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Drying Applications
Continuation of Heat and Mass Transfer
(Topic 0)
Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of this topic, student must be able:
L0.1 To demonstrate the basic principles of drying by:
Defining Drying
Differentiating between Types of Moisture Content
Classifying Batch and Continuous Driers
Explaining terms in the Batch Drying Rate Equation
L0.2 To discuss the principles of batch drying by:
Drying Curves
Drying Time Equations
1. Constant Rate Period (CRP)
2. Falling Rate Period (FRP)
3. Combined CRP and FRP
Constant Drying Rate Equations
LO.3 To solve batch drying applications
UST Ch.E. Department
UST Ch.E. Department
Lecture Outcomes
LO.4 To be able to set up material and
enthalpy balances around a continuous
drying system and to derive the air and
solid properties needed in the analysis of
the dryer;
LO.5 To apply material and enthalpy
balances and calculating the Air and Heat
Requirements of a Continuous Dryer
without and with recycle
Drying Principles
UST Ch.E. Department
Drying: a unit operation involving the removal of
moisture from a wet solid
Requirements:
1. Drying Medium (usually hot air or steam)
2. Moisture Carrier (usually air)
Operating Modes:
1. Batch Drying also known as drying under
constant conditions (e.g. Tray Drier)
2. Continuous Drying drying involving continuous
flow of solid and drying medium, under variable
conditions (e.g. Rotary Drum Drier)
Study Section 12 of the Handbook, pp. 12-40 to 12-48.
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Basic Terms Related to Drying
UST Ch.E. Department
1. Total Moisture Content (W): total weight of moisture
per weight of dry solid
2. Free Moisture Content (X): weight of free or removable
moisture per weight of dry solid
3. Equilibrium Moisture Content (X*): weight of equilibrium
or unremovable moisture per weight of dry solid
Relation: X = W X* (all on dry basis)
In drying problems, a given moisture content % is
accepted to be as total moisture % on a wet basis (%W
W
)
W = %W
W
/(100- %W
W
)
Basic Terms Related to Drying
UST Ch.E. Department
4. Drying Rate (R): weight of moisture removed per
time per drying area
5. Drying Area (A): area in direct contact with the
drying medium
6. Q : weight of dry solid
7. u: drying time
R =
Q
A
- dX
du
Basic Rate Equation:
Batch Drying Principles
UST Ch.E. Department
Ideal Batch Drying Process:
1. Transient Period: adjustment, short period
2. Constant Rate Period (CRP): removal of unbound
moisture, partial pressure i = vapor pressure
3. Falling Rate Period (FRP): removal of bound
moisture, partial pressure i < vapor pressure
4. Critical Free Moisture (Xc): boundary moisture
between CRP and FRP
The calculation of drying time depends on the
actual periods involved in the batch drying process.
The transient period is however usually neglected.
Batch Drying Curves
UST Ch.E. Department
Free Moisture Versus Time
X
u
CRP
FRP
uc
Xc
X
1

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Batch Drying Curves
UST Ch.E. Department
Drying Rate Versus Free Moisture
R
X
Xc
Rc
X
1

CRP
FRP
Batch Drying Time Equations
UST Ch.E. Department
A. Constant Rate Period Only (X
2
> Xc; R = Rc)
R =
Q
A
- dX
du
u =
Q
A }
X
1

X
2

dX
R
General Equation for Drying Time:
Drying Rate Equation:
Q
ARc
(X
1
X
2
) u =
Batch Drying Time Equations
UST Ch.E. Department
u =
Q
A
}
X
1

X
2

dX
R
B. Falling Rate Period Only (X
1
s Xc; R decreases)
Case 1: R varies linearly with X, passing origin
R = m X where m = Rc/Xc

u =
}
X
1

X
2

dX
X
Q Xc
A Rc
u =
Q Xc
A Rc
ln
X
1

X
2

Batch Drying Time Equations
UST Ch.E. Department
Case 2: R varies linearly with X, not passing origin
R = m X + b m = (R
1
- R
2
)/ (X
1
- X
2
)
To be derived as homework:
R
LM
= (R
1
- R
2
)/ ln(R
1
/R
2
)
Case 3: Given Experimental Data of R and X
u =
Q
A
}
X
1

