Modelling the final discharge angle in flighted rotary drums

Rotary drums equipped with longitudinal flights are mainly used to dry granular solids and handle high throughputs. The design of the flights is a crucial task because they decisively influence the distribution of the particles over the dryer cross section. In a previous work, the authors derived a mathematical model for the particle flow in rotary drums with rectangular flights. In this model, the final discharge angle was underpredicted resulting in errors when calculating the contact area of the particles in the air-borne phase. Therefore, a new model was developed in this study to predict the final discharge angle based on a forces balance approach on a single particle. This approach includes the Coriolis force acting on the last discharging particles sliding down the inclined flight sheet. The model was solved by using the vector analysis method. Experiments were performed at rotary drums with 0.5 m and 1.0 m in diameter, respectively, and 0.15/0.3 m in length using glass beads and quartz sand as bed materials. Each drum was equipped with 12 flights around the shell. The model validation was performed by varying the bed material, drum diameter, flight length ratio, and the rotating speed. The model predictions have shown that as the flight length ratio and the Froude number increased, the final discharge angle attained higher values. The model predictions agree well with the measurements.

Graphic abstract