CHEM3012

Separation Process (II)

Learning Materials-Topic 2-Week 1
Equipment of Drying

Course Learning Outcomes

Evaluate efficiency and energy requirements of evaporators and drying systems

encountered frequently in process engineering.

Lecturer Name: Dr Mostafa Ghasemi Baboli

Academic Year: 2022-2023
Course Coordinator Name: Dr Mostafa Ghasemi Baboli

References:
1.Geankoplis, C.J., (2003). Transport Processes and Separation Process Principles. Prentice Hall PTR, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
2. McCabe W, Smith J, and Harriott P,(2001). Unit Operations of Chemical Engineering. 7th Edition, McGraw Hill.
General Methods of Drying
- Batch
Material is inserted into the drying equipment
and drying proceeds for given period of time.

- Continuous
Material is continuously added to the dryer and
dried material continuously removed.

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DRYING
- Drying - categorized according to the physical
conditions used to add heat and remove water vapor;

1. Direct contact with heated air at atmospheric

pressure, and water vapor removed by the air.

2. Vacuum drying – heated indirectly by contact with

a metal wall or by radiation.

3. Freeze drying – water is sublimed from the frozen

material.

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EQUIPMENT FOR DRYING

• Tray dryer.
• Vacuum-shelf indirect dryers.
• Continuous tunnel dryers.
- tunnel dryer trucks with countercurrent air flow.
- through-circulation screen conveyor dryer.
• Rotary dryers.
• Drum dryers.
• Spray dryers.

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Continuous Tunnel Dryers
风扇 Heater

进气

In Out

排气口 Trolley

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Rotary Dryers

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Drum Dryers

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Spray Dryers

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VAPOR PRESSURE OF WATER & HUMIDITY

• Introduction
- calculation involve properties and concentration of
mixtures of water vapor and air.

• Humidification
- transfer of water from the liquid phase into a gaseous
mixture of air and water vapor.

• Dehumidification
- reverse transfer where the water vapor is transferred
from the vapor state to the liquid state. 9
Vapor pressure of water and physical states

solid region liquid region

C B
(1) (2)
A vapor region
(3) (4)

Pressure
D

Temperature

Pure water – solid ice, liquid & vapor depends on P & T.

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Humidity & Humidity chart

1. Humidity, H – the kg of water vapor contained in 1 kg

of dry air.
18.02 pA
H 
28.97 P  p A
where,
pA = partial pressure of water vapor in the air.
Saturated air – water vapor in equilibrium with liquid water.
pA = pAS
where, pAS = saturated vapor pressure.

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Humidity & Humidity chart
2. Saturated humidity, HS
18.02 p AS
HS 
28.97 P  p AS

3. Percentage humidity, HP
H
HP  100
HS

4 Percentage relative humidity, HR

pA
H R  100
p AS
note: HP  HR p A P  p AS
HP  100
where, p AS P  p A

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Humidity & Humidity chart
5. Dew point
- the temperature at which a given mixture of
air and water vapor would be saturated.
- or temperature at which vapor begins to
condense when the gas phase is cooled at
constant pressure.
6. Humid heat cS
- amount of heat required to raise the temperature of
1 kg of dry air plus the water vapor present by 1 K.
cS (kJ/kg dry air.K) = 1.005 + 1.88H (SI)
where,
cP water(v) = 1.88 kJ/kg water vapor. K
cP air = 1.005 kJ/kg dry air. K
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 Humidity measurement

1. Wet Base

′
𝑘𝑔 𝑚𝑜𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒
𝑋 =
𝑘𝑔 𝑑𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑 + 𝑘𝑔 𝑚𝑜𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒

2. Dry Base

𝑘𝑔 𝑚𝑜𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒
𝑋=
𝑘𝑔 𝑑𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑
Humidity & Humidity chart
7. Humid volume, vH
- total volume (m3) of 1 kg of dry air plus the vapor it contains at 1 atm
abs pressure and the given gas temp.
vH (m3/kg dry air) = (2.83 x 10-3 + 4.56 x 10-3 H) T (K).

8. Total enthalpy of an air-water mixture, HY

- the total enthalpy of 1 kg of air plus its water vapor.
- sensible heat of the air-water vapor mixture plus the latent heat.

