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Modelling the continuous drying of a thin sheet of fibres on a cylinder heated by electric induction

Abstract:

The derived model predicts the evolution of the humidity and temperature of a thin web of fibrous material during drying on the surface of a metal cylinder heated by electric induction. The model explicitly considered heat conduction, convection and radiation, and thermal induction as well as energy transfer caused by the evaporation of the water. It also predicted the process responses to perturbations in the manipulated variables and in the initial humidity of the web entering a small-scale induction dryer. The manipulated variables included the rotational speed of the cylinder, the electric power fed to the inductors, and the area of the web in contact with the cylinder. The simulations carried out showed a high degree of correspondence between the model predictions and the experimental data.