Classification and Selection of Industrial Drying Systems

Refresher Course in Chemical Engineering for Plant Personnel

9th and 10th December, 2005

DEFINITION OF DRYING
Converts liquids/ solid/ paste into a solid product by evaporation of liquid into vapor phase via application of heat. (Sometimes converts solid moisture into vapor by sublimation eg. Freeze drying with application of heat.) Note: Mechanical dewatering (filtration, sedimentation, Centrifugation etc.) is much cheaper (upto 100 times cheaper than drying)

Dr. B. N. Thorat
Reader in Chemical Engineering UICT

Multicomponent Moisture transport

Change of physical structure

Various modes of moisture and heat transport Moisture

Change in quality

Coupled with mass transfer Input Continuous/ intermittent

DRYING AS A THERMAL PROCESS

Transient

Shrinkage Chemical/ biochemical reactions

MATERIAL BEING DRIED

Liquid diffusion Vapor diffusion Capillary flow (Permeability) Knudsen diffusion (Mean free path < pore dia.) Surface diffusion Poiseuille flow Combination of above Conduction Convection Radiation Dielectric Combined mode

Phase change

Heat input

Drying of solids is a complex process involving several rate processes occurring co-currently and or sequentially.

Why is drying of solids so complex?

Over 200 types of dryers in industrial use. Diverse products- physical, chemical properties vary widely for feed and products. Involves transient energy/ mass and momentum transport through porous media, with phase change, with/ without chemical/ biochemical reactions. No universal drying theory exists. Little opportunity for generalization. Minor changes of moisture content result in large changes in physical properties (eg. Fluidization of dry vs. wet particles).

Why so many dryers?

Thousands of different products dried in industry, often new products, new processes, high production rates etc. need new dryers. Various fuels (gas, oil, electricity, flue gases, waste heat etc.). Environmental regulations. Need to reduce costs. Need to consider drying system rather than dryer, ie. Pre- and postdrying stages are important and often cost more than dryer.

MAIN DRYER TYPES

I. Direct (Convective)
Hot gas Wet product Direct Dryer Humid gas Dry product Wet feed Dry product

III. Radiant

Heater (radiant)

Drying medium directly contacts material to be dried and carries evaporated moisture. II. Indirect (Contact, Conduction)
Gas flow (low) Wet product

Vacuum or low gas flow to carry evaporated moisture away.

IV. Microwave or RF
Vacuum or low gas flow Dry product

Electromagnetic energy absorbed selectively by water (volumetric heating). Typically less than 50% of total heat supplied in most direct dryers is used for evaporation. Water is the most common solvent removed in dryers.

Heat supplied by heat exchanger (through metal wall)

Top 10 Reasons Why Drying R&D has been Ignored

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Very old hence well-understood operation. Conceptually simple (so design must be simple!). Misleading coverage in standard texts and handbooks. Too easy (?). Too difficult (for academics conversant in transport phenomena!). Vendors should do R&D. Excessively long lifetime of dryers. Low capital costs. Low energy costs as it was thought but not now!!! Lack of legislatives support. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Top 10 Reasons for Innovation in Drying

Better product quality. Improved productivity. Environmentally-friendly process. Improved economics. Reduced energy consumption. Better control. Flexibility (high turn-down ratios). Multi-processing capacity. Safer operation. New products / processes.

Classification of Dryers Solid Exposure to Heat Conditions

Dryers 0- 10 sec Convection Belt conveyor dryer Flash dryer Fluid bed dryer Rotary dryer Spray dryer Tray dryer (batch) Tray dryer (continuous) Conduction Drum dryer Steam jacket rotary dryer Steam tube rotary dryer Tray dryer (batch) Tray dryer (continuous) Typical residence time within dryer 10- 30 5- 10 10- 60 sec min min X X X X X X X X X X X X

Classification of Solids
Granular material Pastelike materials Solutions or suspensions - 0.05 to 5 mm - 0.1 to 50 m - 10- 50 m- Fines - 0.1- 10 m- Ultrafines - <0.1 m- Colloidal

1- 6 hr

Group I: Nonporous or Capillary- porous solids with large pore sizes Only free moisture is removed eg. NaCl, ASA Group II: Uniformly and non-uniformly porous materials with pores sizes of 6nm Contains free moisture, moisture of macro and micro-capillaries, and surface adsorbed moisture eg. Phenobarbitol, Sodium perborate Group III: Microporous or colloidal- capillary- porous material size 4-6 mm, eg. Glucose, sulfadimethoxine size 2-4 mm, eg. Calcium gluconate Group IV: Ultra-microporous materials. Pore size comparable to molecule size. Intense drying is required to remove moisture content as low as 0.2- 0.1% or less.

