Mass Transfer 2 CPB 20103

FG/Exp2/July2011 1

Experiment 2

TRAY DRYER
______________________________________________________________________________________

1.0 INTRODUCTION

A large number of manufacturing processes necessitate the Drying of a product
or material and the equipment used in these industrial operations depends on the
particular process and type of material being dried. For example, the requirements for
Food Processing are more stringent than for Agricultural Fertilizer materials, and the
design of Driers for these purposes will be dictated by the relative importance of such
factors as Heat Sensitivity, Porosity, Bulk Density and Particle Size of the dried
material. In fact, since the Dried Solid is generally a valuable product, it shape, colour,
stability, stickiness and hence its overall sale ability, all depends upon the Drying
processes to which it has been subjected.

Although there are many different types and operating characteristics of
Industrial Driers, the SOLTEQ Tray Drier (Model: BP 772) has been designed to
provide an experimental facility based on one of the most fundamental designs. Drying
involves the transfer of liquid from a Wet Solid to an unsaturated gas phase such as air,
and the solid itself can exert a considerable influence on the Drying process. The
equipment enables the Basic Principles of Drying to be investigated and students of
Process Engineering may examine the problems of Fluid Mechanics, Surface Chemistry,
Solid Structure and Mass Heat Transfer associated with general Drying behavior.

Immediately after contact between the Wet Solid and the Drying Medium, the solid
temperature will adjust until it reaches a Steady State. The solid temperature and the
Rate of Drying may increase or decrease to reach the Steady State condition. At Steady
State, the temperature of the Wet Solid surface is Wet Bulb Temperature of the Drying
Medium. Temperature within the Drying Solid also tends to equal the Wet Bulb
Temperature of the gas but lag in movement of mass and heat result in some deviation.
Once the Stock Temperatures reach the Wet Bulb Temperature of the gas, they are
quite stable and the Drying Rate also remains constant. This is the constant Rate
Drying period, which ends when the solid reaches the Critical Moisture Content.
Beyond this point, the Surface Temperature rises, and the Drying Rate falls off rapidly.
The falling rate period can take a far longer time than the constant rate period even
though the moisture removal may be less. The Drying Rate approaches zero at some
equilibrium Moisture Content which is the lowest Moisture Content obtainable with the
Solid under the Drying condition used the Moisture Content ( X ) of a Wet Solid is
measured in terms of the weight of moisture per unit weight of Dry Material. When a
Wet Material of initial Moisture Content, Xi is dried in a Tray Dryer, the typical variation
of Moisture Content with time is as shown in the diagram below.

Mass Transfer 2 CPB 20103
FG/Exp2/July2011 2



The equipment of SOLTEQ Tray Drier (Model: BP 772) comprise of an air duct
mounted on a floor standing frame to give a comfortable working height for the
operator. Air is drawn into the duct through a Mesh Guard by a motor driven axial flow
Fan Impeller whose speed can be controlled to produce a range of air velocities up to
2.0 m/s in the duct. The air passes over an electrically heated element controlled by a
power regulator to provide a variation in air temperature up to a maximum of 80C at
low air velocities.

The air passes into the central section of the duct where trays of material to be
dried are suspended in the air stream. The trays are carried on a support frame, which
is attached to a digital balance, mounted above the duct and on which the total weight
is continuously indicated. The trays are inserted or removed from the duct through a
latched side door with a glass panel for viewing purpose.

After passing over Drying Trays, the air is discharged at atmosphere through an
outlet duct section where a Vane Anemometer can be position. Wet and Dry Bulb
temperatures of the air are measured using a DC powered aspirated Psychrometer.
Access points for the Psychrometer are provided both upstream and downstream of the
Drying Trays and are covered by flaps when not in use. A Process Flow Diagram for
Tray Drying Process Unit is as shown below.

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FG/Exp2/July2011 3

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2.0 OBJECTIVE

To produce drying and drying rate curves for a wet solid being dried with air of fixed
temperature and humidity.

3.0 MATERIALS AND ANCILLARY EQUIPMENTS REQUIRED
a) Materials Required.
Dry Sand.
Water

b) Ancillary Equipments Required:
One 2000ml beaker
Empty Tray.

