A model for the thermodynamic analysis in a batch type fluidized bed dryer

An original model for thermodynamic analysis of a batch type fluidized bed dryer is proposed herein considering two separate systems comprised of drying air medium as a control volume and particles to be dried as a control mass. By means of the proposed model, energetic and exergetic analyses of a drying column of a batch type fluidized bed dryer are carried out as an original contribution to literature since there is no such like model in which the analyses are performed considering two separate systems. The energetic efficiencies evaluated by means of the proposed model using the data in literature are compared with those in literature and a good conformity is satisfied with an acceptable error margin of +/- 9%. A new correlation is also developed with a mean deviation of 10% in order to evaluate the energetic efficiency for not only corn drying process but also drying processes of other particles at inlet air temperature of 50 degrees C. Effects of air mass flow rate, mass of particle and ambient temperature on energetic and exergetic efficiencies are analyzed and some concluding remarks are highlighted for further studies. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.