Name:- Rushabh Sunil Sonawane

Roll no. 228713

 Principles of dryers and boilers :-

Principle of a Boiler :-
It is simple to understand how the boiler works. To understand it, let us have a look at
it. The boiler is a closed vessel, where the water is stored. Hot gasses are formed by
burning fuel in the furnace. These glasses are made to come in contact with the water
vessel, the point where the heat transfer takes place between the steam and water.
Thus, the boiler’s basic principle is to convert water into steam with heat energy.
There are various types of boilers available to use for different purposes.  It is defined
as the total percentage of heat exported by the outlet steam to the total supplied fuel

(a) Hot air drying:

Hot air is used as the heating medium and is in direct or indirect contact with the liquid
product. The heat transferred from the hot air to the product causes evaporation of the water
content.

(b) Surface drying by heat conduction through a heat transfer system (i.e. contact dryers):

The heating medium is not in contact with the wet food but separated from it by a heat
transfer surface. The heat is transferred by conduction through the surface, and by convection
from the hot surface to the food product for evaporating and removing water from the food.
This has two main advantages compared to hot air dryers; less air volume is required and
therefore thermal efficiency is higher, and the process may be carried out in the absence of
oxygen.

 Methods Mechanism :-

Spray dryers:

In spray drying, the material to be dried is suspended in air, i.e. the liquid is converted into a
fog-like mist (atomised), providing a large surface area. The atomised liquid is exposed to a
flow of hot air in a drying chamber. Air and solids may move in parallel or counterflow. The
moisture evaporates very quickly so that this process is very useful for materials that are
damaged by exposure to heat for any appreciable length of time. The solids are recovered as a
powder consisting of fine, hollow, spherical particles. Heating the drying air can be
accomplished by steam or by direct gas-fired air heaters or by indirect heaters fired by gas,
liquid or solid fuels. Generally, as an integral part of the process, the exhaust air is passed
through cyclones and/or filters to recover particulate materials (dust) which are carried over
in the exhaust air. The recovered material is incorporated back in the product.

Roller or drum dryers:

The principle of the roller drying process is that a thin film of material is applied to the
smooth surface of a continuously rotating, steam heated metal drum. The film of the dried
material is continuously scraped off by a stationary knife located opposite the point of
application of the liquid material. The dryer consists of a single drum or a pair of drums with
or without “satellite” rollers. The applied steam pressure in the drums can vary from 4 to
8bar, depending on the product. Roller drying is applied for example, for milk, starch and
potato flakes. Drum drying may be regarded as conduction drying.

Tray dryers:

In tray dryers, the food is spread out, generally quite thinly, on trays in which the drying takes
place. Heating may be by an air current sweeping across the trays, by conduction from heated
trays or heated shelves on which the trays lie, or by radiation from heated surfaces. Most tray
dryers are heated by air, which also removes the moist vapours.

Superheated Steam Drying:-

Drying with superheated steam eliminates air and the drying takes place in a medium
composed entirely of steam. The additional sensible heat present in the super heated steam is
used to dry biomaterial. The water vapor evaporated from the produce can be used to dry the
produce by recycling the same and providing additional sensible heat. Moreover, any
conventional convection and conduction dryer can be easily adapted to use superheated
steam. Fixed bed, fluidized bed, flash, impingement, pneumatic, and spray dryers use
superheated steam technology for quality drying of produce.

Heat Pump Drying:-

Conventional dryers heat the air using high-quality energy (such as electricity or fuels) and
vent a stream of moist, hot air at the exhaust, leading to a significant energy loss.
Conventional heat recovery systems using heat exchangers to preheat the inlet air stream
recover only the sensible heat component of the exhaust air. When heat pumps are introduced
in the system, they recover the latent heat of evaporation of water lost in the exhaust from the
dryer as well. By placing the evaporator of a heat pump in the exhaust stream, the air leaving
the dryer is cooled (thereby recovering the sensible heat component) and then dehumidified
(thereby recovering the latent heat) by the refrigerant. The heat thus added to the refrigerant
is then rejected at the condenser of the heat pump to the stream of air entering the dryer, thus
increasing its temperature. When the air leaving the dryer is recirculated, the added benefit of
dehumidification of the drying air is also realized, increasing its potential to achieve better
drying.

The use of heat pumps for drying has been studied since the early 1950s; though the idea was
mechanically feasible. it was not economically attractive due to the low fuel prices prevailing
at that time. But the high fuel costs of the early 1970s revived the interest in use of heat
pumps for drying due to the potential energy savings.