HY (kJ/kg dry air) = (1.005 + 1.88 H) (T ºC-0) + 2501.4

where,
Tref for both components = 0 ºC 16
Humidity & Humidity chart
9. Humidity chart, (Fig. 9.3-2 pg. 568.)
- a convenient chart of the properties of air- water vapor
mixture at 1.0 atm abs pressure.
- the humidity, H is plotted versus the actual
temperature of the air-water vapor mixture.
- saturation humidity HS = 100% curve.

Adiabatic sat. curve % HP

100 % HS H

Twet bulb Tdry bulb

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Example:
Use of Humidity Chart
Air entering a dryer has a temperature (dry bulb temperature) of 60°C
(140°F) and a dew point of 26.7°C (80°F). Using the humidity chart,
determine the actual humidity H, percentage humidity HP, humid heat
cS, and humid volume νH in SI and English units.

Solution: The dew point of 26.7°C is the temperature when the given
mixture is at 100% saturation. Starting at 26.7°C (Fig. 9.3-2), and
drawing a vertical line until it intersects the line for 100% humidity, a
humidity of H = 0.0225 kg H2O/kg dry air is read off the plot. This is
the actual humidity of the air at 60°C. Stated in another way, if air at
60°C and having a humidity H = 0.0225 is cooled, its dew point will be
26.7°C. In English units, H = 0.0225 lb H2O/lb dry air.

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Example:
Locating this point where H = 0.0225 and t = 60°C on the chart, the percentage
humidity HP is found to be 14%, by linear interpolation vertically between the 10
and 20% lines. The humid heat for H = 0.0225 is, from Eq. (9.3-6),

The humid volume at 60°C (140°F), from Eq. (9.3-7), is

In English units,

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Adiabatic saturation temp. TS

- The steady-state temperature attained when a large amounts of

water is contacted with the entering gas.
- Adiabatic saturation lines  lines having the same adiabatic
saturation temperature.
- Temperature and humidity of the gas are changed.
- This means that the total enthalpy of the entering gas mixture =
enthalpy of the leaving gas mixture.
cS T  TS   HS  cS TS  TS   H S S

or,
H  HS cS 1.005  1.88H
- 
T  TS S S

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Example:
Adiabatic Saturation of Air
An air stream at 87.8 ºC having a humidity H = 0.030 kg
H2O/kg dry air is contacted in an adiabatic saturator with
water. It is cooled and humidified to 90 % saturation.
(a) What are the final values of H and T ?
(b) For 100 % saturation, what would be the values of
H and T ?
Solution,
(a) The adiabatic saturation curve through this point is
followed upward to the left until it intersects the 90 % line
at 42.5 ºC and H = 0.0500 kg H2O/kg dry air.
(b) The same line is followed to 100 % saturation, where
T = 40.5 ºC and H = 0.0505 kg H2O/kg dry air.
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Example:
(a)
H = 0.05
90 % H = 0.03

42.5ºC 87.8ºC
(b)

H = 0.0505
100 % H = 0.03

T = 40.5ºC T = 87.8ºC

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Wet bulb temperature TW
- Steady-state non-equilibrium temperature reached when a
small amount of water is contacted under adiabatic conditions
by a continuous stream of gas.
- Steady state temp. attained by a wet-bulb thermometer under
standardized condition.
- The temperature and humidity of the gas are not changed.
- At TW = TS, the convective heat transfer and wet bulb lines.
q  M B k y W HW  H A
MB is the molecular weight of air
W is the latent heat of vaporization at TW
or, ky is the mass-transfer coefficient

H  HW h M Bk y

T  TW W 24
Example:
Wet Bulb Temperature and Humidity
A water vapor-air mixture having a dry bulb temperature of
T = 60 ºC is passed over a wet bulb as shown in Fig. 9.3-4 and
the wet bulb temperature obtained is TW = 29.5 ºC . What is the
humidity of the mixture?

thermometer reads TW
makeup water
TW TW

gas
gas
T, H
T, H
wick
Fig. 9.3-4: Measurement of wet bulb temperature.
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Example:
Solution
The wet bulb temperature of 29.5 ºC can be assumed to be the
same as the adiabatic saturation temperature TS, as discussed.
Following the adiabatic saturation curve of 29.5 ºC until it
reaches the dry bulb temperature of 60 ºC, the humidity is H =
0.0135 kg H2O/kg dry air.

Adiabatic sat. curve

H =0.0135

Tw = 29.5 ºC Tdry bulb = 60 ºC

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