Mass Transfer Coefficients and Drying Rates in Through Air Drying: Part II

Abstract

In this study experimental results and analysis are given of convective heat and mass transfer in the drying of tissue and towel products (25 and 50 g/m² basis weight) under commercially realistic conditions under through flow. Parameter effects on drying rate include process variables such as refining, shaping, commercial forming, initial moisture content, and drying temperature. Drying rate curves display initial increase, plateau, and final decrease as the paper dries. Nondimensional Sherwood numbers (versus Peclet number) generally agreed with and augment the available dataset on through drying.

Keywords:

• Drying paper
• Mass transfer coefficients
• Porous materials
• Sherwood number
• Through drying

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors express their sincere gratitude to Prof. Terrence Simon from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, and Dr. G. Worry of Georgia Pacific Corporation for research project support/funding.