Off-Design Exergy Analysis of Convective Drying Using a Two-Phase Multispecies Model

Abstract

The design of a convective drying cycle could be challenging because its thermodynamic performance depends on a wide range of operating parameters. Further, the initial product properties and environmental conditions fluctuate during the production, affecting the final product quality, environmental impact, and energy usage. An off-design analysis distinguishes the effects of different parameters defining the setup with the best and more stable performance. This study analyzes a reference scenario configured as an existing system and three system upgrades to recover the supplied energy and avoid heat and air dumping in the atmosphere. We calculate their performance for different seasons, initial product moisture, input/output rate, and two products. The analysis comprises 16 simulation cases, the solutions of a two-phase multispecies Euler–Euler model that simulates the thermodynamic equilibrium in all components. Results discuss the combination of parameters that maximizes the evaporation rate and produces the highest benefits on global performance up to doubling the reference levels. The advantages of heat recovery vary by the amount of wasted energy, increasing the exergy efficiency by a maximum of 17%. Energy needs for air recirculation cut the performance at least by 50%. Concluding remarks present the technical guidelines to reduce energy use and optimize production.