Activity No.

2: Drying
ChE35L - A2
July 12, 2019

Submitted by: Group 1

Judy Marish F. Tambot, 20140004053 (Main Writer)

Daniel Joshua E. Beja, 20150007045

Jason C. Petre, 20150008298

Chiara Bernadeth P. Patriana, 20140005483

Submitted to: Dr. Shierlyn S. Paclijan

Date of Submission: July 15, 2019

Abstract

Drying is a mass transfer process that uses heat to remove a liquid, usually water, from a material
that contains the liquid. The experiment is done to determine the rate of drying and to construct a
graph of its drying curve under constant drying conditions. A mixture of sand and water is uniformly
distributed in a tray so that the top surface is exposed to drying air stream under constant
temperature. The drying rate is mostly dependent on the rate of heat transfer to the material being
dried. The resulting drying rate curve shows the constant and falling-rate period where the resulting
drying rate values varies until the sample reaches zero free moisture content.

I. Introduction

Drying is an essential unit operation used in various process industries. It is generally

defined as the separation of volatile liquids from solid materials by vaporizing the liquid and
removing the vapor. The liquid that is to be removed is usually water, but it could also be a
solvent such as alcohol or acetone, or a mixture of such solvents. This experiment focuses
on determining the rate of drying with the use of tray dryer and sand as the drying material.
Tray dryer operates by passing hot air over the surface of a wet solid that is spread over
trays arranged in racks. 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.

II. Theoretical Background

Drying may be defined as the vaporization and removal of water or other liquids from a
solution, suspension, or other solid-liquid mixture to form a dry solid. It is a complicated
process that involves simultaneous heat and mass transfer, accompanied by
physicochemical transformations. Heat transfer and mass transfer are critical aspects in
drying processes. The drying rate is determined by the set of factors that affect heat and
mass transfer. [1]

In drying, the rate of removal of water depends on the conditions of the air, the properties
of the drying material and the design of the dryer. Drying rates vary throughout the dryer
with time as drying proceeds and also with the changing moisture content of the material. [2]

For constant-drying conditions, W or the total weight of the wet solid (dry solid plus
moisture) is usually obtained at different time intervals. Ws or the weight of the dry solid is
also determined. The equation for calculating the free moisture content in each time t is as
follows:

𝑊 − 𝑊𝑠 𝑘𝑔 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
𝑋𝑡 =
𝑊𝑠 𝑘𝑔 𝑑𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑

The free moisture content X is calculated using the equation:

 𝑿=𝑿𝒕−𝑿∗

where

X is in 𝑘𝑔 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑘𝑔 𝑑𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑,

Xt in 𝑘𝑔 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑘𝑔 𝑑𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑, and

X* in 𝑘𝑔 𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑢𝑚 𝑚𝑜𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑘𝑔 𝑑𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑.

Using the equations stated above, a plot of free moisture and content X versus time t in h
can be made.

Figure 1. Plot of free moisture vs time

The rate of drying is calculated using the equation:

𝑳𝒔 𝒅𝒙
𝑹= −
𝑨 𝒅𝒕
Where R is the rate of drying in kg/m3, Ls is the mass of dry solid in kg of dry solid used and
A is the exposed surface area for drying in m2.

Another equation is used in calculating the rate of drying. It can be expressed in terms of
weight loss ΔX for a Δt time, which is presented as follows:

𝑳𝒔 𝑿𝟐 − 𝑿𝟏
𝑹= −
𝑨 𝒕𝟐 − 𝒕𝟏
Where X2 is moisture content at t2 and X1 is moisture content at t1.

The plot showing the rate-of-drying curve for constant drying conditions is shown below: [3]

Figure 2. Rate of drying curve vs free moisture content

III. Procedure

500 grams of dry sand is weighed on a pre-weighed dry tray and 50 mL of water is added to
the sand. It is then mix thoroughly to evenly distribute the water on the sand. After that, the
water-sand mixture is evenly spread on the tray. The trays with the water-sand mixture are
weighed and recorded. Three (3) trials are made. The oven dryer’s temperature is set to 110
°C and the trays are place inside of it. The mixture is heated at a 5-minute interval until there
are no changes in the weight of the trays. Every after interval, the trays are weighed and
recorded. Figure 3. shows a schematic diagram of drying for easier reference.

Weigh 500 g of dry sand

Add 50 ml of water to dry sand

Spread wet sand evenly on the tray

Weigh wet sand

Set temperature of oven dryer to 110°C

Put trays inside the oven dryer

Heat water-sand mixture at 5 minutes

interval

Weigh water-sand mixture after every 5-

minute interval until no changes in the
weight is recorded

Figure 3. The schematic diagram for drying

IV. Results

Table 1. Tray 1 (A)

Time (mins) Wt. of Sand (Kg) Moisture Content Free Moisture Rate of Drying (R)
(XT) Content (X)
0 0.547 0.133 0.133 0
5 0.527 0.091 0.091 0.000207
10 0.510 0.056 0.056 0.000169
15 0.496 0.027 0.027 0.000140
20 0.489 0.012 0.012 0.0000725
25 0.484 0.002 0.002 0.0000483
30 0.483 0 0 0.00000966
35 0.483 0 0 0

Table 2. Tray 2 (B)

Time (mins) Wt. of Sand (Kg) Moisture Content Free Moisture Rate of Drying (R)
(XT) Content (X)
0 0.549 0.120 0.120 0
5 0.536 0.094 0.094 0.000127
10 0.524 0.069 0.069 0.000123
15 0.514 0.049 0.049 0.0000980
20 0.502 0.024 0.024 0.000123
25 0.496 0.012 0.012 0.0000588
30 0.490 0 0 0.0000588
35 0.490 0 0 0

Table 3. Tray 3 (C)