The energy savings arising from heat pump-assisted grain drying have been quantified. For
drying mango slices, a heat pump dehumidifier (HPD) dryer reduced energy consumption by
22 40% compared to a hypothetical electrically heated dryer.
Name-Neha vikas ghorpade

Rollno-218711

Types of dryers and boilers

Heat Transfer Categories of Dryers

Dryers may be categorized based on the heat transfer mechanism:

Direct Dryers

Direct dryers transfer heat to the material by convection. The heat transfer medium is forced
to have direct contact with the material to be dried. A stream of hot air or inert gas serves as
the heat transfer medium, which is blown or circulated around and within the material. This
hot air carries and supplies latent heat to vaporize the absorbed moisture. The evaporated
moisture is then picked up by the blown air.

Due to their efficiency, direct and continuous dryers are the most common configuration of
dryers in industrial practice. Their heat transfer efficiencies are higher compared to indirect
dryers. However, they have higher operating costs and may have increased energy losses.

Indirect Dryers

Indirect dryers transfer heat to the material by conduction. The heat transfer medium is
separated from the material by a conductive partition. The material to be dried is contained
inside a drying chamber and is heated from the chamber walls. The latent heat required to
vaporize the absorbed moisture is transferred through the wall. The evaporated moisture is
then carried up by the surrounding air. The surrounding or carrier air required by indirect
dryers is much lower compared to direct dryers.

Indirect dryers are used in drying sensitive products, such as pharmaceutical products and
combustible materials since the flow of air circulating the product is relatively low. These
dryers prevent the risk of contamination during the process. They are also used in batch
drying of relatively low production volumes.

Radiant Dryers

Radiant dryers transfer heat by directly emitting electromagnetic waves to the material being
dried. These electromagnetic waves carry thermal energy or heat and deeply penetrate into
the material. The heat absorbed by the material heat is conducted to the moisture causing it to
evaporate and combine with the surrounding air. Little heat is lost to the surrounding air. This
makes the drying process contactless and low risk for contamination. Like indirect dryers,
radiant dryers do not require large airflow and may only need a small blower. Moreover,
radiant dryers are cleaner and more environmentally friendly compared to convective and
conductive dryers.

Radiant dryers are commonly used in adhesives, paints, and coatings on part surfaces.

The types of radiant dryers are the following:

Microwave Dryers

Microwave dryers utilize electromagnetic waves that fall within the microwave region (300
MHz to 300 GHz). Microwave radiation can penetrate beyond the surface of the material.
Hence, these dryers are used to dry the material from within (i.e., volumetric drying). The
moisture or solvent evaporates from the pores of the material. Microwave dryers are used to
process food and agricultural products.

Infrared Dryers

Infrared dryers utilize electromagnetic waves that fall within the infrared region (300 GHz to
400 THz). This region falls just below the visible light spectrum. These dryers emit energy to
heat the material's outer surface, and heat is conducted from the outer surface to the inner
portion of the material. Infrared dryers are usually equipped with forced convection
equipment to increase efficiency.

Industrial dryers operate on either a batch or continuous mode:

Batch Dryers

Batch dryers process a fixed volume of material at a particular drying duration. A fixed
number or quantity of materials is placed in the drying chamber; this quantity is limited by
the holding capacity of the dryer. The dried materials are unloaded from the chamber, and the
drying of the next batch of materials may be performed. Batch dryers are used in relatively
low production volumes.
Continuous Dryers

Continuous dryers accommodate a continuous, uninterrupted flow of materials throughout

their operation. Wet materials are continuously fed and transported across the drying
chamber. As the material crosses the chamber, it loses its moisture content. The dried
products may be gathered by a buffer tank or directly fed to the succeeding equipment.
Continuous dryers are used if a large quantity of products needs to be dried.

Types of Batch Dryers

The types of industrial batch dryers are the following:

Tray Dryers

Tray dryers consist of several trays, which contain the materials to be dried, stacked inside
the drying chamber. Air is used as a heat transfer medium that is forced to move inside the
chamber. Blowers facilitate air movement. The air gains thermal energy when it contacts the
heating coils. The heated air is blown on top of the material, causing the moisture to diffuse
and vaporize. A portion of the moisture-carrying air leaves through the ventilation duct, while
the rest is recirculated in the chamber together with a stream of fresh, dry air. The
temperature and velocity of the air may be adjusted depending on a given product and
operational requirements.

Tray dryers are the simplest type of industrial dryers; they have inexpensive initial costs and
consume less space. They are easy to operate and maintain. However, the drying time is
typically long. They may not be suitable for powdered solids.

