(365j) Process Intensification Towards Decarbonizing the Industrial Drying Process: Experimental Method and Analysis of Drying of Paper and Board

Manufacturing process industries consume a significant amount of energy, and a major part of this energy can be derived from fossil energy sources. The process of drying is commonly used in many process industries including forest products, food and feed etc. Drying processes consume a major part of the overall energy and contribute to the overall carbon footprint for many of the products. Here we focus on a process intensification approach to substituting part of the conventional fossil energy based drying processes with renewable electrical energy based volumetric drying technologies. For example, the conventional multi-cylinder drying process for paper and board relies on a combination of steam-heated dryer cylinders for conductive drying and heated air flowing over the paper web for convective drying. However, as market trends shift towards increased use of, generally difficult to dry, thicker paper grades for packaging applications, the overall environmental footprint and costs are expected to increase. This study aims at process intensification approach to decarbonization by incorporating volumetric drying technologies using renewable energy sources, such as acoustic and electromagnetic radiation, alongside traditional conductive and convective processes. The goal is to significantly increase drying rates, reduce manufacturing process time, energy consumption, costs, and reduce carbon intensity and environmental impact. To develop these novel technologies, an experimental setup was developed to determine the fundamental drying characteristics using traditional conductive and convective drying modes under industrially relevant conditions. The experimental setup is also capable of incorporating auxiliary energy applications at desired moisture contents and to study their effects on the overall drying process. A crucial aspect of the experimentation involved continuous and in-situ data acquisition, covering various system and sample parameters such as air, sample, and heated platens temperatures, pressure, flux, flow, humidity, position, and load. This real-time data acquisition facilitates process development, manufacturing process intensification, and modeling and simulation of paper drying processes. Additionally, the study computed instantaneous drying rates, flux, heat and mass transfer coefficients, and energy intensities as the drying process unfolded.

Research Interests: Renewable energy and Environment, Green technology, Process Intensification, Manufacturing, Effluent and waste treatment.