ANSWERS

1. Wet towels at the Biltmore Hotel are dried in a continuous dryer after washing for
use by hotel guests. The towels contain 45% water (by mass) when they enter the
dryer and 3% water (by mass) when they exit the dryer. The slightly damp towels (3%
water) exit the dryer at a rate of 850 kg/day. Hot, perfectly dry air (115°F, 1 atm)
is also fed into the dryer. When the air leaves the dryer is has cooled to 100°F (1 atm
still) and has a relative humidity of 55%.

Determine the volumetric flowrate of air (m3/day) entering the dryer.

Determine the mass flowrate of towels (kg/day) entering the dryer.

ANSWER:

Step 1:
Let the basis of the calculation for the given process be 850 kg/day of the dry towels. Water
is represented by ‘W’ and Solids by ‘S’. The schematic flow diagram for the given process of
drying is shown below:

Wet towel, m1 kg/day dry towels m3= 850 kg/day

0.45 kg w/kg 0.33 kg w/kg

0.55 kg s/kg Dryer 0.97 kg s/kg

Dry air, m2 kg/day wet air,m4 kg/day

T2 =115 F=319.26 K T4=100 F= 310.98k=37.8 C

P2= 1atm =760 mm hg p4=1 atm = 760 mmhg

Hr = 55%

Step 2:
It is given that the relative humidity of the exit wet air (stream 4) is 55%. At 100°F, the vapor
pressure of water from steam table is 49.157 mmHg. The partial pressure of water in the exit
wet air is calculated as:

Hr = 100xp4(w)/p*w

55 = 100x p4(w)/49.157 mmHg

P4(w) = 27.036 mmHg
Step 3:
Now, the mole fraction of water in the stream 4 is calculated from

Y4(w) = p4(w)/p4

= 27.036 mmHg/760 mmHg

= 0.036
 2. A small steam superheater will be made of 0.75-in. schedule 80 stainless steel pipe
which will be exposed to hot flue gas from a boiler. 50 lbm/h of saturated steam at
320F will enter the pipe and be heated to 380F. Assuming that the pipe wall
temperature will vary from 375F at the steam inlet to 415F at the outlet, calculate the
length of pipe required for the superheater.

Step 1:
The following conditions are given in the question:

Step 2:

The average bulk fluid temperature and wall temperature is calculated as below

Step 3 :Properties of saturated steam can be obtaine.

 3. A small steam superheater will be made of 0.75-in. schedule 80 stainless steel pipe
which will be exposed to hot flue gas from a boiler. 50 lbm/h of saturated steam at
320F will enter the pipe and be heated to 380F. Assuming that the pipe wall
temperature will vary from 375F at the steam inlet to 415F at the outlet, calculate the
length of pipe required for the superheater

Step 1
The following conditions are given in the question:

Step 2
The average bulk fluid temperature and wall temperature is calculated as below

Step :
Properties of saturated steam can be obtaine...