Continuous

Drying
Prepared by:
Rhoda B. Leron, Ph.D.
 Drying

•  The removal of relatively small amounts of water

from a material; water is removed as a vapor by air

dry air wet air

wet solid
 Continuous drying
Air, G Air, G
TG1, H1, hG1 TG2, H2, hG2

Drier

Dried solid Wet solid

Ls, Ts2, X2, hs2 Ls, Ts1, X1, hs1
q

Material balance on moisture:

  Note: The flow rates of
dry air and dry solid
G H1 + LS X1 = G H2 + LS X2 entering and leaving the
G (H2 – H1) = LS (X1 – X2) drier are constant.
 Continuous drying
Air, G Air, G
TG1, H1, hG1 TG2, H2, hG2

Drier

Dried solid Wet solid

Ls, Ts1, X2, hs2 Ls, Ts1, X1, hs1
q

Heat balance on the dryer:

 
GhG1 + LS hS1 = G hG2 + LS hS2 + q
 Continuous drying
Heat balance: datum = T0oC
 
Enthalpy of gas: hG = CS (TG – T0) + Hλ0

If T0 = 0oC, λ0 = 2501 kJ/kg (1075.4 Btu/lbm)

 

Enthalpy of wet solid: hS = cpS (TS – T0) + X cpA (TS – T0)

cpS = heat capacity of solid

cpA = heat capacity of moisture (4.187 kJ/kg-K)
 
 Sample Problem 2
A continuous countercurrent dryer is being used to dry
500 kg of dry solid/h containing 5.0% moisture (dry
basis) to 0.20% moisture (dry basis). The granular solid
enters at 25°C and leaves at 65°C. The dry solid has a
heat capacity of 1.465 kJ/kg-K, which is assumed
constant. Heating air enters at 90°C, having a humidity
of 0.01 kg H2O/kg dry air, and is to leave at 38°C.
Calculate the air flow rate and the outlet humidity,
assuming no heat losses in the dryer.
 Solution
Given:

Fresh Air Moist Air

G=? G
TG1 = 90°C TG2 = 38°C
H1 = 0.01 H2 = ?
hG1 Drier hG2

Dried solid Wet solid

Ls Ls = 500 kg dry solid/h
Ts2 = 65°C q=0 Ts1 = 25°C
X2 = 0.002 (dry basis) X1 = 0.05 (dry basis)
hs2 hs1
cps = 1.465 kJ/kg-K
 Solution
Solution:

Moisture contents are given as dry basis:

5 kg H 2 O kg H 2 O kg H 2 O
5.0% (d.b.) = = 0.05 0.2% (d.b.) = 0.002
100 kg dry solid kg dry solid kg dry solid

Note: If moisture contents are given

as wet basis: To convert to dry basis:

5 kg H 2 O 5 kg H 2 O
5.0% (w.b.) = = 0.0526 = 5.26% (d.b.)
100 kg wet solid (100 − 5) kg dry solid
 Solution
Moisture balance around the drier:

GH1 + LS X1 = GH 2 + LS X 2

G ( H1 − H 2 ) = LS ( X 2 − X1 )

Substituting the given data::

kg dry air kg H 2 O kg dry solid kg H 2 O

G (0.010 − H 2 ) = 500 (0.002 − 0.05)
h kg dry air h kg dry solid

24
G ( 0.010 − H 2 ) = −24 H 2 = 0.010 +
G
 Solution
Heat balance around the dryer:

GhG1 + LS hs1 = GhG 2 + LS hs2 + q

Solving for the enthalpies:

kJ
hG1 = !"1.005 +1.88 ( 0.010 )#$( 90 − 0 ) + 2501( 0.010 ) = 117.15
kg dry air
hG 2 = [1.005 +1.88H 2 ] (38 − 0 ) + 2501H 2 = 38.19 + 2572.44H 2

kJ
hS1 = 1.465 ( 25 − 0 ) + 0.05(4.187) ( 25 − 0 ) = 41.86
kg dry solid
hS 2 = 1.465 ( 65 − 0 ) + 0.002(4.187) ( 65 − 0 ) = 95.77
 Solution
Substituting in the heat balance:

G (117.15) + ( 500 ) ( 41.86 ) = G (38.19 + 2572.44H 2 ) + ( 500 ) ( 95.77) + 0

where (from the water balance):

24
H 2 = 0.010 +
G

Solving the above equations, we get:

kg dy air kg H 2 O
G = 1666.0 H 2 = 0.0244
h kg dy air
 Air Recirculation in Driers
G6, TG6, H6, hG6

[6] Recycle

G3 G4 G5
TG3, H3 TG4, H4 TG5, H5
hG3 hG4 hG5
[1] [2]
[3] [4] [5]
Heater Drier Moist air
Fresh air G2
G1 TG2
TG1 H2 Dried solid Wet solid
H1 hG2 Ls Ls
qH qD
hG1 Ts2, X2, hs2 Ts1, X1, hs1

Water  Balances: At  the  heater:   G2 H 2 = G3 H 3

   
At  mixing  point:   G1H1 + G6 H 6 = (G1 + G6 ) H 2
  At  the  drier:   G3 H 3 + LS X1 = G4 H 4 + LS X 2
 
At  splitting  point:   G4 H 4 = G5 H 5 + G6 H 6
  where  Gi  –  kg  dry  air  per  hour
 
 Air Recirculation in Driers
G6, TG6, H6, hG6

[6] Recycle

G3 G4 G5
TG3, H3 TG4, H4 TG5, H5
hG3 hG4 hG5
[1] [2]
[3] [4] [5]
Heater Drier Moist air
Fresh air G2
G1 TG2
TG1 H2 Dried solid Wet solid
H1 hG2 Ls Ls
qH qD
hG1 Ts2, X2, hs2 Ts1, X1, hs1

Humidity:   Dry  air  balances:  

       
 
At  the  heater:   H2 = H3 G2 = G3 =  G4 G2 = G1 + G6
 
At  splitting  point:   H4 = H5 = H6 G4 = G5 + G6
 
 Air Recirculation in Driers
G6, TG6, H6, hG6

[6] Recycle

G3 G4 G5
TG3, H3 TG4, H4 TG5, H5
hG3 hG4 hG5
[1] [2]
[3] [4] [5]
Heater Drier Moist air
Fresh air G2
G1 TG2
TG1 H2 Dried solid Wet solid
H1 hG2 Ls Ls
qH qD
hG1 Ts2, X2, hs2 Ts1, X1, hs1

Heat  balances:  
   
At  the  heater:   At  the  drier:  
   
 
G2 hG 2 + qH = G3hG3 G3hG3 + LS hs1 = G4 hG 4 + LS hs2 + qD
Drying

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