Drying

CHE133
Heat and Mass Transfer Applications

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

Moisture content
Equilibrium moisture content (X*) the moisture
content of a solid exposed to air sufficiently long for
equilibrium to be reached (kg of H2O/kg of moisture-free
solid)
Bound water water in the solid that exerts a vapor
pressure less than that of liquid water at the same
temperature
* the equilibrium moisture of a given material is
continued to its intersection with the 100% humidity line

Moisture content

Moisture content
Unbound water the excess moisture content of a solid
than indicated by intersection with the 100% humidity
line (can still exert a vapor pressure as high as that of
ordinary water)
* Held primarily in the voids of the solid

Free moisture content (X) the moisture in the sample

that is above the equilibrium moisture content
* Can be removed by drying under the given %RH

Batch Drying:
Rate of drying curves
In the constant-rate drying period, the surface of the
solid is initially very wet and a continuous film of
water exists on the drying surface. This water is
entirely unbound water and acts as if the solid were
not present.

At the critical moisture content, XC, there is

insufficient water on the surface to maintain a
continuous film of water. The entire surface is no
longer wetted, and the wetted area continually
decrease until the surface is completely dry.

Rate of drying curves

X = Xt - X *

Ls dX
R=A dt

Rate of drying curves

Falling-rate
period

Constant-rate period

Drying Rate, R
(kg H2O/h-m2)
Xc

Free moisture, X

Calculations for Constant-Rate

Drying Period
Using experimental drying curves
Drying curve (ex. Fig. 9.5-1a)
Rate-of-drying curve

Ls dX
R=A dt

Calculations for Constant-Rate

Drying Period
Over the time interval X1 at t1 = 0 to X2 at t2 = t:

t=

t2
t1

Ls
dt =
A

dX
X2 R
X1

Within the constant-rate period, where X1 and X2 > XC ,

R=constant = RC:

Ls
t=
(X1 - X2 )
ARC

Calculations for Constant-Rate

Drying Period
Using predicted transfer coefficients

Ls lW (X1 - X2 )
Ls (X1 - X2 )
t=
=
Ah(T - TW )
Aky M B (HW - H )
where
Ls = kg dry solid used
W = latent heat at TW
h = heat transfer coefficient
A = exposed drying area
ky = gas film mass transfer coefficient
Tw = wet bulb temperature
T = dry bulb temperature
Hw = humidity at TW
H = humidity at T

Calculations for Constant-Rate

Drying Period
The rate of drying is

RC =

h(T - TW )

lW

= ky M B (HW - H )

For air flowing parallel to the drying surface

At : 45 > T >150C, gas mass velocity, 2450 >G > 29 300 kg/h-m2 or 0.61 > v >
7.6 m/s

h = 0.0204G 0.8

(SI)

h = 0.0128G 0.8

(English)

Calculations for Constant-Rate

Drying Period
For air flowing parallel to the drying surface

At : 45 > T >150C, gas mass velocity, 2450 >G > 29 300 kg/h-m2 or 0.61 > v >
7.6 m/s.

h = 0.0204G 0.8

(SI)

h = 0.0128G 0.8

(English)

For air flowing perpendicular to the drying surface

At : 39000 >G > 19 500 kg/h-m2 or 0.90 > v > 4.6 m/s

h =1.17G 0.37

(SI)

h = 0.37G 0.37

(English)

Calculations for Falling-Rate

Drying Period

Ls
t=
A

X1

dX
R
X2

Determined
by graphical
integration

Calculations for Falling-Rate

Drying Period
If the rate is a linear function of X:

R = aX + b dR = adX
Ls
t=
A

X1

dX
R
X2

Ls ( X1 - X2 ) R1
t=
ln
A ( R1 - R2 ) R2

Calculations for Falling-Rate

Drying Period
If the rate is a linear function through the origin:

R = aX dR = adX
Ls
t=
A

Ls ( XC - X ) XC - X *
dX
R t = AR ln X - X *
C
2
X2
X1

Sample Problems
An insoluble wet granular material is dried in a pan
0.457 0.457 m and 25.4 mm deep. The material is
25.4 mm deep in the pan, and the sides and the bottom
can be considered to be insulated. Heat transfer is by
convection from an air stream flowing parallel to the
surface at a velocity of 6.1 m/s. The air at 65C and
has a humidity 0.010 kg H2O/kg dry air. Estimate the
rate of drying for the constant-rate period.

Sample Problems

A batch of wet solid whose drying-rate curve

represented by Fig. 9.5-1b is to be dried from a free
moisture content of X1 = 0.38 kg H2O/kg dry solid
to X2 = 0.04 kg H2O/kg dry solid. The weight of
the dry solid is Ls = 399 kg dry solid and A = 18.58
m2 of top drying surface. Calculate the time for
drying.

Continuous drying
Q
Gas, G
TG1, H1

Gas, G
TGs2, H2

Drier
Dried solid
Ls, Ts2, X2

Wet solid
Ls, Ts1, X1
Material balance on moisture:

G (H1 H2) = LS (X1 X2)

Continuous drying
Heat balance:
Enthalpy of gas:

datum = T0oC
HG = CS (TG T0) + H0

If T0 = 0oC, 0 = 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

Heat balance on the dryer:

GHG2 + LS HS1 = G HG1 + LS HS2 + Q

Air Recirculation in Driers

H6 = H5 = H2
G1 H1 + G6H2 = (G1 + G6)H4
(G1 + G6)H4 + LSX1 = (G1 + G6)H2 +LSX2

Drying
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