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2 0 1 0 4 - M a s s

Tr a n s f e r

2 :

E x p e r i m e n t

Tr a y

D r y e r

OBJECTIVES

This Experiment 2 with title Tray Dryer has been conducted in the laboratory with the
objectives:
i.

To produce drying and drying rate curves for a wet solid being dried with air of

ii.
iii.

fixed temperature and humidity.

To determine the total moisture content,XT and free moisture content,X of sand.
To identify the critical moisture content, equilibrium moisture content, constant

iv.

rate period and falling rate period.

To operate tray dryer

2.0

SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
From the experiment, the objective to produce drying and drying rate curves for a

wet solid being dried with air of fixed temperature and humidity has been achieved. The
sand is used as wet solid where it is dried using tray dryer to obtain its drying rate curves.
Based on the result, the reading was taken from 0 minutes to 55 minutes. The mass of wet
sand is weighted from time to time to calculated its moisture loss by applying heat and air
velocity. The average inlet temperature of dry bulb and wet bulb is 60C and 32C,
respectively while average outlet temperature of dry bulb and wet bulb is 60C and 32C
where it can be concluded that both bulb temperature is constant during experiment. The
air velocity is also constant throughout the experiment which is 1.267 m/s. Based on the
result, the moisture content is reduced by time and minimum moisture content is recorded
and calculated. The graph of drying rate versus free moisture content has been plotted to
find its relationship. The further information has been discussed in discussion part.

3.0

RESULTS / DATA

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Table A
Description
Weight of empty tray
Weight of dry sand + tray
Weight of dry sand
Weight of wet sand + tray
Weight of wet sand
Air velocity

Unit
g
g
g
g
g
m/s

Value
338.0
731.9
393.9
811.9
473.9
1.267

Table B
Time (min)

Mass of wet

0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60

sand (g)
811.9
801.3
791.3
782.9
774.0
766.6
759.3
752.0
743.6
737.3
733.6
732.3
732.1

Inlet ( 0C)
Dry bulb
59
62
60
58
59
54
60
60
62
62
61
61
61

Wet bulb

Outlet ( 0C)
Dry bulb

Wet bulb

32
32
33
33
32
30
33
32
32
32
33
32
30

54
62
60
56
61
59
62
63
61
61
62
60
62

30
33
33
32
34
32
32
33
32
32
32
31
33

Table C
Time (min)

Mass of wet

Total Moisture

Free Moisture

Drying

0
5
10
15
20
25
30

sand (g)
811.9
801.3
791.3
782.9
774.0
766.6
759.3

content, Xt
1.0612
1.0343
1.0089
0.9876
0.9650
0.9462
0.9276

Content, X
0.2025
0.1757
0.1503
0.1290
0.1064
0.0876
0.0690

39.2441
37.0558
31.0743
32.9709
27.4271
27.1353
26.9894

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35
40
45
50
55
60

2 0 1 0 4 - M a s s

Tr a n s f e r

752.0
743.6
737.3
733.6
732.3
732.1

2 :

E x p e r i m e n t

0.9091
0.8878
0.8718
0.8624
0.8591
0.8586

Tr a y

D r y e r

0.0505
0.0292
0.0132
0.0038
0.0005
0

Graph 1: Drying rate against free moisture content

31.0743
23.3422
13.7136
4.8143
0.7294
0

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Graph 2: Free moisture content against time

From the graph :

The critical moisture content is at 31.0743 drying rate

The falling period is at 0.505 until 0.0038 moisture content
The equilibrium moisture content is at minute 55 and 0.0005 moisture content
The constant period is at 0.1064 - 0.069 moisture content which between minute
20 to minute 30

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DISCUSSION
This experiment has been conducted in order to produce drying and drying rate

curves for a wet solid being dried with air of fixed temperature and humidity.This
experiment started by filling the tray about 10 mm and the weight of the sand has been
measured accurately.The sand then was sprayed with saturated water and weight of the
wet sand was recorded.In order to produce the drying and the drying rate,the wet sand
was located in the heater with power control was set to maximum and was remains
constant during the lab session.During every 5 minutes intervals the total weight of the
sand was recorded.
Based on the results that have been recorded,a graph of drying rate against the free
moisture content and a graph of free moisture content against time was plotted.Based on
the first graph,it can be said that drying rate is directly proportional to the free moisture
content.This can be explained by the effect of the relative humidity towards the free
moisture content.The free moisture content can be said that the total moisture that can be
remove by the given percentage of relative humidity.From this factor,relative humidity is