Time (mins) Wt. of Sand (Kg) Moisture Content Free Moisture Rate of Drying (R)
(XT) Content (X)
0 0.547 0.126 0.126 0
5 0.526 0.082 0.082 0.000214
10 0.509 0.047 0.047 0.000170
15 0.498 0.025 0.025 0.000107
20 0.490 0.008 0.008 0.0000826
25 0.488 0.004 0.004 0.0000194
30 0.486 0 0 0.0000194
35 0.486 0 0 0
V. Discussion

In Graph 1, the mixture had an average moisture content of 12.63%. As heat was applied,
the moisture content decreased with respect to time. Throughout the drying process, the
water mixed with the sand was removed as shown in the graph below. Small amounts of
moisture is continually removed until no moisture is present like at t = 30 min since the
operating temperature is at 110°C which is higher than the boiling point of water. The
temperature will drive the removal of moisture.

Graph 1 shows the decrease in moisture in the sand as time passes by.

A drying rate curve is shown in Graph 2. Initially, it shows the starting moisture content of the
water-sand mixture. Point A to point B shows the increase of the drying rate. At this interval,
the sand starts to increase in temperature as heat is transferred from the hot air. At point B
to point E, a continuous decrease of the drying rate is shown. At this interval, the surface
moisture has evaporated. The moist surface area has become smaller which caused the
drying rate to fall in a manner shown in the graph. From point E to H, the drying rate falls
even more until it reached 0% moisture content. Since the surface moisture has evaporated,
in this interval, the drying rate depends on the moisture transfer through the sand layer.

Graph 2. shows drying rate curve of sans-water mixture.

Generally, the drying rate curve shows the constant drying-rate period and falling-rate
period, however, graph 2 does not show the constant drying-rate period. The curve depends
on what type of material is being dried. In some cases, the drying rate curve may only be
composed of a falling-rate period like graph 2 (Geankoplis, 2003).

A mass balance around the dryer is perfomed. The sad with 12.63 wt% of water is fed into
the dryer. With the dried sand with 0 wt% of water, the amount of water evaporated during
the drying process is 69.21 g while the dried sand amounts to 486.33 g. Note that the
moisture content are the average of the three trials done during experiment.

Water g, V

F=548 g sand- Dried

water mixture sand, P
12.63 wt% DRYER 0 wt%
water water

Figure 4. Block flow diagram of drying sand

To calculate the heat transfer from air to the sand, a specific heat capacity of 0.290 J/g·°C
for sand is used. The amount of heat transfer is 13, 667.12 J. In this case, the sand absorbs
the heat while the hot air losses its heat with an equal amount of that.

VI. Conclusion and Recommendations

First, the Top loading balance should be nearer to the oven so that when its time to weigh the mass
the samples will have less exposure from the environment which may increase or vary the moisture
content of the samples. The sand to be used should be fine or doesn’t have impurities such as wood
and stones. The presence of stones and other particles alters the rate of drying since those things
might affect the mixture of the sand and water and the surface area where drying occurs.

VII. Literature Cited

Chemengonline.com. (2019). Solids Drying: Basics and Applications - Chemical Engineering.

https://www.chemengonline.com/solids-drying-basics-and-applications/?printmode=1.
Accessed 15 Jul. 2019.

Perry, R. H. (1984). "Fluid and Particle Dynamics,". In D. W. Green (Ed.), Perry's Chemical Engineers'
Handbook, 8th ed. New York City: McGraw-Hill
Geankoplis, C. J. (2003). Principles of Transport Porcesses and Separation Processes. 4th Ed. Pearson
Education Inc.

Appendices

I. Raw Data

Tray 1 (A) = 292 g

Tray 2 (B) = 293 g
Tray 3 (C) = 292 g

Total Surface Area = 20 m2

Water Added per Tray = 50 mL

II. Drying Data

Table 4. Raw Drying Data

Time (minutes) Tray 1 (A, grams) Tray 2 (B, grams) Tray 3 (C, grams)

0 839 842 839

5 819 829 818

10 802 817 801

15 788 807 790

20 781 795 782

25 776 788 780

30 775 783 778

35 775 783 778

III. Sample Calculations

- For Table 1. Tray 1 weight of Sand

1𝑘𝑔
𝑊𝑡. 𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝑎𝑛𝑑 = (839𝑔 − 292𝑔)( )
1000𝑔

𝑊𝑡. 𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝑎𝑛𝑑 = 0.547 𝑘𝑔

- For Table 1. Moisture Content, XT

0.547 − 0.483
𝑋𝑇 =
0.483
 𝑘𝑔 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
𝑋𝑇 = 0.133
𝑘𝑔 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑠

- For Table 1. Free Moisture Content, X

 Assume equilibrium moisture X*= 0

𝑋 = 𝑋𝑇 − 𝑋 ∗

𝑋 = 0.133 − 0

𝑘𝑔 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
𝑋 = 0.133
𝑘𝑔 𝑑𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑𝑠

- For Table 1. Rate of Drying, R

𝐿𝑠 𝑋2 − 𝑋1
𝑅= − ( )
𝐴 𝑡2 − 𝑡1

0.483 0.091 − 0.133

𝑅= − ( )
20 5−0

𝑘𝑔 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
𝑅 = 0.000203
𝑚2 𝑚𝑖𝑛

IV. Material Balance Solution

- OMB

F = V+P

548 g = V + P

- Water Balance

F𝑥1 = V

(548)(0.1263) = V

V = 69.21

- Solving for P
 548 g = 69.21 + P

P = 478.79 g

V. Heat Transfer Calculation

q = m𝐶𝑝 ∆𝑇

𝐽
q = (548g)(0.290 )(110.24℃)
𝑔℃

q = 13,667.12 J