Convection drying: Control strategies for improving product yield and saving energy
Monitoring and controlling your product and air properties during convection drying not only can help you improve the final product quality and increase production, but cut your energy costs as well. This article, which concentrates on continuous convection dryers, describes control strategies that can help you optimize your drying process.
Holding the line on your continuous convection dryer’s energy costs while achieving the right final moisture content in your final product isn’t easy. Several factors enter into this equation: Drying is probably the largest energy consumer in your production line. The complexity of convection drying, requiring the simultaneous balance of heat and mass transfer, can make the process difficult to understand. And the feed material entering your dryer can have variable characteristics, including moisture content, with some materials requiring longer drying times than others. So how can you control your energy costs while improving the yield of high-quality dried product? You must measure and control the product and air properties inside the dryer so it achieves optimal performance.