Evaluation of The Effect of Material Feed Rate on The Drying Process

Abstract

This article analyzes the influence of material feed rate on the drying of dispersed materials in a rotary drum dryer equipped with improved lifting-distributing flights. The study was carried out under the following operating conditions: T = 120°C, v = 10 m/s, and nflig = 30 flights. The material feed rate was evaluated within the general range of G = 0.05-0.1 kg/s, and its influence on aerodynamic resistance (pressure drop), residual moisture content, evaporated moisture rate, and total specific heat consumption was investigated using graphical dependencies. The analysis showed that an increase in material feed rate increases the dryer throughput; however, under overload conditions, the material bed becomes thicker and the efficiency of contact with the drying agent decreases. Therefore, the operating range for each material must be selected according to its particle-size distribution and technological properties. From the standpoint of industrial and laboratory investigations, the range G = 0.073-0.083 kg/s was substantiated as the rational operating range for loam, whereas G = 0.09-0.10 kg/s was substantiated for superphosphate. These results are important for planning subsequent theoretical and experimental studies.