CEBU INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY-UNIVERSITY

N. Bacalso Avenue, Cebu City, 6000 Philippines

College of Engineering and Architecture
Department of Chemical Engineering

Final Report
on

Rotary Drier

CHE 501
Chemical Engineering Laboratory 2
Tues (7:30-10:30 am)

Date Performed: July 19, 2016

Date Submitted: August 2, 2016

Submitted By:
Justine D. Rosani

Submitted to:
Engr. Rosario G. Dangin
-------------------------------------------------------Abstract--------------------------------------------------------
Adjustment and control of moisture levels in solid materials through drying is a critical
process in the manufacture of many types of chemical products. As a unit operation, drying solid
materials is one of the most common and important in the chemical process industries (CPI), since it
is used in practically every plant and facility that manufactures or handles solid materials, in the form
of powders and granules. Drying may be defined as the vaporization and removal of water or other
liquids from a solution, suspension, or other solid-liquid mixture to form a dry solid. It is a
complicated process that involves simultaneous heat and mass transfer, accompanied by
physicochemical transformations. In this experiment, we will know the factors that affect the rate of
drying of a certain material in a rotary drier.
___________________________________________________________________________

1.INTRODUCTION

The objective of this experiment is to determine the operating characteristics and efficiency
of a direct-fired rotary drier.

Drying occurs as a result of the vaporization of liquid by supplying heat to wet feedstock,
granules, filter cakes and so on. Based on the mechanism of heat transfer that is employed, drying is
categorized into direct (convection), indirect or contact (conduction), radiant (radiation) and dielectric
or microwave (radio frequency) drying.

Heat transfer and mass transfer are critical aspects in drying processes. Heat is transferred to the
product to evaporate liquid, and mass is transferred as a vapor into the surrounding gas. The drying
rate is determined by the set of factors that affect heat and mass transfer. Solid drying is generally
understood to follow two distinct drying zones, known as the constant-rate period and the falling-rate
period. The two zones are demarcated by a break point called the critical moisture content.

Rotary dryers dry material by heated air while being transported along the interior of
a rotating cylinder. In the Food Industry, the foodstuff is contained in a horizontal inclined
cylinder through which it travels, being heated either by air flow through the cylinder, or by
conduction of heat from the cylinder walls. In some cases, the cylinder rotates and in others
the cylinder is stationary and a paddle or screw rotates within the cylinder conveying the
material through.
 ROTARY DRYER

Rotary dryers consist of a rotating cylindrical shell that can be horizontal or slightly inclined.
In a rotary dryer the heat transfer mechanism can be either direct or indirect. Direct-heat rotary dryers
are more common than indirect-heat rotary dryers. Shown here is a rotary dryer getting installed.

EQUIPMENT DESIGN
Direct-heat rotary dryers dry the wet feed through direct contact with a hot gas. The gas flow
can be cocurrent or countercurrent to the feed stream. The feed dries as it is transported along the
interior of the rotating cylinder. The shell acts as both a stirrer and a conveying device. Generally,
direct-heat rotary dryers are equipped with flights, like the ones pictured below, on the interior for
lifting and showering the feed through the gas stream as it passes through the cylinder. In horizontal
rotating cylinders, the flights move the particles down the cylinder. Choice of flight design depends on
the characteristics and flowrate of the material being dried.

One of the most common types of indirect-heat rotary dryers is the steam-tube rotary dryer,
shown below. It consists of a slowly rotating, almost horizontal shell with heat-transfer tubes along
the outside walls. Steam enters the heat-transfer tubes through an inlet at the discharge end of the
dryer. The feed enters at one end through a feeder and exits at the other. It is moved toward the
discharge by the inclined rotation of the shell.

USAGE EXAMPLES
Rotary dryers are used primarily in the production of fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, and cement.
Below is a picture of an installed rotary drum that could be used for food ingredients or tobacco.

Its advantage includes the effects of operating parameter changes predictable. On the other
hand, its advantages include the kiln/rolling action is difficult to quantify and is sensitive to load and
gas variations.
2.Materials and Methods

Materials & Equipment:

Rotary Drier, anemometer, platform balance, 2 5-gallon pails, thermocouple, wet-bulb and dry-bulb
thermometer

Procedures:

The dry gas meter was connected in the line which leads to the burner of the drier. The drier
was started, the exhausting blower was turned on and the burner was lighted. A predetermined
quantity of sand and water was mixed thoroughly and samples of these were reserved for analytical
moisture determinations. The weighed, wet sand was placed into the hopper and was fed through the
drier at a rate assigned by the laboratory instructor. Important data were recorded for each run. The
needed values were calculated and tabulated.

