Toward a homogeneous and efficient batch-tray dryer
- National Research Centre, Cairo (Egypt). Solar Energy Dept.
In batch-tray dryers, with equal loading of trays, a nonhomogeneous drying of the product may result. This will degrade the quality of the dried product, as some of it will be either overdried or underdried. To obtain homogeneous drying, the trays must be loaded in accordance with the condition of the inlet air to each tray, i.e., as the air gets cooler and more saturated with moisture when moving upward, the tray loading should be reduced. The aim of the present work is to develop an analytical method for obtaining the best loading pattern in batch-tray dryers, that guarantees a homogeneous and efficient drying of the product. A mathematical model that describes the mass and heat transfer inside the dryer is proposed. Homogeneous drying is achieved by solving the model under constraints imposed by some proposed control functions, giving as a result the loading of different trays. An algorithm of the calculation procedures is given, and an application to study drying of apricots is demonstrated. In addition, the performance of the dryer, loaded so as to achieve homogeneous drying of the product, was studied under a wide range of inlet air conditions to determine the one that gives maximum productivity of the dryer. The final result of those calculations is to obtain the necessary condition for a product of good quality dried in the most efficient way.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 276778
- Journal Information:
- Energy Sources, Vol. 18, Issue 4; Other Information: PBD: Jun 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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