Table of Content

1.0 Objectives.................................................................................................................2
2.0 Summary..................................................................................................................2
3.0 Introduction..............................................................................................................3
4.0 Data & Results..........................................................................................................6
5.0 Discussion & Analysis...........................................................................................10
5.0 DISCUSSION........................................................................................................14
6.0 Conclusion and Recommendations........................................................................16
7.0 Tutorials.................................................................................................................17
8.0 Reference................................................................................................................19
1.0 Objectives

• To conduct mass balance and energy balance in drying process

• To compare the experimental results and the predicted results from software

2.0 Summary

The experiment's purpose ,the drying process consisted of conducting mass and
energy balances in the drying process and comparing the experimental and anticipated
results from software. The experiment began with sand being placed on a drying tray,
which was then scaled. The sand tray was then sprinkled with water and scaled again.
The tray was placed in the drying machine after the weight of the sand was recorded.
Every 5 minutes, including the first reading of 0 minutes, the mass of wet sand and
temperature of air for entry and output were measured. The starting weight of dry
sand is 896 g, and after adding 18.9 ml of water, the new weight of wet sand is 914.9
g. The water from sand was dehydrated using air velocity of 1.91 m/s. The total
moisture content (XT) was estimated by subtracting the dry sand mass from the wet
sand mass and then dividing by the dry sand mass. After determining the total
moisture content, a graph of total moisture content vs time and free moisture content
versus time was created. Mass balancing is the computation of the amounts of
elements that enter and exit the system based on the "Law of Conservation of Mass."
It is possible to conclude from this experiment that the experiment's goal was met.
3.0 Introduction

Drying is typically the last stage in a sequence of operations performed in

industrial settings; following drying, the product is frequently ready to be packaged in
its final form. Drying a solid typically refers to the removal of a relatively small
quantity of water or another liquid from the solid material by thermal vaporisation in
order to bring the amount of remaining liquid to an acceptable low value. This is done
in order to dry the substance. Heating can either be done directly, as in convection
drying, or indirectly, as in radiant drying.
Direct heating is a common method used in many industrial drying processes.
This method involves bringing a heated gas, such as hot air or steam, into direct
contact with wet particles that need to be dried. Direct heating is the most common
method. A bone-dry solid and moisture are the two components that make up a wet
solid. Both free moisture and equilibrium moisture make up a wet solid's total
moisture content. Free moisture dominates a wet solid's total moisture content. There
will always be a trace quantity of liquid that coexists in equilibrium with the solid,
hence the term "free moisture content" refers to the greatest amount of moisture that
can be extracted from a wet solid during the drying process. This is because there will
always be some liquid present. The amount of liquid that exists here is referred to as
the equilibrium moisture content.
As a result, the maximum amount of liquid that may be extracted from a
substance is constrained by the phase equilibrium that occurs during drying. When a
wet solid is heated in a dryer, the moisture content of the solid will gradually drop
until it reaches the equilibrium-moisture content, at which point it will remain
constant. This occurs when all of the free moisture has been eliminated. The rate of
drying is defined as the pace at which the amount of moisture present in the air
decreases.
 The rate at which drying occurs is determined by a number of parameters
including air humidity, air velocity, and temperature. The process of drying often
reveals two distinct patterns of drying rates, which are referred to as the constant rate
and the dropping rate. When there is a linear decline in the amount of moisture
present over time, a constant rate is seen. During this length of time with a constant
pace, the same quantity of liquid is being vaporised per unit of time. When it is seen
that the moisture content is decreasing in a manner that is not linear with time, the
falling rate happens. During this phase of decreasing rate, the quantity of liquid that
was being vaporised per unit of time is no longer equivalent.

