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Mathematical Model for Batch Drying in an Inert Medium Fluidized Bed

By Dong-Hyun Lee and Sang-Done Kim* A modified three-phase model is proposed for batch drying of fine powders in an inert medium fluidized bed. The overall heat and mass transfer coefficients between the interstitial gas and solid phases have been determined by the proposed surfacestripping model in which the Biot number is a governing parameter. The effects of gas velocity, inlet gas temperature and mass ratio of starch to inert particles on the drying characteristics of starch in a 0.083 m ID 0.80 m high medium fluidized bed have been determined. Based on the proposed model, the internal resistance of mass transfer at the powder is equal to the external resistance. The model predicts well the bed temperature, humidity of outlet gas, moisture content of solid particles, heat and mass transfer in an inert medium fluidized bed.

1 Introduction
The analysis of the drying phenomenon in fluidized beds is more complicated than that of heat or mass transfer alone. Different mechanisms control the constant- and falling-rate drying regimes that can be observed successively in the drying operation [1]. It is rather difficult to fluidize fine powders of group C in the Geldart classification in conventional fluidized beds since fine powders easily agglomerate. Lee and Kim [2] reported that fine powders can be successfully dried in an inert medium fluidized bed where fine powders are dried in a fluidized bed of coarse particles. The agglomerates of fine powders are disintegrated by collisions to coarse particles so that fine powders are uniformly dispersed in the bed. Thus, fine powders move through the bed while adhering to the coarse particles, dried and entrained from the bed due to the difference of particle terminal velocities. Arai et al. [3] proposed a model with the assumptions of uniform temperature and concentrations in the radial direction of the bed, negligible heat and mass transfer rates in the axial direction, uniform temperature and moisture content within the particles, and piston-type gas flow in a batch fluidized bed. Hoebink and Rietema [4,5] considered the mass transfer across the cloud boundary during bubble ascent and the internal diffusion in the solid particles in drying operation. Palancz [6] proposed the three-phase model (dilute-bubble, interstitial gas and solid phases) to characterize the drying process. Lai et al. [7] did not assume the constant specific heat capacity of drying gases [6] and described the dynamic interactions between the solid and gas phases. Viswanathan et al. [8] considered fluid-particle mass transfer and proposed the nonlinear model equations for different equilibrium relationships with variations of solid moisture content and the time taken for steady-state condition. Chandran et al. [9] proposed a kinetic model for the drying of solids in the batch or continuous fluidized beds. The mathematical models to
[*] D.-H. Lee, S.-D. Kim (author to whom correspondence should be addressed), Department of Chemical Engineering and Energy & Environment Research Center, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, TaeJon, 305-701, Korea.

predict the drying performance of conventional fluidized bed dryers have been developed [6,7,10] whereas the models for an inert medium fluidized bed dryer have not been developed yet. Therefore, in the present study, a comprehensive mathematical model is developed to predict the bed temperature, humidity of outlet gas, moisture content of solid particles, heat and mass transfer in an inert medium fluidized bed.

1.1 Surface-Stripping Model Due to attrition and entrainment of dried fine powders by fluidizing gas, the coating thickness of fines decreases with the drying time. The profile of the moisture content in the radial direction is shown in Fig. 1. Since the water vapor is depleted from the drying interface, the moisture content builds up in the radial direction.

Figure 1. Radial moisture content profile in a media particle coated with fine powders.

Using the modified mass transfer coefficients, the drying rate (Rd) at the solid surface is Rd = Kgsfs(Css CI) where fs is approximately equal to (MA/MW)/(MA/MW + Css)1). Also, the drying rate at the drying front (Rd) is Rd = KssfE(Cws Css) where Kss, fE, Cws and Css are the mass transfer coefficient
1) List of symbols at the end of the paper.

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Full Paper within powders, the humidity-potential coefficient at the evaporative front, the humidity of the wet solid and of the solid surface, respectively. With the drying rates (Rd) at the solid surface and at the drying front, a newly defined drying rate (Rd) can be defined by using the overall mass transfer coefficient (KIS) as (1) taking fE = fs, the overall mass transfer coefficient KIS is (2) where BiM (= Kgs/Kss) is the Biot number for mass transfer. Similarly for heat transfer, the overall heat transfer coefficient (hIS) is given by (3) where BiH [= hgs(rf rc)/ke] is the Biot number for heat transfer. The external mass transfer coefficient between gas and solid (Kgs) and the interstitial gas-to-particle heat transfer coefficient (hgs) are given by respectively Kettening et al. [11] and Kotari [12] as for 3.0 Rep 100 (4) Ub = (Ug Umf) + Ubr (9) where k = 0.64 for Dt < 0.1 m, k = 1.60(Dt/[m])0.4 for 0.1 Dt 1.0 m, and k = 1.60 for Dt > 1.0 m. The absolute velocity of a cloud of bubble in the bed [14] is

