Drying Calculations

Example problem

How long will it take to dry 2000 bu of soybeans from 20% mc (wb) to 13% mc (wb) with a fan which delivers 5140-9000 cfm at H2O static pressure. The bin is 26 in diameter and outside air (60 F, 30% RH) is being blown over the soybeans.

Steps to work drying problem

Determine how much water needs to be removed (from moisture content before and after; total amount of product to be dried) Determine how much water each pound of dry air can remove (from psychr chart; outside air is it heated, etc., and EMC) Calculate how many cubic feet of air is needed Determine fan operating CFM From CFM, determine time needed to dry product

Step 1: how much water must be removed?

2000 bu 20% to 13% Now what?

Step 2: How much water can each pound of dry air remove?

How do we approach this step?

Change in humidity ratio

Step 3: Determine the cubic feet of air we need to remove necessary water

Calculations

Step 4: determine the fan operating speed

How do we approach this?

From cfm of fan and cubic feet of air, determine the time needed to dry the soybeans.

Example 2: Ambient air at 32C and 20% RH is heated to 118 C in a fruit residue dryer. The flow of ambient air into the propane heater is at 5.95 m3/sec. The drying is to be carried out from 85% to 22% wb. The air leaves the drier at 40.5C.

Determine the airflow rate of the heated air.

2. Determine the relative humidity of the air leaving the drier.

3. Determine the amount of propane fuel required per hour.

4. Determine the amount of fruit residue dried per hour.

Your Turn: A grain bin 26 in diameter has a perforated floor over a plenum chamber. Shelled field corn will be dried from an initial mc of 24% to 14% (wb). Batch drying (1800 std. bu/batch) will be used with outside air (55F, RH 70%) that has been heated 10F before being passed through the corn. 1. What is the necessary fan delivery rate (cfm)?

2. What is the approximate total pressure drop (in inches of water) required to obtain the needed air flow?

3. The estimated fan HP based on fan efficiency of 65%

4. If the drying air is heated by electrical resistance elements and the power costs is $0.065/KWH, calculate the cost of heating energy per standard bushel.