Problem 4

A counterflow tunnel dryer is to be used to provide 227 kg/h product with a 1 percent
moisture content. The wet feed entering the dryer at 15°C contains 1.5 kg of water/kg of dry product.
The dry bulk density is 560 kg/m 3. The specific heat of the dry material is 1.25 kJ/kg·K. Tests show
that the critical moisture content of the material is about 0.4 kg of water/kg dry product. The inlet air
to the dryer has a temperature of 149°C, and the dried product leaves the dryer at 143°C. Since fresh
air will be combined with recirculated air, the entering air will enter with moisture content of 0.03 kg
water/kg dry air. The air will leave the dryer at 60°C. The maximum mass velocity of air that can be
used with the solids being dried is 2.71 kg/s·m 2. Estimate the number of transfer units that will be
required for the constant-rate section and the falling-rate section of the dryer. What is the length of the
dryer if the length of a transfer unit, in meters, under these conditions is obtained from the empirical
relation:

Length of transfer unit = 12.11 ttsG0.2

Where tts is the spacing between drying tray (assumed in this case to be 0.0381m) and G the mass
velocity of the air in kg/s·m2.

Given:

H2 = 0.03 kg water/kg DA
T2 = 149 °C
G = 2.71 kg/m2.s
T1 = 60 °C HEATER Fresh air

POINT 1 POINT 2
TUNNEL DRYER
S2 =227 kg/hr
X2 = 1%
X1 = 1.5 kg water/kg prod Cp = 1.25 kJ/kg.K
Xc = 0.4 kg water/kg dp T2 = 143 °C

Where: x1, x2 = moisture content at points 1 and 2

xc = critical moisture content

S = solids

cp = specific heat capacity of material

H = humidity

T = temperature
 G = Mass velocity

Required:

1. Estimate the number of transfer units that will be required for the constant rate section and the
falling rate sections of the dryer.
2. Estimate the length of the dryer in meters using the empirical relation:
Length of transfer unit = 12.11 ttsG0.2
Where tts is the spacing between drying tray (assumed in this case to be 0.0381m) and G the
mass velocity of the air in kg/s·m2.

Solution:

Since the mass velocity for the drying air is already given, the length of the transfer units can
be readily solved using the given relationship in the problem:
Length of transfer unit = 12.11 ttsG0.2 [EQN 1]
2 0.2
Length of transfer unit = 12.11 (0.0381m)(2.71 kg/m .s)
Length of transfer unit = 0.563 m

In a dryer, heat must be applied to accomplish the following heat transfer: heating of solids to
their final temperature, heating of the feed (solids and liquid) to the vaporization temperature,
vaporizing the liquid, and heating the vapor to its final temperature. The quantity of heat transferred
per unit mass of solid is given by [EQN 2] [ CITATION War93 \l 1033 ].
qt
=c ps ( T sb−T sa ) + X a c pL ( T v −T sa ) + X b c pL ( T sb−T v ) + ( X a−X b ) λ+( X a− X b) c pv (T va−T v )
ms
[EQN 2]

Where

Xa, Xb= Initial and final liquid content of solid

TSA= Feed temperature

Tsb= Final solid temperature

Tv= vaporization temperature

ʎ= heat of vaporization

Cps, Cpl, Cpv= specific heats of solid, liquid, and vapor respectively
The vaporization temperature of the liquid water is taken to be at 100°C and from the steam table, the
data were obtained to calculate the heat of vaporization.

kJ kJ
H L=419 ∧H v =2676
kg kg

kJ kJ
c pL =4.186 ∧c pv =1.884
kg∗K kg∗K

λ=H v −H L λ=2676−419

kJ
λ=2257
kg

Substituting the given and calculated values to [EQN 2], the total heat transfer in the dryer is
calculated as:

qt kJ kJ kJ
=1.25 ( 143 ℃−15 ℃ ) +1.5∗4.186 ( 100 ℃−15 ℃ ) +0.01∗4.186 ( 143 ℃−100 ℃
kg kg∗K kg∗K kg∗K
227
h

kJ
q t=895,778
hr

In an adiabatic dryer, no heat is lost, solids are dried by direct contact of gas and uses sensible
heat of the fluid that contacts the solid to provide the heat of vaporization of the liquid. [EQN 3] from
McCabe et al., 1993 shows the heat transfer to the solid that comes from the gas.

