CONTROL OF DRYERS

Nikhil Binoy.C
Associate Professor, ICE Department, N.S.S. College of Engineering, Palakkad.
Vision of the Department
To be a centre of excellence of international acclaim in
the realm of Instrumentation and Control Engineering
producing self-motivated, knowledgeable and technically
competent engineers to nurture the needs of the society
Mission of the Department
 To impart engineering education at par with global
standards to create self-motivated Instrumentation and
Control Engineering graduates.
 To inculcate a passion for learning and an ability to
utilize the knowledge for solving real world problems
and industrial challenges.
 To be a premier centre for Instrumentation and Control
Engineering studies and research.
 To groom the graduates who uphold engineering ethics
with a high degree of social commitment.
Programme Outcome (PO)
1) Engineering knowledge: Apply the knowledge of mathematics, science,
engineering fundamentals, and an engineering specialization to the solution of complex
engineering problems.
2) Problem analysis: Identify, formulate, review research literature, and analyze
complex engineering problems reaching substantiated conclusions using first principles of
mathematics, natural sciences, and engineering sciences.
3) Design/development of solutions: Design solutions for complex engineering problems
and design system components or processes that meet the specified needs with
appropriate consideration for the public health and safety, and the cultural, societal, and
environmental considerations.
4) Conduct investigations of complex problems: Use research-based knowledge and
research methods including design of experiments, analysis and interpretation of data, and
synthesis of the information to provide valid conclusions.
5) Modern tool usage: Create, select, and apply appropriate techniques, resources, and
modern engineering and IT tools including prediction and modeling to complex engineering
activities with an understanding of the limitations.
6) The engineer and society: Apply reasoning informed by the contextual knowledge to
assess societal, health, safety, legal and cultural issues and the consequent responsibilities
relevant to the professional engineering practice.
Programme Outcome (PO)
7) Environment and sustainability: Understand the impact of the professional
engineering solutions in societal and environmental contexts, and demonstrate
the knowledge of, and need for sustainable development.
8) Ethics: Apply ethical principles and commit to professional ethics and
responsibilities and norms of the engineering practice.
9) Individual and team work: Function effectively as an individual, and as a
member or leader in diverse teams, and in multidisciplinary settings.
10) Communication: Communicate effectively on complex engineering activities with
the engineering community and with society at large, such as, being able to
comprehend and write effective reports and design documentation, make
effective presentations, and give and receive clear instructions.
11) Project management and finance: Demonstrate knowledge and
understanding of the engineering and management principles and apply these
to one’s own work, as a member and leader in a team, to manage projects and in
multidisciplinary environments.
12) Life-long learning: Recognize the need for, and have the preparation and ability
to engage in independent and life-long learning in the broadest context of
technological change.
Programme Specific Outcome (PSO)
1) Interpret the static characteristics and functioning of
industrial, optical, electrical, mechanical, analytical,
aeronautical, petrochemical and biomedical instruments
used for measurements, calibration and control.
2) Specify, design, develop, implement and test electronic
systems that perform analog and digital signal processing
functions.
3) Design of continuous and discrete control systems and,
analysis of linear and nonlinear time invariant systems,
using classical as well as modern control theories.
4) Analyse, Specify, design, develop, implement and test
Process control and automation systems.
Course Outcome (CO)
At the end of the course Students should be:
1) Able to prepare and demonstrate the instrumentation and control
diagrams as per ISA standard.
2) Able to explain the instrumentation, control and operation of
chemical reactor, distillation tower, heat exchanger, and dryer.
3) Able to select pumps and compressors with respect to the process
curves.
4) Able to select and use multi loop control with respect to the process
dynamics.
5) Able to explain the trouble shooting and master control signal flow
of steam boiler.
6) Able to illustrate the process, control, and operation of large scale
industries like oil & natural gas industries, and clean room.
 Basics and Assumptions
 The dryers and drying principles will relate to process
requirements, that is, to the removal of a volatile solvent
from a solid material. Such process as the removal of a
solvent from an air stream (air drying), or the removal of
one solvent from another (drying of an organic solvent)
will be considered beyond the scope of this section.
 Solvent to be removed is taken as water.
 The heating medium used is steam.
 Safety controls such as flame burnout indicators will not
be included.
 Curves
A B C D E  Section AB:- Period of product
Moisture entry. Some heat is necessary to
Content bring the material to the initial
drying temperature. Evaporation
is slow.
 Section BC: - Period of
Time evaporation. Steady surface
Drying Rate moisture evaporation. Constant
rate.
 Section CD: - After surface
moisture evaporation, the
evaporation rate falls due to
Time
case hardening of surface. (Long
path is necessary for the water to
Product migrate to the surface).
Temperature
 Section DE: - Solid is one which
has water of crystallisation, or
bound water, the rate will drop
off even more.
Time
 Control
 The specific property of interest in dryer operation is moisture content
of the final product.
 On-line moisture analysers are becoming more common in industry, and more
reliable as well.
 They are subject to a difficult environment – hot, humid, and dusty.
 Material they are analysing tends to have non uniform properties within a
product and quite variable properties from product to product.
 Difficult to measure directly.
 Two types:
1) Batch process.
 Installed in many plants.
 Well adapted for small quantities.
 Better dryer performance with very poor speed of performance.
2) Continuous process.
 More modern approach.
 Good speed of performance.
Symbol
Batch Dryer
Atmospheric Dryer
Vent FO
TRC
HCV