The fraction of the bubble phase (d) in the bed can be expressed as d = 1 (Hmf / Hb) where Hb/Hmf is given by Babu et al. [15]. (10)

for 0.1 Rep 100

(5)

1.2 Flow Patterns It is assumed that the inert medium fluidized beds can be divided into three phases, namely, the dilute or bubble phase, the interstitial gas phase and the solid phase. The last two phases are usually considered as a single phase in terms of emulsion or dense phase (Fig. 2). The flow rate of the interstitial gas phase can be expressed based on the emulsion phase at minimum fluidization condition as (6) On the other hand, the flow rate in the bubble phase is (7) According to Werther [13], a single bubble rising velocity relative to the emulsion phase depends on the bubble size and on the column diameter. (8)

Figure 2. Schematic diagram of flow pattern in an inert medium fluidized bed.

2 Mathematical Model
The present model is based on the three-phase system (bubble phase, interstitial gas phase and solid phase) as shown in Fig. 3 [6,7]. Lee and Kim [2] proposed the drying mechanism of an inert medium fluidized bed according to the following processes: i) adhesion or dispersion of fine to the neighboring coarse particles, ii) evaporating of moisture by heat, and iii) disintegration of particles due to attrition and the dried fine powders exhausted with exit gas. The interstitial gas phase

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Full Paper remains at minimum fluidization condition, and the excess gas flow above minimum fluidization velocity passes through the bed as bubbles. The fluid in the bubble and interstitial gas phases and the solid particles are considered to be continual. Additional simplifying assumptions imposed in the present model are as follows: l The bubble phase is free of solids and the bubble size is uniform. l The bubble movement through the bed is in plug flow. l The clouds surrounding the rising bubbles are very thin, therefore mass and energy in the bubble phase exchange with the interstitial gas phase only. l The mechanical properties of the fluid phase in the fluidized bed are characterized by d, Hb, and Umf which are timeinvariant. l The interstitial gas and solid particles are in a perfectly mixed state. l The residence time distribution of fine powders has a log normal distribution. l The initial temperature and moisture content of fine powders are assumed to be uniform. l The internal resistance of solid to mass and heat transfer is present. From the surface-stripping model, KIS and hIS can be defined. Also, the average moisture content and temperature of fine powders are assumed to be constant in the radial direction. l Media particles are considered to be uniform in size, shape and physical properties. l Viscous dissipation is negligible. With the dimensionless terms, the following normalizing variables have been employed; Tr (reference temperature = 100 C), xf (initial moisture content), Cr (saturation concentration at Tr ), tf (total drying time of fine powders), Rc (constant drying rate at Tr) and Hb (expanded bed height). The holdups of inert medium particles and fine powders are given by (11)

Figure 3. Schematic diagram of batch drying in an inert medium fluidized bed.

where tf is the final drying time and the initial condition is Wsf = Wsfo at t = 0. The dimensionless radius of fine powder is given by (15) with the dimensionless initial condition of r* = 1 at t* = 0.

(12)

(13) where M represents the average number of particles in the bed with the average radius (rc) and solid density (rsc), r* and a are the radius ratio between the initial and transient coated particles (rf/rfo) and radius ratio (rc/rfo), respectively. 2.1 Elutriation of Dried Fine Powders The elutriation rate of fine powders in the beds is given by (14) 2.2 Solid Phase The transient mass balance of water in solids is given by (16) where Rd is the drying rate (kg/m2s) with the initial condition of x * = xf, at t = 0.

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Full Paper Therefore, the dimensionless concentration of water in solids with the dimensionless initial condition of x * = 1, at t * = 0 is given by where e1 and N4 are the dimensionless parameters and CD* and CI* are the dimensionless concentrations. The order of magnitude of e1 is 103 while the others, such as N1 to N8, are at least one. Therefore, the mass balance for the bubble phases can be taken at pseudo-steady state. The dimensionless humidity balance is given by (23) with the dimensionless boundary condition of x = 0, and CD* = Cgf*. The dimensionless concentration of bubble gas is given by (18) CD* (x) = CI* + (Cgf* CI*) exp [ N4x] Similarly, the temperature of bubble gas is given by where HIS is the overall heat transfer coefficient between interstitial gas and solids with the initial condition of T S = Tbi at t = 0. TD* (x) = TI* + (Tgf* TI*) exp [ N3x] (25) (24)