4.0 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES

4.1 General Start-up:

4.1.1 Check that mains switch and other switches are in the OFF positions.
Connect the equipment to the electrical supply.
4.1.2 Remove the fan casing from the main body of the aspirated Psychrometer (in
the following diagram). Fill the wick chamber with distilled water and make
sure that the wick is immersed. Reassemble the fan casing to the main body.
4.1.3 Insert the Psychrometer into the Upstream slot and connect the plug to the
DC socket at the control panel. Check that the electrical fan within the
Psychrometer operates and observe that the Dry and Wet Bulb Temperatures
are indicated satisfactorily on the Thermometers.
4.1.4 Remove the plug from the DC socket and check that the electrical fan
switches off.



Note:
In Normal Operation, the Inlet Duct of the Psychrometer is inserted into the tunnel
through aperture Upstream or Downstream of the working section. These apertures are
shielded to prevent loss of air when the Psychrometer is not in use.

Mass Transfer 2 CPB 20103
FG/Exp2/July2011 5
Close the tunnel access door. Press the fan ON/OFF switch, rotate the fan speed
control knob clockwise and check that the fan speed adjusts accordingly.
Switch on the Digital Anemometer and read the Air Speed in different units.
Switch off the Digital Anemometer.
With the fan operating, press the Heater ON/OFF switches, rotate the power
control knob clockwise and check that the air is heated by the electrical
elements Downstream of the fan.
Set the fan and heater switches to the OFF position. Press the ON/OFF button
on the Digital Balance and observe the digital reading. Check operation of the
tare (without any weight, blank) control of the balance and adjust to give a
simple number on the display. Open the access door and place a suitable weight
on the Sample Trays. Check correct operation of the balance. Remove the weight
from the Sample Tray and check balance returns to original reading.

Note:
It is recommended that the laboratory be well ventilated to ensure that warm moist air
discharge from the Drier does not affect the original inlet conditions during the period of
the experiments.

4.2 Procedures:

4.2.1 Fill the tray to a depth of about 10 mm of dry sand and measure the weight
of the sand accurately.
4.2.2 Spray water until the sand is saturated with water.
4.2.3 Remove the sand from the tray and drain of excess free water before being
loaded evenly a smoothly into the drying trays, taking care to avoid spillage.
4.2.4 Record accurately the total weight of wet sand.
4.2.5 At some arbitrary time (t = 0), switch on the fan and set the speed control to
mid position.
4.2.6 Switch on the heater and set the power control to maximum, letting them
remain constant throughout the experiment.
4.2.7 Record the total weight of sand in the tray at regular time intervals which is
for every 5 minutes in the provided table of results until the reading is
constant or the drying is complete.

4.3 General Shut Down:

4.3.1 Remove the tray with the dried sand from the tray.
4.3.2 Switch off the fan and heater.
4.3.3 Switch off the power supply.













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FG/Exp2/July2011 6
5.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Discuss all your results. The questions below only serve as a guideline. Your discussion
should not only limit to these questions.

1. Calculate free moisture content and drying rate.
2. Plot the drying curve relating Free Moisture Content as a function of Time.
3. From the curve, produce the drying rate versus free moisture content curve.
4. Based on the results, identify the critical moisture content, equilibrium moisture
content, constant rate period and falling rate period.
5. Comment upon the results obtained and relate the curves to the mechanism by
which drying occurs

Table of Results:

Weight of Empty Tray = ______________ g
Weight of Dry Sand and Tray = ______________ g
Weight of Dry Sand = ______________ g
Weight of Wet Sand and Tray = ______________ g
Weight of Wet Sand = ______________ g
Air Velocity = ______________ m/s


Table 1:

Inlet (
o
C) Outlet (
o
C) Time
(min)
Mass of wet
sand (g)
Total
moisture
content, XT
Dry bulb Wet bulb Dry bulb Wet bulb
0
















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FG/Exp2/July2011 7
Table 2:

Time, t Free Moisture
Content, X
Drying Rate, R














6.0 USEFULL INFORMATION

1. Total moisture content, XT

s
s
T
m
m m
X

=
m : mass of wet sand
ms : mass of dry sand

2. Free moisture content, X

*
X X X
T
=

X* : equilibrium moisture content


3. Drying rate, R


1 2
2 1
t t
X X
A
m
dt
dX
A
m
R
s s

= =

A : area of tray (540 cm
2
)


6.0 REFERENCES

1. Geankoplis, Transport process and unit operation 3
rd
Edition, Prentice Hall
(1993).
2. McCabe, Smith and Harriott, Unit operations of Chemical Engineering,
McGraw Hill 6
th
edition (2000).