Tray Dryer

Vacuum Dryers

Vacuum dryers operate at a low (vacuum) pressure to hasten the vaporization of moisture or
solvent absorbed by the material. The decrease in operating pressure depresses the boiling
point of the absorbed liquid; hence, these dryers operate at a lower temperature than other
industrial dryers.
The materials to be dried are loaded in trays. The dryer is equipped with a vacuum pump to
reduce the pressure inside the chamber. Heat is transferred from the chamber walls to the
material by conduction or radiation. Some vacuum dryers have a steam jacket. The vacuum
pump draws the vapor; the vaporized solvent may be recovered by condensation and reused if
necessary.

Vacuum dryers are used for heat-sensitive, hygroscopic, combustible, and granular products.
They are used in food and pharmaceutical products to keep nutrients from degrading in high
temperatures. They remove large quantities of moisture efficiently and have fast drying times.

Vacuum Dryer

Pan Dryers

Pan dryers are equipped with an agitator or a mill that stirs wet materials inside a jacketed
vessel. The agitator or mill revolves slowly to increase drying rate (i.e., moisture removed per
unit time per unit area), ensure uniform heat distribution, and avoid products sticking on the
vessel walls. Pan dryers may be operated in an atmospheric or vacuum pressure.

Pan dryers are used in drying heat-sensitive, viscous, and sticky products.

Pan Dryer

Freeze Dryers

Freeze-drying (or lyophilization) involves freezing the material to be dried and subjecting it
under vacuum pressure. It is employed for products that drastically degrade or change at high
temperatures. It preserves the material’s biological activity and chemical properties. It is used
in food and pharmaceutical products to preserve their nutrient content and active ingredients.
It is also used in biological specimens such as blood, tissues, and proteins. However, freeze-
drying takes a long time to complete.

Freeze dryers consist of refrigeration equipment, a drying chamber, holding trays, and a
vacuum pump. The sample is first frozen to at least its melting temperature to convert the
moisture and solvent within the material into a solid phase. The vacuum pump is then
activated to decrease the pressure inside the chamber. Heat transfer under low pressure causes
the solidified moisture or solvent to transform into vapor. The vacuum pump draws the vapor
sublimed off the material. The freeze dryer will continue to run to drive off the moisture or
solvent bound to the material.

Freeze Dryer

Rotary Dryers

Rotary dryers consist of a slightly inclined metal cylinder with internal flights. The material
is fed from the upper end of the cylinder. The cylinder slowly rotates to lift and cascade the
product. Hot air or gas enters in a concurrent or countercurrent direction with the material.
The agitation caused by the rotation and internal tumbling action results in rapid and uniform
drying. The product is collected at the lower end of the cylinder.

Rotary dryers may be classified as direct-fired or indirect-fired. In direct-fired rotary dryers,

the hot gas directly contacts the material inside the cylinder. High-temperature air may be
used to roast food products. In indirect-fired rotary dryers, heat is conducted from the
cylinder walls to the material being dried.

Rotary dryers are suitable for drying granular and non-sticky materials. They are commonly
used in drying products from a crystallization process. They are suitable for drying salts,
minerals, grains, nuts, and animal feeds.

Rotary Dryer
Fluidized Bed Dryers

In fluidized bed dryers, the wet material is fed to a vessel by a screw feeder. A stream of
preheated air flows from the bottom of the vessel to keep the particles suspended or fluidized.
This stream flows perpendicular to the direction of material travel. A horizontal air stream
may be supplied to help in conveying the particles. The extensive contact of the particles and
air results in a faster drying process. Moisture-carrying air exits at the top of the vessel. The
particles carried over by this stream are separated by a cyclone separator or a bag filter. The
dried products are collected at a point lower than the material inlet.

In vibrating fluidized bed dryers, vibration is added to enhance the fluidization of large-sized
particles and sticky and sluggish feeds.

Fluidized bed dryers are used in powdered and granular products such as grains and cereals.
Some fluidized bed dryers are designed and configured to enable batch drying.
Types of boilers:

1. Fire-tube boiler
2. Water-tube boiler

Fire-tube boiler:
Fire tube boilers are those boilers in which hot gases produced by the combination of
fuel in the boiler furnace while on their way to chimney pass through a number of tubes
(called fuel tubes or smoke tubes) which are immersed in water.
Heat is transferred from the hot gasses to water through the walls of tubes.

Example of fire tube boilers are Cochran boiler, locomotive boiler etc.

Fire tubes boilers are also known as a smoke tube boiler.

Water-tube boiler:
Water-tube boilers are those boilers in which water flows through a number of tubes (called
water tubes) and the hot gases produced by the combustion of fuel in the boiler furnace while
on their way to chimney pass surrounding the tubes.
Reference :- Breka (Talk | contribs) 12:14, 4 October 2010,

September 2012, Satyanarayan R S Dev

Vijaya G S Raghavan.