CFD SIMULATION APPLICATION TO EVALUATE AND ENHANCE THE HOMOGENITY OF AIR DISTRIBUTION IN HEAT PUMP DRYER

Abstract

One of the most critical processes in the food industry is drying, but most
drying equipment suffers from non-uniform air distribution. Applying the CFD
simulation to tune the configuration or change the tray install method of drying
equipment improves drying efficiency. This study shows the effect of different
numbers of trays (case 25, 18, 13 trays) and the improved configuration (13
trays with varying tray angles) on the air distribution of the drying chamber.
The most appropriate case is the new configuration, which has more air
uniformity by installing two air shields near the inlet and outlet and changing
the angle of the trays.