Cg. Carrington et al., Optimizing efficiency and productivity of a dehumidifier batch dryer. Part1: capacity and airflow, INT J ENERG, 24(3), 2000, pp. 187-204
A whole dryer model has been used to investigate the influence of the syste
m design on the efficiency and productivity of a batch-type dehumidifier dr
yer. The product is an easy-to-dry timber, Pinus radiata. The model, which
has been validated at both the dryer and dehumidifier levels, includes sub-
models for the whole dryer energy balance, control of preheating, temperatu
re and relative humidity, and the airflow system. The dynamic response of t
he system is illustrated and the influence of the dehumidifier capacity and
the kiln airflow rate on the dryer performance is established. The effect
of varying the airflow system losses is also determined. On the whole, dryi
ng speed and operating income increase with the dehumidifier capacity and t
he kiln airflow rate. The energy used by the dryer in a complete drying cyc
le is strongly influenced by the fan power requirements, and the airflow sy
stem losses have a significant adverse effect on the operating income. The
results demonstrate the importance of balancing the dehumidifier and the ai
rflow system losses in order to obtain an optimum combination of drying spe
ed and energy efficiency. Copyright (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.