X
2

dX
R
Evaluate integral graphically, plotting 1/R vs X
u =
Q
A R
LM

(X
1
-X
2
)
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Batch Drying Time Equations
UST Ch.E. Department
C. Combined CRP and FRP (X
1
>X
C
, X
2
<X
C
)
Divide total time into CRP time (from X
1
to Xc)
and FRP time (from Xc to X
2
)
Assuming FR is linear, passing origin:
u =
Q
ARc
(X
1
X
C
) +
Q Xc
A Rc
ln
X
C

X
2

u =
Q
ARc
[ (X
1
X
C
) + X
C
ln (X
C
/X
2
)]
Use appropriate methods for other FR cases.
Constant Rate Equations
UST Ch.E. Department
1. In terms of Mass Transfer Equation
Rc = k (H
S
H)
where H
S
is based on t
S
or t
W
of the air
and k is the mass transfer coefficient
2. In terms of Heat Transfer Equation
Rc = h (t t
S
)/
S
where t is dry bulb temperature of the air,
S
is
based on t
s
and h is the heat transfer coefficient
Evaluation of h (MSH, p.785)
UST Ch.E. Department
1. Air flow parallel to solid
2 . 0
8 . 0
8 . 8
v
D
G
h =
h in W/m
2
-K
G dry air mass velocity in kg/s-m
2

D
v
equivalent diameter of airflow channel in m
2. Air flow perpendicular to solid
37 . 0
2 . 24 G h =
Batch Drying Examples
UST Ch.E. Department
1. A wet solid is dried from 20% to 8% moisture in a tray drier
in 6 hours. Critical moisture is 10% and equilibrium
moisture is 2%. All the given % moisture are on dry basis.
a) How long will it take to dry from 8% to 5% moisture?
b) How long did it take to dry from 15% to 10% moisture?
c) How long did it take to dry from 15% to 8% moisture?

2. In a tray drier, wet sand (dry density =2.5 g/mL, thickness =
4 cm) with 15% moisture is dried to 4%. Equilibrium moisture
is negligible and critical moisture is 8%. What is the constant
drying rate if drying took 4 hours? Calculate the time spent
under the falling rate period.
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Batch Drying Example
UST Ch.E. Department
3. (From MSH) A slab with a wet weight of 5 kg originally
contains 50% moisture. The slab is 600 by 900 by 75 mm thick.
The equilibrium moisture is 5%. The drying data is given below:

Wet slab wt, kg 9.1 7.2 5.3 4.2 3.3 2.9 2.7
Rate, kg/m
3
-hr 4.9 4.9 4.4 3.9 3.4 2.0 1.0

Drying is from one face. How long will it take to dry the slab to
15% moisture?
Batch Drying Example
UST Ch.E. Department
4. A filter cake 610 mm square and 50 mm thick supported on a
screen is dried from both sides with air at 70
o
C dry bulb and 27
o
C
wet bulb. The air flows parallel with the faces of the cake at a velocity
of 2.5 m/s. The dry density of the cake is 1920 kg/m
3
. The equilibrium
moisture is zero and the critical moisture is 9% on a dry basis. Assume
an equivalent diameter of 150 mm.

a) What is the drying rate at the constant rate period?
b) What is the MTC, k
c) How long would it take to dry from 20% to 8% moisture (dry
basis)?
Basic Setup (Continuous Dryer)
UST Ch.E. Department
DRYER
F
F
w w
t
S1

t
S2

t
2
t
1

H
2
H
1

X
2

X
1

F = dry solids rate
X = free moisture content
ts = solids temperature
w = dry air rate
H = air humidity
t = air temperature (dry bulb)
UST Ch.E. Department
Calculation of Air and Heat Requirements
Drier Heater
1 2 1
Q
D