Classification of Granular Material

Group I Drying time in Types of dryers suspended state recommended 0.5 - 3.0 sec. Cyclone dryers Flash dryers Two- stage flash dryers 100 - 6 3 - 30 sec. Two- stage flash dryers Fast spouted bed 6-4 0.5 - 2 min. Vortex dryers Batch dryers 4-2 2 - 20 min. Fluid bed Vibrated fluid bed Batch dryers Ultra-micropores, particle 10 - 60 min Vibrated fluid bed size 1 - 2 mm Multistage fluid bed Batch dryers 40 - 90 min. Batch dryers > 100 Particle size > 2 mm > 90 min. Suspended state dryers not recommended Pore size (nm)

Always think DRYING SYSTEM not just DRYING DRYING SYSTEM

Pre-drying Stages Feeders Pre-forming (extrusion, pelletizing) Backmixing Metering Blending Mechanical dewatering Solar collector / storage Drying May involve chemical reactions. Post-drying Stages Cooling Agglomeration Solvent recovery (if applicable) Grinding Gas cleaning (cyclone, filters, scrubbers, etc.) Product collection packaging

II III

IV

Product Classification and Dryers Types as an aid to Selection

Dryers Forced Convection (through flow) Double Cone FBD Band Film Drum Flash Rotary (indirect) Spin Flash Spray Evap. Rate (kg/m2/hr) 7.5 Fluid, liquid suspension Pastes Powders Granules, pellets Good Operation Batch

Idealized Drying Rate Curve

Falling rate Constant rate

dX dt
Rate of drying Zone- C Zone- B Zone- A

10 130 30 22 750 33 185 15

Good Good

Poor Fair Fair Fair Poor Good -

Fair Good Good Good Good -

Poor Good Good Fair Fair Fair -

Batch Continuous Continuous Continuous Continuous Continuous Continuous Continuous 0 Equilibrium moisture, Xe

Critical moisture, Xc

X = moisture content, kg moisture/ kg BDS (bone dry solids)

DRYER CHOICE BASED ON SOLIDS DRYING CHARACTERISTICS

Zone A (Constant Rate) Turbo- tray Rotary Belt --------Spray Flash Zone B (Falling Rate) Turbo- tray Rotary Belt Fluid Bed (Spray) Spray Flash Zone C (Internal diffusion) Turbo- tray Rotary Belt Fluid Bed ---------------

STEP 1- BASIC CHOICES Batch Or Continuous

EXAMPLE - Fluidized Bed Dryers

Sub types: Batch: Well- Mixed (WM) Continuous: Well- Mixed, Plug- Flow (PF), Multi- Stage (MS) Options: Internal Heating Coils, Split Distributor, Vibration, Feed End Rake, Expanded Freeboard, Special Distributor, etc. Flowsheet options: Gas Recycle, Backmixing, Direct Firing, Self- Inerting Cost criteria: Simple types cheapest, most options add to cost. Vibro fluidized beds Have high capital cost/ low energy costs Payback periods (depend on if dryer is new or replacing an existing operating unit)

Batch dryers favored by: Low throughput (under 50 Kg/H) Long residence time (I.E. Mainly falling-rate drying) Batch equipment upstream and downstream Requirement for batch integrity Continuous dryers favoured by opposite conditions

STEP 3- SUBTYPES AND REFINEMENTS Choice Between Subtypes

Small Scale Lab Tests

Small- scale tests give valuable information:

Feed difficult to fluidized- Use WM, MS (WM before PF), If PF used need ; rotating Rake, Backmixing, Vibrated Feed Region Narrow X0 specification - Prefer in order PF= MS= WM X0 much less than X1- prefer PF and MS to WM. Wide size distribution- Use Vibration, Special Distributor, Expanded Freeboard, Fines Collections Small particles, low gas velocity- consider internal coils WM: WELL- MIXED; PF= PLUG FLOW

Drying kinetics- drying rates (parametric effects) Equilibrium moisture content- effect of t,h (humidity) Microscopic examination- surface, agglomeration Lab- scale rotary evaporator- overheating, balling, adhesion Rotating drum tester- attrition, dustiness Cohesion and adhesion- handling, sticky point