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depends on the temperature and pressure of the system interest.When moisture gradient
has been set up as following surface drying the difference in vapour pressure between the
core and surface may be regarded as the driving force causing the outward movement of
moisture. The vapour pressure exerted by water rises very rapidly with increasing
temperature and the rate of increase itself is greater.
From the graph,the value of critical moisture content,equilibrium moisture
content,constant rate period and falling rate period have been identified.From the
graph,the critical moisture content is 31.0743.Critical moisture content is said as the
average moisture throughout a solid material being dried, its value being related to drying
rate, thickness of material,and the factors that influence the movement of moisture within
the solid.Besides that,the equilibrium moisture content obtained is at minute 55 and
0.0005 moisture content.The equilibrium moisture content (EMC) is the moisture content
at which the sand is neither gaining nor losing moisture this however, is a dynamic
equilibrium and changes with relative humidity and temperature.If the sand is placed in
an environment at a particular temperature and relative humidity, its moisture content will
generally begin to change in time, until it is finally in equilibrium with its surroundings,
and the moisture content no longer changes in time. This moisture content is the EMC of
the wood for that temperature and relative humidity.
Furthermore,the constant rate period obtained is between 0.1064 to 0.069 moisture
content which occur during minute 20 to minute 30.During this period,the surface of the
material remains saturated with liquid water because the movement of water within the
material to surface is the same as the rate of evaporation. Drying takes place by
movement of water vapor from saturated surface through a stagnant air film into the main
a stream of drying air. The rate of drying is dependent on the rate of heat transfer to the
drying material and is equal to the rate of mass transfer, thus the temperature of the
drying material remains constant. This continues until the critical moisture content is
reached.After it critical moisture content point reached,the rate of drying will start to
falling down.From the graph falling period has been identified which between 0.0505
until 0.0038 moisture content.At this point,drying rate slowly decreases until is
approaches zero at the equilibrium moisture content where the material comes to

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equilibrium with the drying air.In the first section, the surface is drying out and is known
as unsaturated drying. The second section in which the plane of evaporation moves into
the drying material and the drying rate falls further. This second falling period is also
known as the saturated dying.

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CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS

In order to fulfill the objective of this experiment which to produce produce drying

and drying rate curves for a wet solid being dried with air of fixed temperature and
humidity an experiment has been conducted.From the overall result obtained the drying
curve relating total moisture content as a function of time has been plotted.From
that,critical moisture content is at 31.0734 drying rate,falling period is at 0.0505 until
0.0038 moisture content,equilibrium moisture content is at minute 55 and 0.0005
moisture content and lastly the constant period is between 0.1064 and 0.069 which occur
during minute 20 to minute 30.As the conclusion,the rate of drying is dependent on the
rate of heat transfer to the drying material and is equal to the rate of mass transfer, thus
the temperature of the drying material remains constant.If the sand is placed in an
environment at a particular temperature and relative humidity, its moisture content will
generally begin to change in time, until it is finally in equilibrium with its surroundings,
and the moisture content no longer changes in time.
There were few suggestion or solution for the problems that was stated before.
Firstly, the sand needed to be free from any kind of pollutant. For example, the sand
needed to be filter so that all pollutant can be removed especially the rocks. This problem
can influenced the weight of the sand that was weighed every 5 minutes. The solution for
the second problem was the drying process cannot be applied equally when put in
parallel. The solution for this problem iwas to allow only one tray in the dryer so that
drying process can be applied overall the surface area. The third problem was the surface
of the sand in the tray was uneven. The solution for this problem is to make sure the
surface of the sand was even. Use spoon or spatula if necessary. The surface of the sand
will effected of how quick the drying process and the thus effected the real weight. Other
than that, make sure to set the time and be alert when the time has come to weigh the
sand.

CPB 20104-Mass Transfer2: Experiment 2 Tray Dryer

6.0

P a g e |i

REFERENCES
1. Darren A. T., The Drying Curve, Applying The Drying Curve To Your Drying Process,
BNP Publisher, Australia, 2002.
2. Warren L., McCabe., Julian C.S., and Peter H., Unit operations of chemical engineering.
Seventh Edition, McGraw Hill, New York, 2005.