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- All Subjects: Particles
- All Subjects: Rotary Drum
- Creators: Emady, Heather
This research utilizes infrared imaging to investigate the effects of fill level and rotation rate on the particle bed hydrodynamics and the average wall-particle heat transfer coefficient. 3 mm silica beads and a stainless steel rotary drum with a diameter of 6 in and a length of 3 in were used at fill levels of 10 %, 17.5 %, and 25 %, and rotation rates of 2 rpm, 6 rpm, and 10 rpm. Two full factorial designs of experiments were completed to understand the effects of these factors in the presence of conduction only (Case 1) and conduction with forced convection (Case 2). Particle-particle friction caused the particle bed to stagnate at elevated temperatures in Case 1, while the inlet air velocity in Case 2 dominated the particle friction effects to maintain the flow profile. The maximum heat transfer coefficient was achieved at a high rotation rate and low fill level in Case 1, and at a high rotation rate and high fill level in Case 2. Heat losses from the system were dominated by natural convection between the hot air in the drum and the external surroundings.
By testing 120-180 µm, 120-350 µm, 250-350 µm, and 430-600 µm dry glass bead ranges, an increase in diameter size is seen to result in both higher shear stress values and an increasing slope of plotted shear stress vs. applied normal stress. From constructed Mohr’s Circles, it is observed that flow function is quite high amongst tested dry materials, all yielding values above 20. A high flow function value (>10) is indicative of a good flow.1 Flow function was observed to increase with increasing diameter size until a slight drop was observed at the 430-600 µm range, possibly due to material quality or being near the size limitation of testing within the FT4, where materials must be less than 1000 µm in diameter.However, no trend could be observed in flowability as diameter size was increased.
Through the use of an antistatic solution, the effect of electrostatic forces generated by colliding particles was tested. No significant effect on the shear stress properties was observed.
Wet material testing occurred with the 120-180 µm glass bead range using a deionized water content of 0%, 1%, 5%, 15%, and 20% by mass. The results of such testing yielded an increase in shear stress values at applied normal stress values as moisture content is increased, as well as a decrease in the resulting flow function parameter. However, this trend changed as 20% moisture content was achieved; the wet material became a consistent paste, and a large drop in shear stress values occurred along with an increase in flowability.
Rotary drums are tools used extensively in various prominent industries for their utility in heating and transporting particulate products. These processes are often inefficient and studies on heat transfer in rotary drums will reduce energy consumption as operating parameters are optimized. Research on this subject has been ongoing at ASU; however, the design of the rotary drum used in these studies is restrictive and experiments using radiation heat transfer have not been possible.<br/><br/>This study focuses on recounting the steps taken to upgrade the rotary drum setup and detailing the recommended procedure for experimental tests using radiant heat transfer upon completed construction of the new setup. To develop an improved rotary drum setup, flaws in the original design were analyzed and resolved. This process resulted in a redesigned drum heating system, an altered thinner drum, and a larger drum box. The recommended procedure for radiant heat transfer tests is focused on determining how particle size, drum fill level, and drum rotation rate impact the radiant heat transfer rate.
Rotary drums are used to manufacture pharmaceuticals, cement, food, and other particulate products because of their high heat and mass transfer rates. These processes are governed by particle parameters, such as particle size, particle distribution, and shape, and operating parameters, such as rotation rate and fill level. Enormous energy savings are possible with further research in rotary drums due to potential increases in operating efficiency. This study investigates the drum rotation rate on particle bed temperature at temperatures above 500 °C to see the role that radiation heat transfer plays in this process. 2 mm silica beads and a stainless steel rotary drum were used at a fill level of 25% with rotation rates from 2-10 rpm. A new setup and procedure were developed using heating coils and an IR camera to reach high temperatures. The inner drum wall temperature exceeded the outer drum wall temperature because the steel transmitted more heat into the drum at higher temperatures. Although it was unclear whether the heat transfer rate was affected by the increasing rotation rate, the highest final average particle temperature was obtained at 5 rpm. The particle bed temperature distribution narrowed as the rotation rate increased because, at higher rotation rates, more particles are in contact with the drum wall than at lower rotation rates.
Steady-state heat transfer by conduction forms the basis for understanding other steady-state and unsteady-state heat transfer in a rotary drum – conduction, convection and radiation. Statistical analysis is carried out to determine the effects of these process parameters and find optimal operating conditions, which will thereby improve the heat transfer efficiency in rotary drums. A stainless-steel drum with a diameter of 6 inches and a length of 3 inches was modeled in EDEM with silica beads of sizes 2 mm, 3 mm and 4 mm at fill levels of 10%, 17.5% and 25%, and at rotation rates of 2 rpm, 5 rpm and 10 rpm. It was found that the heating uniformity increased with decreasing particle size, decreasing fill level and increasing rotation rate. This research is the first step towards studying the other heat transfer modes and various other process parameters. Better understanding of the various heat transfer modes, when used in combination for heating the particles, will be beneficial in improving the operating efficiency, reducing material costs and leading to significant energy conservation on a global scale.