q T =m a ¿ [EQN 3]

Where

ma= mass rate of dry air

Hb,in= Humidity of air at inlet

Csb= Humid heat of air at inlet humidity, can be calculated using [EQN 4] from Geankoplis 2012

c sb =1.005+ 1.88 H b [EQN 4]

c sb =1.005+ 1.88 ( 0.03 )

kJ
c sb =1.06
kg dry air
Substituting the calculated humid heat to [EQN 3], the mass of dry air is computed as,

kJ
895,778 =ma ( 1+0.03 ) ( 1.06 ) (149 ℃ −60℃ )
hr

kg dry air
m a=9218.65
hr

The water removed from the solid during drying is

kg kg water
mw =ms ( X a−X b )m w =227 ( 1.5−0.01 )m w =338.23
hr hr

by mass balance, the humidity of the outlet air is,

H b , out =H kg water 338.23 kg water kg water

b ,∈¿+
ms ( X a−X b ) H b , out =0.03 + H b , out =0.067
ma
¿
kg dry air 9218.65 kg dry air kg dry air

Using the calculated Hb,out and Tha, the wet bulb temperature can be obtained from the psychometric
chart, fig.9.2, with a value of 113°F=45°C.
 In order to calculate for the heat required for the constant rate section, the heat balance is used along
with the given in the equation assuming Tcr = 135°C,
qcr
=c ps ( T sb −T sa ) + X a c ps ( T v −T sa ) + X c c pL ( T sb−T v ) + ( X a −X c ) λ+ ( X a−X b ) c pv ( T crp−T v )
ms

q cr kJ kJ kJ
=1.25 ( 143℃ −15 ℃ )+ 1.5∗4.186 ( 100℃ −15℃ )+ 0.4∗4.186 ( 143 ℃−100 ℃ ) + ( 1.
227 kg∗K kg∗K kg∗K

kJ
q cr =759172.03
hr

To verify whether the assumed value for Tcr is correct, the following equation is used:

qcr 759172
T crp ,out =T ha + ( T hb−T ha ) ( )
qt
T crp ,out =60+ ( 149−60 ) ( T
895778 crp ,out )
=135.43℃

The calculated value of T cr is close to the assumed value therefore the value for the calculated heat
requirement using the assumed Tcr is accepted. The number of transfer units for the falling rate period is
defined by [EQN 5] of McCabe et al., 1993 and [EQN 6] for constant rate period given below:

T hb−T wb 135.43−45
N tf =ln [EQN 5] N tf =ln N tf =1.80
T ha−T wb 60−45

T hb−T ha
N tr = [EQN 6]
∆TL

( T hb−T wb ) −( T ha−T wa ) ( 149−143 )−(135.43−47)

∆ T L= ∆ T L= =31.12
T hb−T wb 149−143
ln ln
T ha−T wa 135−47

149−135.43
N tr = =0.44
30.53

N t =N tf + N tr N t =1.80+0.44=2.24∨2.3

Multiplying the number of transfer units to the distance of each transfer unit gives the total length of the
dryer as presented below:

Lt =L N t Lt =0.563 ( 2.3 )=1. 295 m≈ 1.5 m

Therefore, the total length of the tunnel dryer is taken to be 1.295 m and rounding off to 1.5 m for
overdesign.
Specification sheet for Tunnel Dryer:

EQUIPMENT NUMBER : DR 101

NAME : Tunnel Dryer
General
Data
Service : Drying
Type : Countercurrent

Process
Conditions
Stream Details Air inflow Air Outflow Solids inflow Solids outflow
Temp. [oC] : 149 : 60 : 15 : 143
Mass Flow [kg/h] : 9219 : : : 227
Moisture content [%] : : : 30 : 1
Humidity[kgW/kgDA] : 0.03 : 0.067 : :
Material of construction: Carbon steel
Length of Tunnel Dryer [m] : 1.5

References:

McCabe, Smith, & Harriott, 1993

Geankoplis 2012

Walas. 1988