This paper presents a numerical model of drying in pneumatic conveying systems that may be implemented using a simple spreadsheet package. The model has been tested in both a laboratory and an industrial situation and found to closely predict the drying rate in an alumina pneumatic conveyor. This paper differs from previous work in the field in that, while previous papers are largely theoretical and tend to be highly mathematical (which would discourage the average plant engineer), this paper offers an easily understood, practical, ready-to-use model that does not assume advanced mathematical abilities and needs only readily determined solid properties and the gas and solids flow rates to be inserted to obtain a reliable prediction of drying performance. In this model, the particles are depicted as spheres, with an enhanced surface area, while the pore structure is simplified to allow the dominant evaporation mechanism to be readily identified at all points within the duct.
[1]
Y. R. Mayhew,et al.
Thermodynamic and transport properties of fluids
,
1967
.
[2]
D. Pei,et al.
A mathematical analysis of pneumatic drying of grains—I. Constant drying rate
,
1984
.
[3]
O. W. Eshbach,et al.
Handbook of Engineering Fundamentals
,
1937,
Nature.
[4]
Bruce D. Bowen,et al.
Drag force on isolated axisymmetric particles in stokes flow
,
1973
.
[5]
Robert E. Wilson,et al.
Fundamentals of momentum, heat, and mass transfer
,
1969
.
[6]
P. J. Schneider,et al.
Conduction heat transfer
,
1974
.
[7]
R. B. Keey,et al.
Drying of Loose and Particulate Materials
,
1992
.
[8]
Werner Alexander Stein.
Berechnung der Trocknung feuchter Produkte im Stromtrockner
,
1973
.