Figure shown in a) drying rate versus drying time while b) drying rate versus
water content .
 4.0 Data & Results

Table1 data results

Weight of Empty Tray = 308.2 g
Weight of Dry Sand and Tray = 1203.2 g
Weight of Dry Sand = 896 g
Weight of Wet Sand and Tray = 1223.1 g
Weight of Wet Sand = 914.9 g
Air Velocity = 1.91 m/s
GROUP 1

Time (min) Mass of wet sand Total moisture Inlet (oC) Outlet (oC)
(g) content,
XT Dry bulb Wet bulb Dry bulb Wet bulb

0 1223.1 0.3650 35 24 34 23

5 1219.4 0.3609 39 23 42 25

10 1216.1 0.3572 35 22 39 24

15 1213.0 0.3537 35 22 39 23

20 1210.1 0.3505 35 22 39 23

25 1207.1 0.3472 39 23 40 24

30 1205.8 0.3457 34 22 38 23

Table 1 : Experimental results of Drying Process

 Time (min) Free Moisture Content,X

0 0.3650

5 0.3609

10 0.3572

15 0.3537

20 0.3505

25 0.3472

30 0.3457

Table 2 : Time(min) and Free moisture Content ,X

Total Moisture Content,Xt vs Time(Min)

0.37

0.365
0.365

0.3609
0.36
Total Moisture Content ,Xt

0.3572

0.355 0.3537

0.3505
0.35
0.3472
0.3457
0.345

0.34

0.335
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Time(Min)

Graph 1 Effect of Time(min) to Total Moisture Content,Xt

 Free Moisture Content(X) VS
Time (min)
0.37

0.365 0.365

0.3609
Free MOISTURE CONTENT(x)

0.36
0.3572
0.355
0.3537

0.35 0.3505

0.3472
0.345 0.3457

0.34

0.335
0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Time(Min)

Graph 2 Effect of Time (min) to the Free Moisture Content(X)

 Mass Balance

Mass 2 = 18.9g H20

1g H20 /g total

Mass 1= 914.9 g

18.9 g H20 /g total DRYER

896 g Sand/g total

Mass 3 = 896 g
Sand
1g/total

Overall Balance : M1 = M2
+M3

914.9g = 18.9g(h20) +
896g(sand)

914.9 g =914.9 g
 5.0 Discussion & Analysis

Mass Balance

Mass 2 = 18.9g H20

1g H20 /g total

Mass 1= 914.9 g
DRYER
18.9 g H20 /g total
896 g Sand/g total

Mass 3 = 896 g
Sand
1g/total

Overall Balance : M1 = M2
+M3

914.9g = 18.9g(h20) +
896g(sand)

914.9 g =914.9 g
 Mass of wet sand (g)− Mass of dry sand (g)
A) Total Moisture Content ,Xt =
Mass of dry sand (g)

( 1223.1 g −896.0 g )
Time (0 min), Xt =
896.0 g
= 0.365

( 1219.4 g − 896.0 g )
Time (5 min) , Xt =
896.0 g
= 0.3609

( 1216.1 g− 896.0 g )
Time (10 min) , Xt =
896.0 g
= 0.3572

( 1213.0 g −896.0 g )
Time (15 min) , Xt =
896.0 g
= 0.3537

(1210.1 g −896.0 g )
Time (20 min) , Xt =
896.0 g
= 0.3505

(1207.1 g −896.0 g )
Time (25 min) , Xt =
896.0 g
=0.3472

( 1205.8 g −896.0 g )
Time (30 min) , Xt =
896.0 g
= 0.3457
B) Free Moisture Content,X
X =Xt - X*

X* : Equilibrium Moisture Content A : Area of tray (540cm2)

: 0 (last equilibrium moisture content)

Time 0(min),X = 0.365g - 0

= 0.365 Time 20(min),X = 0.3505g - 0
Time 5(min),X = 0.3609g - 0 = 0.3505
= 0.3609 Time 25(min),X = 0.3472g - 0
Time 10(min),X = 0.3572g - 0 = 0.3472
= 0.3572 Time 30(min),X = 0.3457g - 0
Time 15(min),X = 0.3537g - 0 = 0.3457
= 0.3537

C) Mass Fraction :

g H20 = 18.9g H2O / 1223.1 total mass balance

= 0.0154 H2O g/total

g Sand = 1 - 0.0154
= 0.9845 sand g/total
Figure 1 : Software Results
5.0 DISCUSSION

