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DRYING
(conventional vs enhanced)

Solid Liquid Separation

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Drying
Drying is removal of liquid from materials by means of its its
transport and evaporation.

Drying is a highly energy-intensive process

An effective and efficient drying process can significantly
decrease total production costs

Drying Mechanism
Mechanism of drying:
Transport of energy into the wetted material
Transport of liquid through pores to the
meniscus
Evaporation at the meniscus
Transport of vapor through pores
Transport of vapor to surroundings

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Drying Mechanism (2)

T, P
Po

Po : saturated vapor pressure

T : absolute temperature
Vmol : molar volume
r : meniscus radius

Rate of Evaporation
Mass transport from wetted surface

kg : mass transport coefficient

Po : saturated vapor pressure at temperature T
Pi : vapor pressure in bulk

Heat transport
h : heat transport coefficient
T : bulk temperature
Ts : temperature at wetted surface
: heat of evaporation at temperature T

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Dry and Wet Bulb Temperature

In case of water evaporation and the process is
adiabatic
flowing air

wet

dry
H : absolute humidity
Hs : absolute humidity at saturation

Relative Humidity and

Absolute Humidity
Absolute humidity, H
mass of water / mass of dry air

Relative humidity, RH

p : partial water pressure

ps : saturates water pressure = Po
P : total pressure
Mw : molecular weight of water
Ma : molecular weight of air

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Psychrometric Chart

Drying Process

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Drying Process (2)

A : evaporation from wet external surface, heating rate >
evaporation rate
B : similar to A, but heating rate = evaporation rate, liquid at the
external surface may be replenished by interparticle liquid
to cause shringkage
C : evaporation from menisci of liquid in pores begins. The rate
of transport < evaporation rate
D : evaporation from smaller pores and interparticle distances.
The remaining liquid can be removed above boiling point of
the liquid or long exposure of heating

Drying Process (3)

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Drying Process (4)

Moisture content

Low Temperature Drying

wetted air

compressor

drying chamber

valve

warm dry air

condensate

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Freeze Drying
Also called lyophilization or cryodesiccation
Freeze-drying works by freezing the material
and then reducing the surrounding pressure
and adding enough heat to allow the frozen
water in the material to sublime directly from
the solid phase to the gas phase.
Operating condition is below the triple point

Freeze Drying (2)

Water phase diagram

1 atm = 760 torr

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Freeze Drying (3)