(17) where N2, t*, r, r*, R* and a are the total drying time/drying time of single solid, dimensionless time, radius of particle and dimensionless radius of particle, dimensionless drying rate and the radius ratio (rc/rf0), respectively. The corresponding sensible energy balance is given by

Therefore, the dimensionless equation of particle temperature is

The heat and mass transfer coefficients between the bubble and interstitial gas phases in the above equations follow the classical Davidson and Harrison [14] analysis as (26)

(19) (27) with the dimensionless initial condition of T S* = Tbi / Tr at t* = 0. where KDI and HDI are the mass and heat transfer coefficients between the bubble and interstitial gas phases.

The total enthalpy is given by l x + Cpsf (1 + b2 + b3) TS (20) 2.4 Interstitial Gas Phase The mass balance of water vapor is given by (28)

where l is latent heat of evaporation. Consequently, the total enthalpy would remain constant while a particle is dried without any energy interactions with its surroundings.

2.3 Bubble Phase The humidity balance of bubble gas is given by (21) where d is the volume fraction of bubbles in the bed. Therefore, the dimensionless humidity equation of bubble gas is (22)

with the initial condition of CI = Cgf at t = 0.

The dimensionless equation of water vapor is given by (29) with the dimensionless initial condition of CI* = Cgf / Cr at t* = 0.

The order of e2 is larger than e1 since Ub is larger than Umf.

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Full Paper The sensible energy balance of interstitial gas with the initial condition of TI = Tbi at t = 0 is given by

(30)

The dimensionless equation of interstitial gas temperature is given by (31) with the dimensionless initial condition of TI* = Tbi / Tr at t* = 0

In the present study, we can approximate the drying rate by evaporation from the surface at a constant rate in a horizontal segment and a falling rate in the internal diffusion limitation. The variation of the drying rate in a fixed bed dryer is shown in Fig. 4. A critical moisture content appears at xC = 0.22 kg H2O/ kg dry solid. Then, the drying rate is given by the following expression (32) where (33) The average vapor concentration (Cs) at the medium particles is assumed to be that of water at saturated conditions; thus, it can be calculated from the ideal gas law and the Antoine's equation [16]. Therefore, the dimensionless drying rate is given by (34) with (35)

Figure 4. Normalized drying rate curve of starch particles.

A block diagram of the calculation procedure is presented in Fig. 5.

3 Model Test
The overall heat and mass transfer coefficients between interstitial gas and solids can be determined from the surfacestripping model based on the data of starch drying in an inert medium fluidized bed at different air velocities and temperature levels [2].
Chem. Eng. Technol. 22 (1999) 5,

The surface-stripping model based on the drying mechanism in an inert medium fluidized bed considers the moisture content profile in the radial direction since the water vapor is depleted from the drying surface. The Biot number (BiM) is used as a parameter to determine the mass transfer coefficient between interparticle and external gas film. The variations of bed temperature, humidity of outlet gas and free moisture content of solids as a function of the drying time are shown in Fig. 6. The predicted and measured bed temperatures at the gas velocity of 0.54 m/s and at an inlet gas temperature of 60 C in the inert medium fluidized bed of 0.4 mm glass beads are shown in Fig. 6(A). As can be seen, the bed temperature initially decreases by evaporation, but it increases later due to microdiffusion of moisture into the pores of powder during the falling rate period with time. The predicted bed temperature agrees well with the experimental value at BiM = 1.0 which may indicate that the internal resistance of mass transfer at the particle is identical to the external resistance. The variation of outlet air humidity with drying time is shown in Fig. 6(B). The absolute humidity initially increases sharply and then decreases since moisture in the powder is initially vaporized by the hot inlet gas, but the absolute humidity of the powder decreases sharply with the drying time due to microdiffusion of moisture in the pores of powder during the falling rate period. The predicted values of the gas humidity at BiM = 1.0 give the similar values with the experimental values. The variation of free moisture content in the solids with drying time is shown in Fig. 6(C). The free moisture content decreases exponentially with the drying time since moisture in the powder is vaporized by the hot inlet gas. The predicted value of free moisture content at BiM = 1.0 also agrees reasonably well with the experimental data. The variation of bed temperature with drying time at BiM = 1.0 is shown in Fig. 7 as a function of the gas velocity, bed
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Figure 6. Variations of bed temperature (A), outlet gas humidity (B), and free moisture content (C) with drying time in the fluidized bed (Ug = 0.54 m/s; Tin = 60 oC).

particles increases with increasing gas velocity. The calculated inlet gas temperature (60 C) and S/I ratio (0.2) at BiM = 1.0 are lower than the experimental values since the external resistance is higher than the internal resistance (Fig. 7(B). On the other hand, the calculated values of the inlet gas temperature (80 C) and S/I ratio (0.2) is higher than the experimental one since the external resistance is lower than the internal resistance as the inlet gas temperature is increased.

