1.

Introduction
Drying is the removal of moisture (either water or other volatile compounds) from
solids, solutions, slurries, and pastes to give solid products. In the feed to a dryer, moisture
may be embedded in a wet solid, a liquid on a solid surface, or a solution in which a solid is
dissolved. Drying is frequently practiced in many industrial operations, particularly in the
chemical industry. For instance, sugar crystals are dried before packaging, soaps are dried
before marketing, and the drying of leather under controlled conditions is an important step in
the leather processing. During drying the material to be dried is brought into contact with a
hot gas in which the partial pressure of the liquid is less than the equilibrium value
corresponding to the liquid in the material to be dried. The hot gas serves dual purpose: on
one hand it provides the energy required for the drying and, on the other hand, it carries away
the evaporated liquid. Drying may be carried out under different conditions depending upon
the requirement of the situation.
Thus, heat sensitive materials are dried under vacuum, direct contact of the material to
be dried, and the hot gases are to be avoided if there are chances of overheating or
contamination. Drying does not include the removal of moisture by mechanical means such
as filtration, centrifuging, etc. or by boiling a solution in the absence of a gas. In most cases
generally encountered in practice, the liquid is water and the gas is air. Our discussion will
therefore be limited to this combination.
Drying of solids is considered to occur in two stages, a constant rate period followed by
a falling rate period. In constant rate period the rate of drying corresponding to the removal of
water from surface of solids. The falling rate period corresponds to removal of water from the
interior of solids. The rate is dependent on:
a) Flow rate of air
b) Solid characteristics
c) Tray material

Hot Air Drying Chamber Cold Air

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 Figure 1 Change in the moisture content of solid in batch drying

This curve can be directly used for determining the time required for drying larger
batches under the same drying conditions. However, it is convenient to convert this curve into
drying rate curve by plotting drying rate (mass per unit time per unit area) against moisture
content and then developing appropriate equations for drying rate. A typical drying rate curve
is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 A typical drying rate curve

( ) = (kg moisture/kg dry solid)-------------------------- (1)

Where,
W= weight of solids (with water)
S = weight if solids (dry)

2
() = (m3/s) --------------------------------------------- (2)
2 2

2
 Where,
Cd = discharge coefficient
ap = Area of pipe (m2)
ao = Area of orifice (m2)
g = acceleration due to gravity (m/s2)

2. Objective
i) To study the drying characteristics of a solid under forced draft condition.
ii) To determine the rate of drying under different conditions of temperature and air flow,
to calculate the critical moisture content.
iii) To correlate the constant drying rate with air mass velocity.

3. Apparatus Description
The set-up consists of an insulated double wall chamber. Inside the chamber a tray is
attached directly to an electronic weighing balance, which is fitted on the bottom, outside the
chamber. Material for drying is placed in the tray and regular loss of weight is monitored. Air
from a blower passes through a heating chamber and is used as drying agent. Arrangement is
done to vary the airflow rate.
Digital
Weighing
Machine
Air Out
Air In

Manometer

Blower
Butterfly
Valve

Figure 3 Forced Draft Tray Dryer (Experimental Apparatus)

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4. Procedure
4.1 Start-up
1. Make sure apparatus is clean and turned off.
2. Load the pre-weighted tray with solid and place it over the balance in the drying chamber.
3. Record the weight of the sample & tray.
4. Turn on the apparatus.

4.2 Experimental Procedure

5. Start the blower and fix the air flow using butterfly valve in the bottom and the inlet
temperature.
6. When the desired conditions of temperature and air velocity are reached, remove the
sample tray and put known amount of water for initial moisture content.
7. Keep the tray gently in dying chamber and start the stop watch.
8. Record the balance reading with time at about 5 min intervals.
9. Repeat same steps for different inlet temperatures and air flow rates.

4.3 End Procedure

10. Clean the apparatus after the experiment.
11. Turn off the apparatus and remove the plug.

5. Observation & Analysis

The sample used in the experiment was coconut shredding.

