varied between 80 C and 200 C,

and the velocity for inlet condition w a s determined by minimum
transport velocity 12 m/s and maximum fan capacity of 20 m/s.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Diffusion parameters determination:

Tunnel dryer: Figures 4 and 5 shown the results for dimensionless
moisture of apple pulp - maltodextrine suspension under different
conditions of gas temperature, velocity and film thickness. For
each experimental run the corresponding value for diffusional
parameters Do and b was determined by a mathematical regression
and table 1 shows the optimised values which minimising the
deviation, for different gas temperatures and velocity.
The correlation for D, and b, valid for the suspension w a s :
 BLASCO. D ~ A ZAND
. REYES
Downloaded by [North Dakota State University] at 16:47 23 October 2014

..,........................;
.,.,............... HEATER

Figure 3. Experimental pneumatic dryer

The effect of the suspension concentraeion in the drying rates and

critical moistures are shown in figure 6 and was correlated by:

he falling rate period show a not lineal tendency for post

critical moistures, specially for low initial solid concentration.
 PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION DRYING 207

SUSDENSIOM O P I I N S <POROLLEL 610 CLOU)

GAS UELOClTY 6.71 mls. THICKNESS 2 . 3 mm
Downloaded by [North Dakota State University] at 16:47 23 October 2014

0 LOO0 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 tOOO 5 0 0 0 6000 7000 8 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 10000

TIM 1 s )

Figure 4. Moisture for apple pulp maltadextrine suspension.

SUSDEWIOW O W I N G WhPNLEL A I R FLOY)

GRS UCLOCITY 8.22 m,s, THICKNESS 2.3 mm
I I

Figure 5. Moisture profiles for apple pulp maltodextrine.

 BLASCO, DiAZ, AND REYES

TABLE 1. Experimental values for parameters Do and b

Downloaded by [North Dakota State University] at 16:47 23 October 2014

-,
0. l

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
SUSPENSION MOISTURE I ( X O I K Q )

Figure 6. Drying rate profiles for different dry solid

concentration Tg 100 C and vg 6.7 d s .
 PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION DRYING 209

In this cases the variable diffusion model is in agreement with

this experimental results.

Pneumatic drying of suspensions over polypropylene chips:

Initially was dried the model suspension and figures 7, 8
shown the model prediction and experimental results.
In the pneumatic drying of apple pulp over polypropylene
particles, maltodextrine was used in order to avoid a plastic
state in the dried suspension and facilitated the detachment from
Downloaded by [North Dakota State University] at 16:47 23 October 2014

the inert. The best experimental relation between apple pulp and
maltodextrine was 49.9 and 49.98 with 0.2% CMC and a total solid
content for the suspension of 428.
An experimental run for apple pulp - maltodextrine suspension was
simulated computationally and figures 9, 10 shows the results. The
operational condition were: inlet gas velocity of 20 [m/s), inert
feed 100 kg/hr and 10 kg/hr suspension. Inlet gas temp. 110 C.
The suspension shows a temperature maximum (331 K l , very near
to the duct entrance and then descend slowly, while the moisture
of the solids decreases from 1.5 to 0.8 (d.b.1 which was confirmed
by a final suspension moisture 0.75 ld.b.1. The drying rate shows
a quick initial adjustment to a high value of 0.63 kg/m2s which
then descend, due to the gas temperature and relative solid
velocity decrease. The predicted particles velocity profile, shows
the gravitational effect in the upward and descending duct (figure
101.
Different effects of process variables were studied with
the simulation program. The gas temperature effect is shown in
figures 11 and the experimental points show agreement with the
predictions. Only for suspension moistures under 6.5% was possible
a good detachment from the inert particles and greater than 7.5%
the plastic behaviour make this impossible. The effect of the
initial inert temperature was considered and the predicted
profiles shown little differences with the experimental solid
moisture (figure 12).
The differences are due to the conductive effect and this could be
important when heated inert particles are recycled in the
industrial process. The response shows a good agreements of
temperature and final solid moisture with differences between the
measured values and predicted less than 6%
Downloaded by [North Dakota State University] at 16:47 23 October 2014

suspension. Inlet gas velocity : 12 m/s

6 10
DRYER POSITION (rn)

Figure 8. Predicted and experimental temperature profiles

 PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION DRYING
Downloaded by [North Dakota State University] at 16:47 23 October 2014

Figure 9.- Response of computational program.

Figure 10. Response of computational program. Inert particles and

suspension temperature and velocity.
 BLASCO, DIAZ. AND REYES
Downloaded by [North Dakota State University] at 16:47 23 October 2014

Figure 11. Effect of gas temperature over suspension moisture. The

experimental point are included on the graphic.

Summarizing this discussion we confirm the technical

feasibility of this method.

CONCLUSIONS

. The process of drying liquids and suspension in pneumatic

dryers in which inert particles are used to disperse and
transport these fluids, is represented in a satisfactory form
by a mathematical model based on the equations of mass, energy
and momentum balances under steady state and diluted transport
condition with a diffusional mechanism foe the post critical
drying rate.
The application of this process for pneumatic drying of
suspension of apple pulp maltodextrine was shown to be
technically feasible if the process condition are such that the
Downloaded by [North Dakota State University] at 16:47 23 October 2014

PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION DRYING

 214 RLASCO, D ~ A ZAND
. REYES

final product moisture is less than 6.58, since only far these
cases the resulting dry product separates from the inert
particles.

