used class of continuous dryers in process industries. These dryers are suitable for
relatively free-flowing, non-sticky and granular materials; for example, almost all types
of crystals after crystallization and washing. Typical applications of rotary dryers are in
drying o table salt, sodium sulphate, ammonium sulphate, and many other salts, drying
of sand, minerals, organic solids, polymer resin beads, to mention a few. A rotary dryer
consists of a slowly rotating slightly inclined cylindrical shell fed with the moist solid at
the upper end. The material flows along the rotating shell, gets dried and leaves the
dryer at the lower end.
Solution:
Basis of calculation is 1 hour operation.
Mass of dry solid, LS = (1500) x (1 – 0.2) = 1200 kg/h; moisture in the wet solid
We assume that the exit temperature of the gas is T G1 = 60°C and that of the solid is T S2
= 100°C. These values are to be checked later on.
Humid volume of the inlet gas (135°C, Y2 = 0.015), VH2 = 1.183 m3/kg dry air
Humid volume of the exit gas (60°C, Y1 = 0.04306), VH1 = 1.008 m3/kg dry air
The maximum volumetric gas flow rate (this occurs at the end 2 in figure 1) = G S x VH2
Take the maximum superficial air velocity to be 1.2 m/s (this is 20% less than the
maximum allowable velocity since part of the dryer is filled with the moving solid, and
the entire cross-section is not available for gas flow). If d is the diameter,
The dryer is considered to consist of three zones as shown in figure 1. The temperature
and humidity or moisture content of the streams can be obtained by material and energy
balance.
Zone III: Only heating of the solid occurs in this zone; there is little water left for
vaporization. At the boundary between zones III and II, the solid is at T SB (= TSA) = 41°C
(this value is to be checked and modified later if necessary).
Humid heat of the gas entering zone III, c HB = [1.005 + (1.88) x (0.015)] = 1.033 kJ/kg.K
(this remains constant in zone III, since the humidity does not change in this section).
Heat balance over zone III: LS (H’S2 – H’SB) = GS (cHB)III (TG2 - TGB)
At the boundary B, ∆TB = 129 – 41 = 88°C, at end 2, ∆T2 = 135 – 100 = 35°C
Log mean temperature in zone III (∆T)m = (88 – 35)/[ln(88 – 35)] = 57.5°C
Number of heat transfer units, (NtG)III = (T2 – TGB)/(∆T)m = (135 – 129)/57.5 = 0.104
Zone II: In order to calculate (NtG)II, we need the value of TGA. This can be obtained by
heat balance.
H’GB = [1.005 + 1.88 x YB] x (129 – 0) + 2500 x YB = 170.8 kJ/kg. (since YB = 0.015)
H’SA = [0.85 + cPS x X1] x (TSA – 0) = [0.85 + 4.187 x 0.25] x (41 – 0) = 77.77 kJ/kg dry
solid
H’GA = 175.6 = [1.005 + 0.04306 x 1.88] x (TGA – 0) + 0.04306 x 2500 = TGA = 63°C
Number of heat transfer units, (NtG)II = (TGB - TGA)/(∆T)m = (129 – 63)/47.6 = 1.386
Before calculating (NtG)I, let us check the validity of the assumed value of the exit gas
temperature, TG1 = 60°C, by making an energy balance over zone I.
Number of heat transfer units, (NtG)I = (TGA – TG1)/(∆T)m = (63 – 60)/27.5 = 0.109
Total number of heat transfer units N tG = 0.104 + 1.386 + 0.109 = 1.53 (this lies within
the usual range).
Ua = 115 W/m3 K
Average humid heat, cH = (1.033 + 1.083)/2 = 1.058 kJ/kg K = 1058 J/kg dry air.K