S
SS
TT
HCV TS
FC

T Heater

Tray Dryer S

TIC
FO
Vent
Chilled AS
Water Cooler
Supply FC
Atmospheric Dryer
Vent FO
TRC
HCV

S
SS
TT
HCV TS
FC

T Heater

Tray Dryer Inlet plenum S

TIC
FO
Outlet plenum Vent
Chilled AS
Water Cooler
Supply FC
Atmospheric Dryer
 Operate close to
Vent FO atmospheric pressure.
TRC
HCV  Heat for drying is supplied
S by air.
SS  Same is used to remove
TT generated moisture.
HCV TS
FC  With respect to loading
mechanism, dryers are
classified into two.
T Heater 1) Tray dryer: - Trays
covered with material to
be dried are loaded into
Tray Dryer S
the racks.
2) Truck dryers: - Similar
TIC
except that the racks of
FO trays are mounted on
Vent trucks.
Chilled AS
Water Cooler
Supply FC
Atmospheric Dryer
 Available control
Vent FO parameters are velocity of
HCV
TRC air, distribution of air,
temperature, and humidity.
S  Velocity and distribution of
SS air are controlled manually
HCV
TT by damper and are not
TS
FC changed.
 Humidity is also manually
set.
T Heater  Temperature is controlled
by manipulating steam.
 A temperature switch is
Tray Dryer used in the heater
S discharge to limit this
maximum inlet temperature.
TIC
FO
Vent
Chilled AS
Water Cooler
Supply FC
Atmospheric Dryer
 Humidity is a manual setting
Vent by adjusting the damper in the
FO recirculation line.
TRC
HCV
 At the beginning of a run,
S
during constant-rate drying,
the exhaust air will be cool
SS and wet and not useful for
HCV
TT recirculation.
TS
FC  During falling-rate drying it
becomes progressively warner
and dryer, and its recirculation
can reduce steam consumption.
T Heater
 If recirculation is not used and
if product requirement
warrant, dehumidification is
Tray Dryer S used on the inlet air.
 Both of these are the optional.
TIC
FO
Vent
Chilled AS
Water Cooler
Supply FC
 Vacuum Dryer
 Heat transfer by conduction while it is contained in a vessel under vacuum.
 Dryer is a tray unit in a vacuum chamber with hollow shelves, through which heat transfer
medium is circulated.
 Usually start operation at a very low temperature and are known as freeze dryers.
 Parameters which can be controlled are absolute pressure, agitation, and temperature of
heat transfer medium.
 Control pressure and agitation manually.
PR

TRC

HCV PT PSV

TT
FC SS

Overflow
 Batch Fluid Bed Dryer
 Product held in a
portable cart with
Exhaust a perforated
Inlet
Air
Air bottom plate.
HCV  Heated air blown
(pressure) or sucked
(vacuum) through
TT
TRC
the plate.
 Fluidizes the
Filter FC product to case
Bag drying.
SS
Product T  The air flow is
Cart manually adjusted.
Air TT TRC
SP
 Continuous Dryers
 Most large scale industrial process producing dry solid materials employ
continuous dryers.
 Majority of continuous dryers require control of the flow and temperature of
an air stream.
 Temperature detection is sluggish in response.

 Dryer controllers are generally two mode units with ‘P’ and ‘I’.
 Double Drum Dryer
HIC
PSV

PIC

Steam
Feed
FC
Doctor knife
 Liquid is fed into the valley between
T T
the heated cylinders.
 Drum rotating downward.
 At the centre receives a coating of
Gap≈ 0.005′′ the liquid with the thickness
depending upon the spacing between
the rolls.
 The material is dried by the time it
rotates to the doctor knife.
 Double Drum Dryer
HIC
PSV

PIC

Steam
Feed
FC
Doctor knife
 Variables to control are:
T T i. Speed of cylinder (manual).
ii. Liquid level.
Gap≈ 0.005′′ iii. Spacing between cylinder
(manual).
iv. Steam pressure.
 Liquid level is maintained by
throttling the feed stream.
Rotary Dryer
 The material is lifted as the
shell is rotated, and
dropped through air stream.
 Speed of rotation, angle of
deviation and the air
velocity determine the
material holdup time.
 Rotary (Counter Flow)
S

 Counter flow direction: air flow

direction is opposite to material
TRC direction.
SS Exhaust Air
Inlet  Primary controls: air flow and
Air inlet air temperature.

TT
T
M

FRC
FT TSH
PT PRC

LAH
M
Feed
TAH

TSH
 Secondary controls: pressure
control at outlet air, and
LSH temperature and level alarms
Rotary Valve at dry product outlet.
Dry Product
  Material is dried on rotating horizontal shelves arranged in a vertical stack.

Turbo 

The product is wiped from each shelf through a slot after a little less than one revolution.
Level bar then spreads it evenly on the shelf below.
 Internal fan provide consistent air circulation.

Exhaust Air
Feed HCV
Rotating
Shelves

HCV TT

HCV

TRC
Level bar

Rotary Valve TRC TT

TRC

Dry Product
SS TT

Inlet
T
Air
Thank You