4 Conclusions
A mathematical model of an inert medium fluidized bed for batch drying is developed. The surface-stripping model for the modification of the overall heat and mass transfer coefficients between interparticle and external gas film is proposed in which the governing parameter is the Biot number for mass transfer. This modified three-phase model can predict bed temperature, humidity of outlet gas and moisture content of solid particles. The results are in good agreement with the experimental findings on heat and mass transfer in an inert medium fluidized bed.

Figure 5. Block diagram of the calculation procedure.

temperature and mass ratio of starch to inert particle (S/I). The predicted bed temperatures at BiM = 1.0 agree well with the experimental values, as can be seen in Fig. 7(A). Palancz [6] reported that heat and mass transfer between bubble and interstitial gas phases and between interstitial gas and solid

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Full Paper dp dpm e1 e2 particle diameter media particle diameter coated with fine powders [] bubble residence time/total drying time, (Hb/Ub)/tf [] interstitial gas residence time/total drying time [(1d)Hb/Umf]/tf [m/s2] acceleration of gravity [m3/s] volumetric flow rate of bubble phase [m3/s] volumetric flow rate of interstitial gas phase [m] expanded bed height [W/(m2 K)] bubble-to-interstitial gas heat transfer coefficient [W/(m2 K)] interstitial gas-to-particle heat transfer coefficient [W/(m2 K)] overall gas-to-particle heat transfer coefficient [1/s] bubble-to-interstitial gas mass transfer coefficient [W/(kg m)] effective thermal conductivity [W/(kg m)] gas phase thermal conductivity [1/s] external mass transfer coefficient between gas and solid [1/s] overall gas-to-particle mass transfer coefficient [kg/(m2 s)] mass transfer coefficient within the solid [] number of media particle [kg/(kg mol)] molecular weight of air [kg/(kg mol)] molecular weight of water time of total drying/single particle heating, tf/[(4/3)prfo3(1a3)rsCpsf /4pfo2HIS] total drying time/single drying time at initial condition, tf/[(4/3)pf03(1a3)rsxf /4prfo2Rc] bubble residence time/heating time of bubble phase through bubble-emulsion interface, (Hb/Ub)/[AbdHbrgCpg/AbdHbHDI] bubble residence time/mass transfer time between bubble and emulsion Hb/Ub/(1/KDI) interstitial gas residence time/heating time of interstitial gas at initial condition (1d)Hb/Umf/(1d)HbAbr gCpg/4prfo2MHIS bubble volume/emulsion volume [(1d)Hb/Umf/(dHbAbrgCp g/dHbAbHDI)](d/1d) interstitial gas residence time/mass transfer time of emulsion through gas-solid interface (1d)Hb/Umf/(1d)HbAbCr/4prfo2MRc (interstitial gas residence time)(bubble volume)/(mass transfer between bubble and emulsion) [d(1d)Hb/Umf]/[(1/KDI)(1d)]
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[m] [m]

g Gb Gi Hb hDI hgs hIS

Figure 7. Variation of bed temperature with drying time as a function of inlet gas velocity, temperatures and S/I ratios in the fluidized bed (BiM = 1).

KDI ke kg

Acknowledgement
The authors wish to express their gratitude to the Korea Foundation for Academic Promotion for finanical support.
Received: May 19, 1998 [CET 1012]

Kgs

KIS Kss M MA MW N1 N2 N3

Symbols used
Ab Bi BiM CD Cgf CI Cpg Cpsc Cpsf Cpw Cr Css Cws db D Deff [m2] [] [] [kg H2O/kg dry air] [kg H2O/kg dry air] [kg H2O/kg dry air] [kJ/(kg C)] [kJ/(kg C)] [kJ/(kg C)] [kJ/(kg C)] [kg H2O/kg air] [kg H2O/kg air] [kg H2O/kg air] [m] [m2/s] [m2/s] surface area of bubble Biot number for heat transfer hgs(rfrc)/ke Biot number for mass transfer Kgs/Kss humidity of bubble phase humidity of inlet gas phase humidity of interstitial gas phase specific heat capacity specific heat capacity of coarse particle specific heat capacity of fine particle specific heat capacity of water saturation humidity of gas at Tr humidity of solid surface humidity of wet solid effective bubble diameter diffusivity of vapor effective diffusivity of vapor