Vital to have a representative sample of final material Not necessary to carry out all of above tests in all cases

Selection: Proper selection is crucial. Best designed wrong dryer is still a poor choice. For granular solids, for example, numerous choices exist.
Type Rotary- Convective (direct only) Rotary- Convection/ Conduction (steam tube) Fluid bed (Convective) Fluid bed (Combined mode) Vibrated Fluid Bed Vibrated Bed with Immersed Exchangers Spouted Bed Dryer Centrifugal Fluid Bed Rotary Tray (Turbo Dryer) Spiral Dryer (Flash with Indirect heating) Flash/ Pneumatic Dryer Flash + Fluid Bed Jet- Zone Dryer (layers of particles fluidized by impinging jets) Through Dryers (hot air through beds of particles) Vacuum Dryer Combination Dryers Advantages/ limitations Flexible/ high operating cost; large volume; high carryover of fines Flexible/ better efficiency/ low fines carryover/ expensive/ large volume Compact/ more efficient/ less flexible Compact/ efficient More efficient, flexible, for friable materials, polydisperse solids More efficient, less carryover, low blower power Compact, limited range of operation, high efficiecy, high blower power, limited capacity Very high transfer rates, expensive Gentle handling, flexible High drying rates, more expensive For surface moisture removal only High drying rates, flexible Expensive for fine particles, non-uniform drying For heat- sensitive solids, expensive

Definitions
Bound moisture 100% Unbound moisture

R.H.

50% EMC X* Free moisture Content

T= Constant

X Moisture Content(dry basis) C.R.P.

Drying rate curve

F.R.P. R= - Ls dX A dt 0

X*

Xcrit

Ls= Dry mass A= Area

Examples Of Normalized Drying- Rate Curves For Different Types Of Media

a b I II III a b V a b IX b X a b XI a VI c b c XII VII a VIII IV

Turbo Tray Dryers

CLASS I: Glass beads sand, clay, mixtures of sand and clay, calcium carbonate, silica gel, paper pulp, leather, pig manure. CLASS II: glass beads, ceramic tiles, clay, silica gel. CLASS III: organic liquid in glass beads, for example,(a) benzene and n-propanol, (b) n-pentanol. CLASS IV: glass beads, polystyrene beads. CLASS V: sand, plastic-clay mix, silica-brick mix, whiting slab, ceramic plate, leather, lactose granulation. CLASS VI: special case of CLASS I: Schlunder reports that for molecular sieve. CLASS VII: CLASS I with different curvature during bthe period of decreasing drying rate, aluminium silicate particles as a function of air temperature, and sand and paper pulp as a function of thickness of the sample. CLASS VIII: (a) fir wood; (b) cypress wood. CLASS IX: (a) paper, wool, aluminium stearate dough; (b) potatoes, tapioca tuber, and rice flour. CLASS X: (a) rye bread, yeast; (b) butter and margarine. CLASS XI: (a) wheat corns; (b) and (c) the same for lower X normalized to the initial drying rate for (a). CLASS XII: limestone granules saturated with (a) water, (b) 0.05-M NaCl. Similar behavior, due to crust formation, has been observed for p[laster tiles and for clay.

Suitable for granular feeds, operate with rotating shelves and force convection of air above the shelves. The Dryer can have 30+ trays and provide large residence time. Hermetic sealing is possible for solvent recovery.

Rotary Dryer

Steam Tube Rotary Dryer

Combined cascade motion with heat & mass transfer. Large capital & operating cost. Used in fertilizers, pharmaceutical, lead & zinc concentrate for smelting, cement. Size 0.3 to 5 m diameter & 2 to 90 m length.

Pneumatic Conveying (Flash) Dryers

Tunnel Dryers

FBD Dryers - Variations Rotocone Dryers (Batch)

Drying of pharmaceuticals tableting formulation Maximum capacity 10 m3. Evap. rate 2-7 kg/hr.m2

Agitated Dryers
Drying of fine & moderately wet materials such as gypsum, pigments, and dyestuffs.

Paddle Dryers

Microwave Dryers
Used in ceramics industries, foods & pharmaceuticals to drive of last traces of moisture.