The purpose of this experiment is to do a mass balance and an energy balance

during the drying process, with the end goal of comparing the outcomes of the
experiment with those that were anticipated by software. A tray dryer is a device that
is utilised in industrial settings for the purpose of drying. The elimination of liquid
from a solution, suspension, or other solid combination during the drying process will
result in the formation of a dry solid. This process is referred to as vaporisation.
Drying may be broken down into the subfields of convection, conduction, radiation,
and radio frequency, depending on the particular mode of heat transfer that is utilised.
Heat transmission and mass transfer are two of the most significant aspects that are
involved in the drying process. This procedure is very crucial to a number of different
businesses, but particularly the food industry. For the purpose of this investigation, a
SOLTEQ Tray Drier (Model: BBP 772) was utilised as the tray drier.

In order to carry out the experiment, first a weight was taken of the empty tray,
then one with dry sand and the tray, and finally one with wet sand and the tray. You
may calculate the mass of dry sand and wet sand by taking the empty tray's mass and
subtracting it from the total mass of the tray, which is 896 g and 914.9 g respectively.
After that, the tray that had been filled with wet sand was placed inside the dryer, and
the weight of the tray was recorded every five minutes until the drying process was
finished, at which point the final mass would be the sum of the masses recorded for
the empty tray and the dry sand at the beginning of the process. 1.91 metres per
second was the air velocity that was used to dry off the tray. The pace of drying is
directly related to the air velocity at the location.

The total moisture content, denoted by the symbol XT, was determined by first
dividing the mass of dry sand by the mass of wet sand, followed by subtracting the
mass of wet sand from the mass of dry sand. When the desired level of total moisture
content was accomplished, a graph depicting total moisture content vs time was
drawn (Graph 1). The graph demonstrates that the overall moisture content decreases
as time goes on in a manner that is inversely proportional. Because more time was
spent on the process, the overall moisture content will end up being lower. This is due
to the fact that the higher the temperature, the greater the amount of water that will
evaporate, leaving the sand with a lower moisture content. After calculating the total
moisture content and then deducting the equilibrium moisture content from that
number, we were left with the free moisture content. Equilibrium moisture content in
this experiment is 0 because equilibrium moisture content is when it does not acquire
or loose the moisture. Because of this, the trend of the graph that depicts the total
moisture content versus time (Graph 1) is comparable to the trend of the graph that
depicts the free moisture content over time (Graph 2).

Using a psychrometer, we took the temperature of the dry bulb and the wet bulb
for both the input and the outlet every five minutes. A psychrometer is a device that
measures the relative humidity in the air by utilising two different types of
thermometers. The dry bulb thermometer is used to measure the temperature by being
exposed to the air, and the wet bulb temperature is used to measure the temperature
by dipping in liquid. Together, these two thermometers provide an accurate reading of
the air's relative humidity. Calculating the difference in temperature between these
two readings will yield information on the relative humidity of the air in the
surrounding area. According to Table 1, the temperature of the outlet for both the dry
bulb and the wet bulb is greater than the temperature of the inlet. This is because the
air humidity in the outlet is higher than in the inlet.

The calculation for the mass balance takes into account all of the material that is
entering and exiting the system during a process that adheres to the "Law of the
Conservation of Mass." According to this law, matter cannot be formed or destroyed
during the operation, and the overall mass does not change. The anticipated mass
balance was computed with the help of Microsoft Excel, and the actual mass balance
was determined after collecting all of the data. After that, the two sets of data were
compared, and the findings indicated that the mass fraction from the input for water is
0.015452539 g, while the mass fraction from the input for sand is 0.984547461 g.
After thirty minutes, the output that is produced is that one hundred percent of the
water will have evaporated, but one hundred percent of the dry sand on the tray will
still be on the tray. Because both the actual mass balance and the predicted mass
balance had the same inputs and outputs, they were able to be correlated with one
another.
6.0 Conclusion and Recommendations