N4

N5

N6 N7

N8

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Full Paper Nu r* R* Rc rc Rd Rep rf rfo S/I Sh Tb Tbi TD tf Tgf Ti Tr Ts Ub Ug Umf WD Wsc Wsf Wsfo X X* Xcr Xe Xf [] [] [] [kg H2O/(m2 hr)] [m] [kg H2O/(m2 hr)] [] Nusselt number, hgs dp/kg dimensionless radius, rf/rf0 dimensionless drying rate constant drying rate at Tr mean radius of media particle drying rate Reynolds number of particle, dprgUg/m [m] mean radius of coated particle [m] mean radius of coated particle at initial condition [] mass ratio of starch to inert particle [] Sherwood number, Kgsdp/D [ C] bed temperature [ C] bed temperature at initial condition [ C] bubble gas temperature [min] total drying time [ C] inlet gas temperature [ C] interstitial gas temperature [ C] reference temperature at boiling point of water [ C] solid temperature [m/s] bubble rising velocity [m/s] inlet gas velocity [m/s] minimum fluidization velocity [kg H2O/(m2 h)] drying rate [kg] initial weight of coarse particle [kg] weight of fine particle [kg] initial weight of fine particle [kg H2O/kg dry solid] moisture content in solids at any time [] dimensionless moisture content in solids [kg H2O/kg solid] critical moisture content [kg H2O/kg-dry solid] equilibrium moisture content [kg H2O/kg dry solid] initial moisture content b2 b3 d rg rl rsc rsf k l x fE fs heat capacity of water in initial fine solid/heat capacity of dry fine solid, Cpwxf/Cpsf heat capacity of the coarse particle/heat capacity of the fine particle, rscCpsc/rsfCpsf [] volume fraction of the bed in bubbles [kg/m] air density [kg/m] water density [kg/m] inert particle density [kg/m] fine particle density [] constant in (10) [kcal/kg H2O] latent heat of vaporization [] dimensionless height [] humidity-potential coefficient at an evaporating front [] humidity-potential coefficient at the solid surface

References
[1] Kunii, D.; Levenspiel, O., Fluidization Engineering, ButterworthHeinemann, Boston 1991. [2] Lee, D. H.; Kim, S. D., Chem. Eng. Technol. 16 (1993) pp. 263269. [3] Aria, N.; Hori, I.; Hasatani, M.; Sugiyama, S., J. Chem. Eng. Japa, 13 (1980) pp. 6568. [4] Hoebink, J. H. B. J.; Rietema, K., Chem. Eng. Sci. 35 (1980) pp. 21352140. [5] Hoebink, J. H. B. J.; Rietema, K., Chem. Eng. Sci. 35(1980) pp. 22572265. [6] Palancz, B., Chem. Eng. Sci. 38 (1983) pp. 10451059. [7] Lai, F. S.; Chen, Y.; Fan, L. T., Chem. Eng. Sci. 41 (1986) pp. 24192430. [8] Viswanathan, K., Can. J. Chem. Eng. 64 (1986) pp. 8795. [9] Chandran, A. N.; Rao, S. S.; Varma, Y. B. G., AIChE J. 36 (1990) pp. 29 38. [10] Tsamopoulos, J. A.; Georgakis, C., Chem. Eng. Commun. 23 (1983) pp. 343-362. [11] Kettenring, K. N.; Manderfield, E. L.; Smith, J. M., Chem. Eng. Progr. 46 (1950) pp. 139145. [12] Kotari, A. K., M. S. Thesis, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago 1967. [13] Werther, J., Chem. Ing. Tech. 49 (1977) pp. 777785 [14] Davidson, J. F.; Harrison, D., Fluidized Particles, Cambridge University Press 1963. [15] Babu, S. P.; Shah, B.; Talwalker, A., AIChE Symp. Series 74 (1978) pp. 176-186. [16] Reid, R. C.; Frausnitz, J. M.; Sherwood, T. K., The Properties of Gases and Liquids, McGraw Hill, 3rd Ed. 1977.

Greek symbols a b1 [] radius ratio, rc/rfo maximum temparature decrease of solids due to evaporation/reference temperature, (xfl/Cpsf)/Tr

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