This article was downloaded by: [Cinvestav del IPN]

On: 09 April 2013, At: 08:55

Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House,
37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK
Drying Technology: An International Journal
Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information:
http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ldrt20
AN OPTIMIZATION OF INTERMITTENT CORN DRYING IN A
LABORATORY SCALE THIN LAYER DRYER
Q. Zhang
a
& J.B. Litchfield
a
a
Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801
Version of record first published: 25 Apr 2007.
To cite this article: Q. Zhang & J.B. Litchfield (1991): AN OPTIMIZATION OF INTERMITTENT CORN DRYING IN A LABORATORY
SCALE THIN LAYER DRYER, Drying Technology: An International Journal, 9:2, 383-395
To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07373939108916672
PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE
Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions
This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic
reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to
anyone is expressly forbidden.
The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents
will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae, and drug doses should
be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims,
proceedings, demand, or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in
connection with or arising out of the use of this material.
DRYING TECHNOLOGY, 9(2), 383-395 (1991)
AN OPTIMIZATION OF INTERMITTENT CORN DRYING
IN A LABORATORY SCALE THIN LAYER DRYER
Q. Zhang and J.B. Litchfield
Department of Agricultural Engineering
University of Illinois
Urbana, IL 61801
Key Words and Phrases: Tempering; time lag; multi-stage drying; control
strategy
ABSTRACT
An intermittent corn drying process of drying-tempering-drying in a
laboratory scale thin layer dryer was optimized. A time lag function was
developed to describe the influence of the tempering period on the drying rate
in the post-tempering drying period. Three dryer control strategies (1) a
drying-rate-first strategy, (2) an energy-efficiency-first strategy, and (3) an
equal- importance (ratelefficiency) strategy were investigated. Results showed
that intermittent drying processes were optimal except when a high drying rate
was desired.
INTRODUCTION
During the falling-rate drying regime, the drying rate falls with time
because the internal migration rate of moisture is slower than the evaporation
rate from the surface. By inserting a tempering, or holding, period during the
383
Copyright @ 1991 by Marcel Dekker, lnc.
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

b
y

[
C
i
n
v
e
s
t
a
v

d
e
l

I
P
N
]

a
t

0
8
:
5
5

0
9

A
p
r
i
l

2
0
1
3

384 ZHANG AND LITCHFIELD
falling-rate regime, the net drying rate can be raised. A drying process which
includes both active drying stages and tempering periods is an intermittent
drying process.
Intermittent drying also makes it convenient to apply different drying
temperatures for each stage. Brook and Bakker-Arkema (1978) found that a
high drying temperature might be safely applied in early stages of drying in a
multi-stage dryer. The authors also noted the possibility of obtaining higher
quality dried corn from an intermittent drying process than from a continuous
drying process.
The objectives of this study were to: (1) develop a time lag function to
determine the influence of tempering on drying rate during post-tempering
drying; and (2) optimize an intermittent drying process under three control
strategies: drying rate first, energy efficiency first, and equal importance.
METHODOLOGY
This study included two steps. First, we developed a time lag function
for describing the influence of tempering on the drying rate in the subsequent
drying period. A laboratory thin layer dryer was used, and a series of
intermittent drying tests with different tempering periods between two drying
periods were conducted.
Secondly, we conducted a system optimization to develop an optimal
drying process for specific control strategies. Three control strategies, with
objectives of, (1) drying rate first, (2) energy efficiency first, and (3) equal
importance (of both rate and efficiency), were studied.
A laboratory thin layer dryer was developed with a load cell to
determine product weight during drying. The temperature and the velocity of
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

b
y

[
C
i
n
v
e
s
t
a
v

d
e
l

I
P
N
]