Experimental Set-up:

3. Data and Results

A predetermined quantity of sand and water (approx. 2500g combined) was mixed thoroughly
and 100g samples were taken before and after the run in the rotary dryer to be analyzed for moisture
determination. The wet sand was placed into the hopper after the rotary dryer was operational
following the given preparations in the manual. The following data were obtained.
Table 1. Experimental Data on Rotary Dryer
Quantities Measured Trial 1

Wet-bulb temperature of entering drier gas, F 122

Dry-bulb temperature of entering drier gas, F 176

Wet-bulb temperature of exit drier gas, F 112.64

Dry-bulb temperature of exit drier gas, F 230.9

 Wet-bulb temperature of entering air, F 86.54

Dry-bulb temperature of entering air, F 91.94

Temperature of wet sand, F 77

Temperature of dry sand, F 116.96

Quantity of wet sand, lb/hr 56.88

Quantity of dry sand, lb/hr 31.12

Quantity of drier gas, ft3/hr 100*

Quantity of natural gas burned, ft3/hr 50*

Heating value of natural gas, BTU/ft3 3146.77

Moisture content of wet sand, wt% 0.15

Moisture content of dry sand, wt% 0.1155

Carbon dioxide in flue gas, % N/A

Oxygen in flue gas, % N/A

Note: Values with “*” are assumed

Table 2. Moisture Analysis of Wet and Dry sand

100g
Wet, g Dry, g % wt Moisture
sample
Before 99.86 84.88 15.001
After 93.78 82.95 11.548

Table 3. Data from Literature

Quantity Data
Heating value of LPG. BTU/ft3 3146.77
Heat Capacity of sand, BTU/lbF 0.069281
Enthalpy of liquid water, BTU/lb 45.0793
Enthalpy of water vapour, BTU/lb 192.3129
Humid Volume of Drier gas, ft3/lb 27.9
Heat Capacity of water, BTU/lbF 1.0113
Density of LPG, lb/ft3 0.1175

Sample Calculations:
 Heat supplied by the burning gas, Hbg
 Heat absorbed by the dry sand, Hds

 Heat absorbed by the drier gas, Hdg

 Heat absorbed by the evaporated moisture, Hem

 Heat accounted for, HA

 Thermal Efficiency, ԑ

 Drying efficiency, ԑd
 Table 4. Calculated and Tabulated characteristics of rotary dryer
Characteristics Calculated value
Heat supplied by the burning gas (Hbg), BTU/hr 157338.5
Heat absorbed by the dry sand (Hds), BTU/hr 86.1547
Heat absorbed by the dryer gas (Hdg), BTU/hr 198.9977
Heat absorbed by the evaporated moisture (Hem), BTU/hr -28.0186
Thermal efficiency, ԑ 0.16%
Drying efficiency, ԑd 10.90%

4. Discussions

The entirety of the sand plus water mixture amounted about 5.5115 lb. (~2500g). Analysis of
the 100g samples at around 120C-140C resulted to approximately 4% of the moisture had
evaporated in the dryer. Failure to secure flow meters on the natural gas (LPG) and the drier gas
limited the experiment into assumptions of the values* of the quantities mentioned. Also, the CO 2 and
O2 content of the flue gas were not recorded because there was no Orsat analyser at the set-up.

From the calculated data in Table 4, it is deduced that so much heat was lost due to the very
small thermal efficiency ԑ. Though the quantity of burning gas was only assumed, the enormous
amounts of heat lost can be accounted from the heat loss on the surroundings, inadequate amount of
drier gas supplied countercurrent to the cylinder and faulty measurements of the temperatures on each
ends. Although the drying efficiency ԑd is not relatively small compared to the thermal efficiency, the
obtained value still poses smaller vaporization of water compared to industrial values of ԑd which
ranges from 40-60%.
The collected dry sand from the end of the dryer was about 30% less than its original weight,
excluding the moisture evaporated. The cylinder failed to deliver all the sand, regardless if wet or dry,
into the other end by housing the lost weight inside its crevices and shallow compartments. This
greatly affects the amount of heat absorbed of the dry sand which in return reduces the heat
accounted, further lowering the thermal efficiency. Also, there were not any mechanisms present to
help in feeding the wet sand in the feeder at a uniform rate.

5. Conclusion
 In summary, the amount of drier gas supplied is proportional to the amount of moisture
evaporated at constant burning gas supplied. The theory at which at higher supply of drier gas, when
heated, will allow more contact to with the sand and vaporize the water in the process. Uniform feed
rate is critical in drying to ensure constant surface contact with the drier gas and non-bulking. Lastly,
the temperature differences between the ends of the dryer also matters in magnitude in calculating the
heat absorbed by dry sand and the dryer gas. Therefore, accurate measurements should be done,
especially in measuring, both wet and dry-bulb, temperatures in order to further interpret the drying
capacity of the rotary dryer.

6. Recommendations

There were a lot of parts in the experimental procedure that were not followed because of the
limitations of the materials and equipment available. For example is that an Orsat Analyzer should be
used on the first part. I recommend that all materials should be available first before conducting the
experiment. Also, when we conducted the experiment, I think the gas supply is about to ran out. I also
recommend that there should be a fire exit near the dryers for safety purposes. There were two groups
conducting their drying experiment in the same place so I would suggest improvement on the
ventilation.

7. References

o Geankoplis, Transport Processes and Unit Operations. John Wiley & Sons

o Perry, R., Perry’s Chemical Engineering Handbook. Mc-Graw Hill