Numerical Simulation Techniques for Optimizing Thermodynamic Efficiencies of Cereal Grain Dryers

Abstract

As a first objective, this study addresses a novel approach to drying efficiency analysis through transient models based on both the first and second laws of thermodynamics. As a second objective, we developed a numerical meshless scheme based on cubic radial basis functions to solve the associated nonlinear coupled advection-dominated set of partial differential equations. The simulated results showed excellent accuracy when compared with available literature data on drying. Finally, and most significantly, this study presents an original methodology for optimizing dryers based on energy and exergy efficiencies and the associated controllable operational parameters: drying air velocity (flowrate) and temperature.

Keywords:

• Deep bed corn drying
• Drying efficiency
• Drying simulation
• Energy efficiency
• Exergy efficiency

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors acknowledge the financial support of CAPES and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development – CNPq.