a
t

0
8
:
5
5

0
9

A
p
r
i
l

2
0
1
3

I NTERMI TTENT CORN DRYING 385
the drying air were measured by thermocouple and anemometer. The dry- and
wet-bulb temperatures of ambient air were measured with a psychrometer.
The initial and final moisture content of samples was determined by oven test
(ASAE Standard S352.1, 1989).
DEVELOPMENT OF A TIME LAG FUNCTION
Page's equation of thin layer drying (1949) was applied in this study.
where: M. is kernel initial moisture content, M is kernel current moisture
content, Me is kernel equilibrium moisture content, 7 is the drying time, and k
and n are constants.
Misra and Brooker (1980) compiled data for shelled corn drying in thin
layer dryers and derived two expressions for the constants k and n in Page's
equation.
where: T is drying temperature (2.2"C 5 T 5 71.1 "C), V, is drying-air
velocity near the kernels (0.025 mls 5 V. I 2.33 mls), RH is relative
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

b
y

[
C
i
n
v
e
s
t
a
v

d
e
l

I
P
N
]

a
t

0
8
:
5
5

0
9

A
p
r
i
l

2
0
1
3

386 ZHANG AND LITCHFIELD
humidity (3.0% S RH 5 83.O%), and M, is corn initial moisture content
(0.18 kglkg 5 M, S 0.6 kgtkg).
To determine the influence of tempering on the drying rate in the
subsequent drying period, we conducted a series of 27 intermittent drying
experiments. The experiments included two drying periods of 20 minutes each
separated by tempering periods of 0, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45, 60, and 120
minutes. The test conditions included drying temperatures of 40, 60 and 80C
with ambient air temperature 25"C, ambient relative humidity 53.3%, and
drying-air velocity 1.2 mls.
Corn dried faster after tempering, so there was an additional, or
incremental, moisture loss for the intermittent processes as compared with the
continuous, or tempering, process. The incremental moisture loss was a
function of drying temperature and tempering time (Fig. 1). Moisture losses
increased with tempering time in an exponential fashion. The maximum
moisture losses and the increment in moisture losses also increased with
increasing drying-air temperature.
A concept of time lag, T,, was introduced to describe the effect of
tempering on drying rate in the subsequent drying period. The time lag was
defined as a period of time shift. The drying rate of the post-tempering drying
period was higher, as if the drying curve was shifted back in time.
Time lags were determined for the experimental drying processes by a
trial and error method using a moisture-time shift (Table 1). By applying a
least square error searching method, a time lag function was developed based
on the experimental data. The experimental data were compared to the curve
generated by Eq. (4) (Fig. 2).
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

b
y

[
C
i
n
v
e
s
t
a
v

d
e
l

I
P
N
]

a
t

0
8
:
5
5

0
9

A
p
r
i
l

2
0
1
3

INTERMITTENT CORN DRYING
387
FIGURE 1. Incremental moisture loss caused by tempering as compared
with continuous (no tempering) processes
TABLE 1
Experimental Time Lag Values (minutes) for 9 Different Tempering Periods
At 3 Different Drying-Air Temperatures
- -
Drying Temperature Record (Minutes)
Temperature
0 10 15 20 25 30 35 60 120
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

b
y

[
C
i
n
v
e
s
t
a
v

d
e
l

I
P
N
]

a
t

0
8
:
5
5

0
9

A
p
r
i
l

2
0
1
3

3 88 ZHANC AND LITCHFIELD
TEMPERING TIME (min.)
FIGURE 2. Measured and simulated time lag values as a function of
tempering time at three drying temperatures
With the time lag function (Eq. 4) it was possible to apply the Misra-
Brooker model by using an equivalent drying time, T,, instead of the actual
drying time, r, for the post-tempering drying period. If T,, and T,, are the
actual times for the pre- and post-tempering drying stages, respectively, the
equivalent drying time of the post-tempering drying stage was defined as
Model predictions and experimental results (Figs 4, 5 and 6) were in
close agreement as discussed below.
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

b
y

[
C
i
n
v
e
s
t
a
v

d
e
l

I
P
N
]

