Title: Exergetic performance assessment of plug flow fluidised bed drying process of rough rice

Authors: Majid Khanali; Mortaza Aghbashlo; Shahin Rafiee; Ali Jafari

Addresses: Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, University of Tehran, Karaj 31587-77871, Iran ' Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, University of Tehran, Karaj 31587-77871, Iran ' Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, University of Tehran, Karaj 31587-77871, Iran ' Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, University of Tehran, Karaj 31587-77871, Iran

Abstract: Exergy analysis of rough rice drying process in laboratory-scale plug flow fluidised bed dryer was carried out. The drying experiments were conducted to assess the effects of inlet drying air temperature, feed mass flow rate and weir height on energy efficiency, exergy destruction, exergy efficiency, entropy generation, improvement potential rate and sustainability index. The energy and exergy efficiency values were found to be in the ranges of 7.97-31.32% and 4.18-12.00%, respectively. Results showed that the magnitude of exergetic parameters strongly depend on the drying variables. It was also confirmed that exergy analysis presented in this study could be applied to minimise the irreversibilities and losses occurring in the industrial fluidised bed drying systems and enhance the sustainability of fluidised bed drying processes.

Keywords: exergy analysis; performance assessment; fluidised bed drying; plug flow; sustainability; rough rice; rice drying process; inlet drying air temperature; feed mass flow rate; weir height; energy efficiency; exergy destruction; exergy efficiency; entropy generation; improvement potential rate; irreversibilities.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2013.057357

International Journal of Exergy, 2013 Vol.13 No.3, pp.387 - 408

Received: 17 Oct 2012
Accepted: 03 Dec 2012
Published online: 27 Oct 2013 *

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