Weight of solid (S) = 15 g

Amount of water (n) = 1.5 g
Weight of solid (W) = 16.5 g
Area of tray (A) = 0.0176 m2
Diameter of orifice = 0.026 m
Diameter of pipe = 0.052 m
Density of water = 1000 kg/m3
Density of air = 1.21 kg/m3

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Table 1 Observation table at 50 C (Fully Open)

S.No t(min) W(g) h1(cm) h2(cm) h T1(C) T2(C) X

1 0 16.5 21.5 9.5 12 46.2 47.7 0.100
2 5 16.25 21.5 9.5 12 46 47.3 0.083
3 10 15.75 21.5 9.5 12 45.9 46.9 0.050
4 15 15.25 21.5 9.5 12 45.8 47.1 0.017
5 20 15 21.5 9.5 12 45.4 47 0.000

Table 2 Observation table at 50 C (Partially Open)

S.No t(min) W(g) h1(cm) h2(cm) h T1(C) T2(C) X

1 0 16.5 18.8 12 6.8 46 47.6 0.100
2 5 16 18.8 12 6.8 45.8 48 0.067
3 10 15.5 18.8 12 6.8 45.7 47.7 0.033
4 15 15 18.8 12 6.8 45.8 47.8 0.000

X is calculated from eq. (1) in both the cases

6. Results and Discussion

Moisture Content Vs Time

0.120

0.100
Moisture Content

0.080

0.060

0.040 X

0.020

0.000
0 5 10 15 20 25
Time(min)

Figure 4 Graph Plotted for X vs t for Table-1

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 Moisture Content Vs Time
0.120
0.100
Moisture content

0.080
0.060
0.040 X
0.020
0.000
0 5 10 15 20
Time(min)

Figure 5 Graph plotted for X vs t from Table-2

Table 3 Results of drying rate constants for various time intervals for fully open
S.No t(min) t x x N
1 0 0 0.1 0 0
2 5 5 0.083 -0.017 78.48011
3 10 5 0.05 -0.033 147.6563
4 15 5 0.017 -0.033 142.9688
5 20 5 0 -0.017 72.44318

Table 4 Results of drying constants for various time intervals for partially open

S.No t(min) t x x N
1 0 0 0.1 0 0
2 5 5 0.067 -0.033 150
3 10 5 0.033 -0.034 149.7159
4 15 5 0 -0.033 140.625

Where,
N = Rate of drying constant

= (g/s.m2)

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 Rate of drying Vs Moisture content

160
140
N (rate of drying)

120
100
80
60 N
40
20
0
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12
X( Moisture Content)

Figure 6 Drying rate curve for fully open condition

Rate of drying Vs Moisture content

160
140
120
N (rate of drying)

100
80
60
40
20
0
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12
X(moisture content)

Figure 7 Drying rate curve for partially open condition

From figure 6 the Xc = 0.017

From figure 7 the Xc = 0.033
A linear decrease is observed in the graph. As the time increases moisture content is
decreases.
The curve shows the rate of drying as a function of moisture content.
Initially the rate of drying is increases in falling period and then comes into the constant
drying time period.

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7. Conclusion and Recommendation
The temperature increases as the rate of drying increases.
Rate of drying is higher when airflow is at 50C.
Hence, increase in air flow rate, rate of drying is also increases.
It is recommended that lesser the moisture content in the biomass lesser the time will
be taken for drying.
This will ensure a good result in plotting the drying rate curve and this can be scaled-
up for larger amount of biomass.
While performing the experiment make sure that the gate of chamber is closed and
put the biomass when the temperature of air flow is become steady.

8. Reference
1. Binay K. Dutta Principles of Mass Transfer and Separation Processes, PHI
Publications.
2. Robert E. Treybal Mass Transfer Operations Indian ed., McGraw-Hill Inc., New
Delhi.