Study on the estimation of drying time of biomass: 1. Larch wood chip

Abstract

This study aims at modeling the rotary drying of wood chips in co-current mode and estimating the drying time of larch (Larix kaemferi) wood chip. Drying data were obtained in a lab. scale fixed bed dryer operating with an air velocity of 1 m/sec. and at hot air inlet temperatures of 100°C, 200°C, and 300°C. The lab. scale fixed-bed drying rates for small, medium and large size larch wood chips that had been dried from 40% wet-based moisture content (MC) to 10% MC at 200°C drying temperature were 17.3 %/min., 10.2 %/min. and 5.5 %/min., respectively. It was predicted that larch large size wood chips could be dried from 40% MC to 10% MC in about 23.0, 34.6, and 44.7 minutes at 300°C, 200°C and 150°C, respectively. Expected drying times for medium size chips were about 8.6, 11.2 and 13.2 minutes and those for small size chips were 4.3, 5.5 and 6.4 minutes, respectively.