Based on the data that was collected and the graph that was made, it can be said
that the experiment achieved its goals. The results of drying the solid sample were in
line with the theory of water content, and the rate of drying went down as time went
on. The fan in the dryer has a big effect on how fast the air moves. Since the fan's
speed is set to stay the same, any changes in speed are either caused by the air around
it or by a problem with the equipment.
Also, it's important to figure out what went wrong with the experiment because
the results are wrong. Since all of the goals were met, the experiment was a success.
Parallax error is another mistake that should not be made during the experiment.
When preparing sand, the water that is splashed on it needs to be spread out evenly
and cover the whole surface. If water only pools in one spot, the drying process won't
work as well. Also, the sand needs to be spread out evenly so that each part has the
same height. To avoid making mistakes, the data needs to be taken the right way,
which means taking it more than once to get an average.
To get better results from the experiment, it's best to set the fan to a faster speed,
since the sand will dry out faster at a faster speed. Also, it would be helpful to raise
the air temperature because it would speed up the drying process, which would make
the sand dry out faster and reduce the amount of water in it more quickly. If the
system was maintained on a regular basis, the data would be more accurate. During
the experiment, it's important to keep an eye on the speed of the fans as they may
change in ways you don't want.
It is important to make sure that the equipment is well insulated so that the system
doesn't leak heat into the environment, which would slow down the drying process.
Parallax error is another mistake that should not be made during the experiment.
When preparing sand, the water that is splashed on it needs to be spread out evenly
and cover the whole surface. If water only pools in one spot, the drying process won't
work as well. Also, the sand needs to be spread out evenly so that each part has the
same height. To avoid making mistakes, the data needs to be taken the right way,
which means taking it more than once to get an average reading. Lastly, the dryer's air
flow can be made better, which will cut down on drying time and  use a lower
temperature.
7.0 Tutorials

1. Discuss the advantages and the disadvantages of using tray dryer in drying
process. Describe an example of industrial applications that utilized tray and dryer in
its process.

Advantages
1) Easy to carry out
2) Lower labour costs
3) More economical fuel usage
4) Operated batch by batch
5) Each batch is handled independently
6) Provides a propensity to over-dry the lower tray

Disadvantages
1) Tray Dryer is used to dry some instruments.
2) Extra fee is required.
3) The procedure takes time.

Agricultural drying is an example of an industrial application that uses a tray and

dryer in its procedure. Because of its simple design and capacity to dry things in large
quantities.
 2) Write a one-paragraph summary of any journal article that studies drying
process. The article must have been published within the last 5 years. Explain in the
drying equipment used in the study and it significant to study now.

One of the first techniques for preserving food was drying it. The sun, the wind, and
smoky fires have been employed throughout the history of civilization to eliminate
water from food by circulating heated air, which prevents the formation of enzymes
and bacteria. This method has been utilised around the world. The drying process
makes use of a variety of different pieces of equipment, some of which include a
freeze dryer and an oven dryer. The purpose of freeze drying is accomplished by first
freezing the materials to be dried, then lowering the pressure in the surrounding area
to create an environment in which the water vapour contained in the frozen material
may sublimate straight from the solid phase to the gas phase. An oven may serve the
purpose of a dehydrator if the appropriate conditions of high heat, low humidity, and
circulation of air are met. When drying banana chips or fruit leathers on occasion, an
oven is the best appliance to use. The food may be preserved for a longer period of
time with this apparatus. As a result, it is extremely important to do research on the
procedure right now in order to discover alternatives to food that has been kept for a
longer length of time.
8.0 Reference

1) Solids Drying: Basics and Applications - Chemical Engineering. (2014, April 1).
Chemical Engineering; www.chemengonline.com. Retrieved from
https://www.chemengonline.com/solids-drying-basics-and-applications/

2) Drying Curve - Moisture Control. (n.d.). Moisture Control;

moisturecontrol.weebly.com. Retrieved June 8, 2022, from
https://moisturecontrol.weebly.com/drying-curve.html

3) One Thing: Aggregate Moisture Content Testing - NPCA. (n.d.). One Thing:
Aggregate Moisture Content Testing - NPCA; precast.org. Retrieved June 8, 2022,
from https://precast.org/2019/01/one-thing-aggregate-moisture-content-testing/

4) M.H. Ruslan, S. M. S. M. (n.d.). Review on the Application of a Tray Dryer

System for Agricultural Products .
APPENDICES