Provides drying time upto several hours. Suitable for pastelike & granular material. Evap. rate upto 10 kg/hr.m2

Vacuum Dryers Heat Sensitive Materials

Screw Conveyer Dryer

Freeze Dryer

 PO 1 / 2VO 2
Fixed bed

A N Re

+ B

UICT Product
Aggregative fluidization

Two phase theory for fluidization

Incipient fluidization

Thorat and Joshi, 2001 I & EC

dp, m 100- 300 300- 800 800- 2000 2000- 5000

Velocity, m/s 0.2- 0.4 0.4- 0.8 0.8- 1.2 1.2- 3.0

V< VO No particle mixing

V = VO Moderate particle mixing

The fluid bed consist of two phases: (1) Particle phase: A homogeneous mass with the voidage O and gas velocity VO (2) Bubble phase: Containing all excess gas and nearly free from particles. These gas bubbles are responsible fot the mixing of the particulate phase. Actual gas velocity in FBD is always 2- 3 times more than incipient fluidization velocity for particles.

V> VO V << Vt Rapid particle Mixing controlled by bubbles

Heat Pump Dryer

INTRODUCTION
Drying of Foods To increase the shelf life, to reduce packaging cost Acceptable final moisture content 5 to 12% Quality Changes occurs during drying of FOODS Factors affecting structural Properties 1. Drying Method 2. Drying Conditions 3. Moisture Content

Mostly Used Drying Techniques in Food Industry

Conventional Air Dryer Osmotic Dehydration Freeze Dryer Microwave Dryer Spray Dryer Fluid Bed Dryer Heat Pump Dryer Infrared Dryer

Case study : Shrimp drying

Shrimp (Prawn) is one of the most popular seafood products Sun Drying a traditional way, results in poor product quality High local and export market Superior quality and energy minimization could result in value addition to product Different combinations of drying can be used

Combinatorial Drying for Shrimps

Osmotic dehydration 15% w/v NaCl 30 min 450C 4 to 2 kg/kg db

Heat pump drying 17% RH 40-440C X=2 to 0.5 kg/kg db

Infra-red drying Max. 20 min 600C X=0.2 db

Heat pump drying

Simple Scheme

What is Heat Pump Why heat pump + Drying Heat savings Product Quality Recovery of solvent How it works ?

Condenser

Dryer

Compressor

Evaporator

Enhancement of performance using bypass coil 17 % RH Dehumidified air 40-440C

Refrigerant: R134A (Dichloro Difluoro Ethane)

Shrimps taken out after Heat Pump drying

Water Activity, Angle of repose& Bulk densities after drying of Materials @ 60C

No. Materials

Water Activity Raw Dried Temp(C)

Angle of Repose

Bulk Density (kg/m3)

1. Chickpea (mix)

0.67

0.24

30.3

49.96

712.41

2.

Chickpea (=0.945 mm)

0.65

0.23

30.5

55

688.74

3.

Rice rawa (Semolin) Suji

0.655

0.226

30.8

52

790

4.

0.798

0.265

30.75

55.78

750

5.

Rice powder

0.608

0.289

30.4

42.78

693.75

Dryer developed at UICT: Screw Conveyor Dryer

Wet material N2 N2 Hot water

Actual SCD set-up

Gas inlet Jacketed dryer

Material inlet

Screw Scre w

Bearing support Material outlet

Hot water

Motor
Dry Product

Gear box
Gear Box 3 Motor

Degree of fullness or dryer loading Dryer Throughput

2 (D sc + 2r) 2 D sh (P t ) N 60 4
= Screw conveyor throughput, m3/h = degree of fullness = screw diameter, m = shaft diameter, m = radial clearance, m = screw pitch, m = flight thickness, m = screw speed, rpm Material type Class I Class II Degree of fullness 45 % 30 % Material characteristics Light, free-flowing, non-abrasive Examples Wheat, flour, graphite etc.

C=

Where, C Dsc Dsh r P t N

Non-abrasive, less free Baking powder, flowing than Class I, pulverized small lumps mixed coal, corn with fines grits etc. Similar in size and flowability to Class II solids, but more abrasive Abrasive and poor flowability Dry ash, cement, salt, charcoal, crushed chalk etc. Furnace slag, dry sand, alumina etc.

Class III

30 %

Class IV

15 %

Note: The allowable loading or degree of fullness and screw

speed are limited by the material characteristics

Note: Class I materials fill the trough deeply, permitting a higher

rotating speed than heavier and more abrasive materials

Thank You

10