a
t

0
8
:
5
5

0
9

A
p
r
i
l

2
0
1
3

INTERMITTENT CORN DRYING
OPTIMIZATION MODEL
A process of drying-tempering-drying for drying shelled corn in a
laboratory scale thin layer was optimized. The optimization considered net
drying time, energy consumption, and total processing time. Energy
consumption was a function of drying temperature and drying time.
The objective function of this optimization was to minimize the sum of
weighted indexes of net drying time @T&, energy consumption ( ECA,
and total processing time (PT,&, subject to a constraint on the final moisture
content.
minimize: Y = c,xDTe+c,xECe+c3xPTi,
constranit MC s 20.0%
where
DT- =
drying time of intermittent process
drying time of continuous process
- -
energy consum. of intermittent process
EC-
energy connun. of continuous process
(8)
-
-
process time of intermittent process
PT&
process time of continuous process
(9)
where c,, q, and c3 are the weighting factors of each index. The selection of
weighting factors depended on control strategies. Since some moisture loss
would occur during cooling, we chose a final moisture content constraint of
20.0% dry basis, about 1.7% above typical storage moisture for corn.
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

b
y

[
C
i
n
v
e
s
t
a
v

d
e
l

I
P
N
]

a
t

0
8
:
5
5

0
9

A
p
r
i
l

2
0
1
3

ZHANG AND LITCHFIELD
Updating ratios
Initial
Determining
system variable & - , More ratios?
rati os obj. func. value
I
Determining
optimal process
variables
i
FIGURE 3. Flowchart of the "switchback" optimization technique
TABLE 2
sunimary of Weighting Factors, Optimal Processing Periods
and Optimal Drying-Temperatures
for Three Process Control Strategies
Process
Weighting Drying Tempering Drying
Control Factors Stage I Stage Stage I1
Strategy c, c, c, t' T" t t T
Drying
rate first .2 .1 .7 100 67 -
Energy
eff. first .2 .7 .1 50 67 90 20 74
Equal of
rateleff. .33 .33 .33 60 67 60 20 76
. processing period (min.) " drying temperature ("C)
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

b
y

[
C
i
n
v
e
s
t
a
v

d
e
l

I
P
N
]

a
t

0
8
:
5
5

0
9

A
p
r
i
l

2
0
1
3

INTERMITTENT CORN DRYI NG 391
33
3 1 + Measured data
29
27
25
23
2 1
PROCESS TIME (rnin.)
FIGURE 4. Simulated and measured drying curves for the optimum drying
rate first strategy
When the optimum value of the objective function for a specific process
was less than one, the optimal process was intermittent. Otherwise, a
continuous drying process was better.
Since intermittent drying also allows for different drying temperatures
in each drying period, a characteristic which can help to improve product
quality, temperatures were determined on the basis of initial moisture content
at each stage of the process. Since the allowable drying temperature is
different for various end uses of corn, we assumed a value of 75 % of the
maximum temperatures suggested by Nellist (1978) as the allowable drying
temperatures for our example calculations.
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

b
y

[
C
i
n
v
e
s
t
a
v

d
e
l

I
P
N
]

a
t

0
8
:
5
5

0
9

A
p
r
i
l

2
0
1
3

392 ZHANG AND LITCHFIELD.
0 Simulated doto
+ Measured data
19 ! 1 I
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
PROCESS TIME (min.)
FIGURE 5. Simulated and measured drying curves for the optimum energy
efficiency first strategy
A Generalized Newton-Raphson method (Stoecker, 1989) was used as
the optimization algorithm. A technique of "switchback" optimization
(Pedersen, 1989) was applied in this optimization by which only the drying
time of the pre-tempering period was selected as the system design variable.
The tempering time and the drying time of the post-tempering period were
evaluated as ratios of the system design variable (Fig. 3). Drying
temperatures and energy consumptions of both drying stages were treated as
system parameters.
We optimized Eq. (6) for three different drying strategies by adjusting
the weighting factors ci. An initial moisture content of 32.8 % dry basis with
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

b
y

[
C
i
n
v
e
s
t
a
v

d
e
l

I
P
N
]