NOMENCLATURE

Film suspension thickness

Gas-particle transfer a r e a
Diffusion model parameter
Heat capacity liquid moisture
Downloaded by [North Dakota State University] at 16:47 23 October 2014

Heat capacity vapour moisture

Heat capacity dry gas
Heat capacity dry solid
Drag coefficient
Concentration of wet material
Friction coefficient duct wall-particle
Carboxy-methyl Cellulose
Duct diameter
Diffusion coefficient
Initial diffusion
Particle diameter
Force
Acceleration due to gravity
Convective heat transfer coefficient
Latent heat at reference state
Mass transfer coefficient
Mas5
Drying rate
Pre59ure
Cross section particle
Ambient temperature
Gas temperature
Inert temperature
Suspension temperature over particle
Global heat transfer coefflcrent
Global convective coeff. inert-suspension J/nK
Gas velocity m/ a
Solid phase velocity m/ a
Dry gas flow rate kg/s
Dry solid flow rate kgls
Suspension moisture (d.b.1 kdkg
Initial solid moisture kdk9
Equilibrium solid moisture W k g
Gas moisture kdkg
Duct length m
Den~itv I S = solid : a- = mas)> ka/m3
bimensionles; umber
Re. Particle Reynold Number ( (v9 - vp)dpPg)Illg
Re, Gas Reynolds Number (VS dp &I Illq
Sc Schmith number P/P Dab

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The authors acknowledge the financial support from FONDECYT,

through the project 1941032
 PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION DRYING 215

REEERENCES

1. Alvarez P.I., Legues P.. 1986, A semi Theoretical Model for the
Drying of Thomson Seedless Grapes, Drying Technology 4111 pp.1

2. Arastaapaur H., 1986, Pneumatic Transport of solid,

Encyclopaedia of Fluid Mechanics, vol. 4, Ed. by ~icholas P.
Cheremisinoff. pp. 349-382, (Gulf Publishing Co., Houston,Texas.

3. Blasco R., Roe V., Reyes A,, 1994, Suspension Drying, XI

Chilean Congress of Chemical Engineering, Universidad de
Concepcion pp. 388-393 Concepcion, Chile.
Downloaded by [North Dakota State University] at 16:47 23 October 2014

4. Debrand , Stanley, 1974, Heat Transfer During a Flash Drying

Process, Ind. Eng. Chem. Process. Dev., 11314,pp 396-401

5. Ereice J., Silveira A.M., Ferreira M., 1993, Transporte

PneumatiC~ Vertical, 1' Symposium for Particulate Systems,
Universidad Catolica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile, pp.89.

6. Kachan G.C. and Chiappetta E., 1988, Desidratacao de Pasta de

Tomate em um Secador em Leito de Jorro. Anais do 0' Congress0
Brasileiro de Engenharia Quimica, 2,pp 510-523 S.P. IBcasilI

7. Kamei S., Taei R., 1952, Studies on Pneumatic Dryer, I. Chem.

Eng. (Japan1 (161 pp. 294-300

8. Kauh J., 1969, Evaluation of Drying Schedules, AICHE

J.. I151,l.pp. 85-88

9. Matsumoto S., Pei D.C.T., 1984, A Mathematical Analysis of

Pneumatic Drying of Grain (11 Constant Rate, (21 Falling Rate,
Inst. J. Heat and Mass Transfer 12716, pp 843-855

10. Nekati, M. 1979 Heat Transfer, Ed.Mc.Grau Hill.pp.46-55

11. Pham Q.T., 1983. Behaviour of a Conical Spouted Bed Dryer for
Animal Blood. Can. J. Chem. Eng., (611 pp 426-434

12. Reyes S.A.. 1993, Drying of Suspension in Conical Spouted Bed,

PhD Thesis, Federal University Rio Janeiro, COPPE, Brazil pp.169.

13. Rocha S.C., 1988, Contribuicao ao Estudo de Secagem Pneumatico

Vertical: Simulacao e Influencia do Coeficiente de Transferencia
de Calor Gaa-Particula.Tese de Doutorado, Unicamp,Campinas pp 258

14. Rocha S.C., Paixao A., 1996, Pseudo Two Dimensional Model for
a Pneumatic Dryer, Drying 96, De. A.S. Mujundar. Vo1.A. pp 340-348

15. Santibaiiez L. 1996, Secado de Suspensiones Usando Inertes,

Chem. Eng. Thesis, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Chile, pp.118

16. Strumillo C., Kudra T., 1986, Drying : Principles, Application

and Design, Gordon and Breach Science Pub. p p 203-208.

17. Strumillo C., Kmiec A. Bartczak 2 . . Pakauski 2.. 1987. Some

Aspect of Flash Dryers Modelling and Design, Drying 87,
Washington, USA., ed. A.S. Mujumdar, Hemisphere Corp. pp.1-10.