How to choose heat sources economically? —— Xie Fangfang, General Manager of Pioneer Drying Co., Ltd.

Drying is inseparable from heat. The materials to be dried are more complex and have different requirements for the heat source and the exchange equipment. Once the materials to be dried are determined, the choice of heat source is justified. The type of heat source used in drying equipment and the form of exchange equipment largely determine the operating costs and production costs of the equipment. Therefore, the technical and economic indicators of the equipment depend not only on the rational design and normal operation of the drying equipment itself, but also to a large extent. It is also closely related to the choice of heat source and mode of use.

The heat sources of drying equipment mainly include combustion products of various combustion materials (coal, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, flammable chemical gases, etc.) and air, steam, hot water, electric energy, exhaust gas with a certain amount of heat, waste liquid, and waste oil residue. Wait. In order to economically select heat sources, the following should be considered: (1) Satisfy product quality requirements. The heating temperature and the degree of cleanness of the heat source all have a great influence on the quality of the product. (2) Economic availability. It is necessary to consider the cost of various heat sources and consider the ease of obtaining them. (3) Easy to operate. The selected heat source is as easy to operate and control as possible to ensure the dry product quality. (4) Safe and reliable. This is more important for direct-fired heat sources. Some of the dried materials are flammable, explosive, or easily oxidized. The heat source for indirect heat exchange is the best choice when dealing with such materials. The use of a direct-fired heat source requires special product flame retardance. Or explosion-proof measures. (5) Meet environmental protection requirements.

Coal is a relatively cheap fuel. The flue gas generated by combustion can be heated by a heat exchange method. It can also be directly dried by flue gas after dust removal. Flue gas can reach a very high temperature, and drying of certain building materials can achieve the purpose of reducing energy consumption. The materials or fine chemical products with strict requirements on the content of impurities generally do not adopt the method of direct combustion of coal.

Gas, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, and other flammable chemical gases all have a relatively high calorific value. Their main advantage is that the products of combustion can be used directly as a drying medium and can reach very high temperatures.

Steam is a clean, safe and inexpensive source of heat. It is mainly used in indirect heat exchange equipment for conducting heat transfer. It is used to dry materials whose temperature does not change the properties of materials above 130°C.

When the temperature of the hot water reaches 90 DEG C. to 130 DEG C., it can be used to dry materials with lower operating temperatures, such as drying of materials containing solvents, or as an auxiliary heat source for preheating.

Electrical energy is mainly used for small dryers or materials that require high control standards to dry.

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