Analysis of the design loading in a flighted rotating drum using high rotational speeds

ABSTRACT

Although rotating dryers with flights have been extensively used in industrial applications, there is still a lack of universality in the literature models to estimate their design loading. The aim of the present paper was to study the design loading of a flighted rotating drum and its dependency on rotational speed. The use of high rotational speeds is a novelty of this paper, to operate at peripheral speeds like the ones in industrial equipment. The effect of the rotational speed on the last unloading flight was also studied. The results showed the limitations of the geometric models to predict the design loading. A new model was proposed to predict the Froude number for design-loaded equipment as a function of the drum filling degree. The results predicted were very close to the experimental data.

KEYWORDS:

• Design loaded
• Froude number
• rotary dryers
• rotational speed

Additional information

Funding

The authors are grateful to the Research Support Foundation of the state of Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), and the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) for their financial support.