Q
L

Q
H

F F
W
1
W
2

w
w
w
t
1

t
2

H
1
H
2
= H
1

t
1

t
S2
t
S1

H
1

Water Balance: w (H
1
H
2
) = F (W
1
W
2
)
NO RECYCLE
Enthalpy Balances: Around Heater: Q
H
= w (i
2
i
1
)
Around Drier: Q
D
= w (i
1
i
2
) + F (h
S2
h
S1
) + Q
L

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UST Ch.E. Department
Evaluation of Enthalpies & Heat Losses
i= 1.005 t + H (1.884 t + 2500)
h
S
= (C
PS
+ 4.184 W) t
S

C
PS
= Specific Heat of Dry Solid
Q
L
= h
O
A
O
AT
LM

hc =convective HTC hr =radiative HTC
ho =hc + hr
A
O
= Outside surface area = t D
O
L
a O
a O
a O a O
LM
t t
t t
t t t t
T

= A
2
1
1 2
ln
) ( ) (
t
O
=outside surface temp
t
a
=ambient temperature
UST Ch.E. Department
Calculation of Air and Heat Requirements
Drier Heater
1 2 1
Q
D

Q
L

Q
H

F F
W
1
W
2

w
w
w
t
1

t
2

H
1

H
2
=H
1

t
1

T
S2
T
S1

H
1

w
R

w
a

w
a

H
1
t
1

t
a

H
a

WITH RECYCLE
Additional Balances:
DAB: w = w
a
+ w
R

WB: w H
1
= w
a
H
a
+ w
R
H
1

EB: w i
1
= w
a
i
a
+ w
R
i
1

UST Ch.E. Department
Special Case: Adiabatic Drier
DRIER
F
F
w w
t
S
1

t
S
2

t
2
t
1

H
2
H
1

X
2

X
1

Q
D
= Q
L
= 0
i
2
= i
1

t
W2
= t
W1
(Constant Wet Bulb Temperature)
h
S1
= h
S2

UST Ch.E. Department
Example
1. 500 kg/hr of gypsum with 15% moisture is to be dried in a
countercurrent rotary dryer . Fresh air at 30
o
C, 30% relative
humidity is heated to 70
o
C before entering the dryer.
Assuming adiabatic operation with the air leaving the dryer
at 35
o
C, determine:
a) Exit air humidity
b) Air Requirement to dryer (m
3
/min)
c) kW requirement for heater
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UST Ch.E. Department
Example
2. A rotary drum dryer shall produce 1500kg/hr of dried solids at
35oC from a feed at 30
o
C and containing 20% Moisture. Specific
heat of dry solids is 2.5kJ/kgK.
Hot air at 85
o
C with a dew point of 25
o
C enters the dryer
and then leaves it at 45
o
C with 60% humidity. Part of this
air is recycled and mixed with fresh air at 30
o
C dry bulb and 15
o
C
wet bulb before entering the preheater.
The dryer is 12 m long and has 1.5 m diameter, 5 cm wall
Thickness. It is not insulated and the convective and radiative heat
transfer coefficient to the surroundings may be taken as 25 W/m2-K.
Assume that the outside surface temperature of the dryer is the
same as the hot air temperature inside the dryer. Determine:
a) Volumetric rates of air entering and leaving the dryer (m3/min)
b) Volumetric rates of the fresh and recycled air to the preheater
c) kW of heat supplied to the preheater
d) kW heat loss by dryer to the surroundings
e) kW external heat requirement to the dryer.


Tasks for the CL Lab
1. Divide the remaining problems
not discussed in this class meeting
among members and prepare
their solutions.
2. Additional problems will be given
during the CL for additional
discussion and solution by each
team.

UST Ch.E. Department