On-farm heat pump-assisted fluidized bed dryer and its kinetics calculation

The expediency of using the heat pump (HP) as a part of the farm drying plant is considered taking drying corn grain in a batch fluidized bed (FB) as an example. Using the HP, it is possible to heat the air supplied to the dryer to a temperature about 60 degrees C. The refrigerant R600a (isobutane) is selected as the working medium. According to analysis of a thermodynamic cycle of the HP, it was found that the energy conversion coefficient is equal to 2.98. The use of the HP allows saving 66% of the energy needed for corn drying. A mathematical model has been developed for the kinetic calculation of a drying plant with a batch FB for granular materials, based on the use of an analytical solution to the problem of mass conductivity and taking into account the changes in drying agent parameters over time and the bed height. The adequacy of model to the real process is shown.