Drying of coarse particles in a vertical pneumatic conveyor

In the present work, one-dimensional two-phase continuum models were applied to simulate the pneumatic drying of porous alumina and solid glass particles. Pressure profiles, gas and solid temperature, and gas and solids moisture profiles were obtained in a 53.4-mm conveying tube. For both particles, maximum values of gas-to-particle heat transfer coefficients were obtained at air velocities close to the minimum pressure gradient velocity. Experimental temperature and moisture profiles of gas and solids were compared to simulated predictions, showing that models based on the two-phase flow approach fail to predict all the observed physical phenomena in simultaneous momentum, heat, and mass transfer for pneumatic drying of coarse particles. However, using adequate correlations and constitutive equations to predict interaction forces and transport parameters, it was possible to obtain good predictions of gas and solid temperature profiles and of moisture content.