a
t

0
8
:
5
5

0
9

A
p
r
i
l

2
0
1
3

INTERMITTENT CORN DRYING 393
33
0 Simulated data
3 1 + Measured data
n
P 29
M
-
27
5
8
u 25
P
G
8 23
I
2 1
19
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
PROCESS TIME (rnin.)
FIGURE 6. Simulated and measured drying curves for the optimum equal
importance strategy
ambient air temperature of 27C relative humidity of 18%, and drying air
velocity of 1 mls were assumed. Table 2 summarizes the weighting factors
and the corresponding processing periods and drying temperatures for these
control strategies.
For the drying rate first control strategy, a continuous drying process
with a drying temperature of 67C and drying time of 100 minutes was
determined to be optimum. An experiment was conducted to check the
accuracy of the drying model (Eq. 1-5). The theoretical curve and
experimental results of time-moisture content matched well (Figure 4).
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

b
y

[
C
i
n
v
e
s
t
a
v

d
e
l

I
P
N
]

a
t

0
8
:
5
5

0
9

A
p
r
i
l

2
0
1
3

394 ZHANG AND LITCHFIELD
For the energy efficiency first strategy, the optimal process was 67C
drying for 50 minutes, tempering for 90 minutes, and 74C drying for 20
minutes. The experimental results showed that the simulated curve of
intermittent drying matched the experimental data well (Figure 5).
For the equal-importance (drying rate and energy efficiency) strategy, a
process of a 67C drying for 60 minutes, tempering for 60 minutes, and 76C
drying for 20 minutes was best. Again the simulated curve and experimental
results matched well (Figure 6).
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
An intermitkit drying process with a single tempering stage can reduce
net drying time, as well as energy consumption, compared with a continuous
drying process. The system optimization indicated that an intermittent drying
process was optimal for drying control strategies of energy efficiency first and
equal importance of drying rate and energy efficiency. A continuous drying
process with no tempering would be recommended when drying rate is the
most important consideration.
The drying rate after tempering was higher than that of a corresponding
period for a process without tempering. After developing a time lag function,
it is possible to apply the Misra-Brooker model for predicting the drying rate
in the post-tempering drying stage. Experimental drying results matched the
predicted drying curves.
Drying processes with more than one tempering period might be better
than processes with only a single tempering period. Further studies on drying
processes with multiple tempering periods are needed. Intermittent drying
techniques can be applied on commercial dryers to increase efficiency, reduce
net drying time, and improve product quality. More tests should be conducted
in both laboratory and commercial dryers to further develop this technique.
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

b
y

[
C
i
n
v
e
s
t
a
v

d
e
l

I
P
N
]

a
t

0
8
:
5
5

0
9

A
p
r
i
l

2
0
1
3

INTERMITTENT CORN DRYING
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors thank Mr. A. Breen for his laboratory assistance.
REFERENCES
American Society of Agricultural Engineers. 1989. Standard: ASAE S352.1
Moisture measurement -- Grain and seeds.
Brook, R.C. and Bakker-Arkema, F.W. 1978. Simulation for design of
commercial concurrent-flow grain dryers. Transactions of ASAE
21(5):978-981.
Misra, M.K. and Brooker, D.B. 1980. Thin-layer drying and rewetting
equations for shelled yellow corn. Transactions of ASAE 23(6): 1254-
1260.
Nellist, M.E., 1978. Safe temperatures for drying grain. National Institute of
Agricultural Engineering, Wrest Park, Silsoe, Bedford.
Page, G., 1949. Factors influencing the maximum rates of air drying shelled
corn in thin layer. M.S. Thesis, Purdue University.
Pedersen, C.O., 1989. Unpublished lecture notes. University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign.
Stoecker, W.F., 1989. Design of l%ermal Systems, McGraw-Hill Book
Company, New York, NY.
D
o
w
n
l
o
a
d
e
d

b
y

[
C
i
n
v
e
s
t
a
v

d
e
l

I
P
N
]

a
t

0
8
:
5
5

0
9

A
p
r
i
l

2
0
1
3