DRYERS AND DRYING

1. Tobacco in a warehouse, held at 30 C and 40% relative humidity, is placed in a room at 32 C and 70%
relative humidity preparatory to being worked on. For each 50 kg of tobacco moved from the
warehouse, what is the bone-dry weight? What is the actual weight of this quantity of tobacco after
staying in the working room?

Solution:
m1 = 50 kg
For tobacco at 40% RH
Regain1 = 13.30%

at 70% RH
Regain 2 = 25.00%

m1 − Bdw
(a) Bdw =
Regain1
0.1330Bdw = 50 − Bdw
Bdw = 44.13 kg

(b) m 2 = actual weight

m2 = (Regain2 )(Bdw ) + Bdw = (0.25)(44.13) + 44.13 = 55.16 kg

2. Air enters an adiabatic drier at 6 m/s through a 2-m diameter duct at 29 C dry bulb and 22 C wet
bulb temperatures. It is heated to 80 C before reaching the material to be dried and leaves the drier
at 44 C and 80% RH. The material enters the drier with a moisture content of 24%, and leaves with a
moisture content of 8%. Determine (a) the mass of water removed per kg of dry air, (b) the volume
flow of air entering the reheater, (c) the kg of water evaporated per second, (d) the mass flow rate
of material leaving the drier, and (e) the heat requirement of drier per kg of water evaporated.

Solution:

1
 DRYERS AND DRYING

at 1, t db1 = 29 C , t wb1 = 22 C
h1 = 64.2 kJ kg
W1 = 0.0138 kg kg
v1 = 0.874 m 3 kg

at 2, t db 2 = 80 C , W2 = W1 = 0.0138 kg kg
hg 2 = 2643.7 kJ kg

h2 = c p t db2 +W2 hg 2 = (1.0062)(80) + (0.0138)(2643.7 ) = 116.98 kJ kg

at 3, t db3 = 44 C , φ3 = 80% RH

pd3 = 9.151 kPa

ps 3 = φ3 pd 3 = (0.80 )(9.151) = 7.321 kPa

0.622p s3 0.622(7.321)
W3 = = = 0.0484 kg kg
pt − p s3 101.325 − 7.321

(a) Mass of water removed per kg dry air = W3 − W2 = 0.0484 − 0.0138 = 0.0346 kg kg

π
(b) Volume flow rate of air entering the reheater = V&1 = (2 )2 (6) = 18.85 m 3 s
4

V&1
& a (W3 − W2 ) =
(c) Mass of water evaporated = m (W3 − W2 ) = 18.85 (0.0346 ) = 0.746 kg s
v1 0.875

&5
(d) Mass flow rate of material leaving the dryer = m
m& 5 (1 − 0.08) = m
& 4 (1 − 0.24)
m& 4 = 1.21m &5

but m & 4 −m
&5 =m & a (W3 − W2 )
1.21m & 5 −m
& 5 = 0.746
m& 5 = 3.552 kg s

(e) Heat requirement per kg of water evaporated.

m& (h − h ) h − h1 116.98 − 64.2
= a 2 1 = 2 = = 1525 kJ kg water
& a (W3 − W2 ) W3 − W2
m 0.0346

2
 DRYERS AND DRYING

3. A drier is to be designed to reduce the water content of a certain material from 55% to 10%. Air at
29 C dry bulb temperature and with a humidity ratio of 0.005 kg/kg is heated to 50 C in a reheater
before entering the drier. The air leaves the drier at 38 C with 70% relative humidity. On the basis of
1000 kg of product per hour, calculate (a) the volume flow rate of air entering the reheater, and (b)
the heat supplied in the reheater.

Solution:

At 1, tdb1 = 29 C , W1 = 0.005 kg kg
h1 = 42 kJ kg
v1 = 0.862 m 3 kg

at 2, t db2 = 50 C , W2 = W1 = 0.005 kg kg
h2 = 63.5 kJ kg

at 3, t db3 = 38 C , φ3 = 70% RH
W3 = 0.0298 kg kg

& 5 (1 − 0.10) = m
m & 4 (1 − 0.55)
& 5 = 1000 kg hr
m

1000(1 − 0.10)
&4 =
m = 2000 kg hr
1 − 0.55

&4 −m
m &5 2000 − 1000  1 hr 
&a =
m = = (40,323 kg hr )  = 11.2 kg s

W3 − W2 0.0298 − 0.005  3600 s 

3
 DRYERS AND DRYING

(a) Volume flow rate of air entering the reheater = V&1 = m & a v1 = (11.2)(0.862) = 9.65 m 3 s
(b) Heat supplied in the reheater = = m& a (h2 − h1 ) = 11.2(63.5 − 42) = 240.8 kW

4. A dryer is to deliver 1000 kg/hr of palay with final moisture content in the feed is 15% at
atmospheric condition with 32 C dry bulb and 21 C wet bulb. The dryer is maintained at 45 C while
the relative humidity of the hot humid air from the dryer is 80%. If the steam pressure supplied to
the heater is 2 MPa, determine the following:
(a) Palay supplied to the dryer in kg/h.
(b) Temperature of the hot humid air from the dryer in C.
(c) Air supplied to dryer in cu m/h.
(d) Heat supplied by the heater in kW.
(e) Steam supplied to heater in kg/h.

Solution:

at 1, t db1 = 32 C , t wb1 = 21 C
h1 = 60.6 kJ kg
W1 = 0.0112 kg kg

at 2, t db2 = 45 C , W2 = W1 = 0.0112 kg kg
h2 = 74.9 kJ kg
v 2 = 0.917 m 3 kg

at 3, t db3 = 45 C , φ 2 = 80% RH
p d 3 = 9 .593 kPa
p s3 = φ3 pd3 = (0.80)(9.593) = 7.674 kPa

4
 DRYERS AND DRYING

0.622p s3 0.622(7.674)
W3 = = = 0.0510 kg kg
pt − p s3 101.325 − 7.674
hg 3 = 2583.2 kJ kg
h3 = c p t db3 + W3 hg 3 = (1.0062 )(45) + (0.0510)(2583.2) = 177 kJ kg

(a) Palay supplied to the dryer in kg/hr

& (1 − 0.10) 1000(1 − 0.10)
m
=m &4 = 5 = = 1058.8 kg hr
1 − 0.15 1 − 0.15

(b) Temperature of the humid air from the dryer = t db3 = t dryer = 45 C .

(c) Air supplied to dryer = V&2 = m

& av 2

& 4 −m
m &5 1058.8 − 1000
&a =
m = = 1477.4 kg hr
W3 − W2 0.0510 − 0.0112
V&2 = m
& a v 2 = (1477.4 )(0.917 ) = 1354.8 m 3 h

(d) Heat supplied to heater in kW

& a (h2 − h1 ) = 
1477.4 
=m (74.9 − 60.6 ) = 5.87 kW
 3600 

& s h fg = 5.87 kW
(e) m
& s (1890.7 ) = (5.87 )(3600)
m
& s = 11.18 kg hr
m