Investigation of the Efficiency of a Beet Pulp Filtration Drying Process

Abstract

This article presents the results of experimental studies investigating the energy consumption per 1 kg H2O required for the filtration drying of beet pulp. The optimal process parameters for the removal of 1 kg of moisture from the dried beet pulp were determined, which included the height of the layer of dried material H=120 mm, the thermal agent temperature T = 90 °C and the thermal agent velocity v0 = 1.76 m/s. Regarding these parameters, the total energy consumption for drying by the filtration method from the initial moisture content of 88.12 % wt. to the final moisture level of 14 % wt. is 3,515 kW·h/kg H2O. Based on the experimental data, a calculation was made for an industrial filtration drying unit, for which the cost of removing 1 kg of moisture from beet pulp was determined: 3,28 kW·h/kg H2O. To evaluate the efficiency of the filtration drying process, we conducted a comparative analysis of the drying of beet pulp at a comparable capacity in a drum dryer. According to the calculations, the energy costs for removing 1 kg of moisture from beet pulp in a drum dryer are 3.11 kW·h/kg H2O. Considering the estimation of calculations and a significant reduction in the drying time with the filtration method (~10 times), it is possible to conclude that filtration drying is a beneficial and efficacious technique for beet pulp drying.