Numerical analysis of a gas-solid vortex dryer integrated with a waste heat recovery system

The gas-solid vortex (GSV) dryer is considered to be very ideal for grain drying since it is characterized by a better transfer of heat and mass transfer capabilities. To improve this dryer for grain drying application, an enhanced version is proposed, which was the integration of a GSV dryer with a waste heat recovery (WHR) system. This would recycle waste heat during the initial drying phase and improve the overall efficiency of drying. Both numerical simulation and experimental validation were conducted on the enhanced dryer. The Eulerian-Eulerian approach was used to analyze numerically by ANSYS FLUENT 14.5. Dryer performance was assessed at different conditions, including temperatures of 328 K, 333 K, and 338 K; air velocities between 25 and 35 m/s; and solid feed amounts ranging from 500 to 1500 g. Waste heat recovery in the GSV dryer improved the efficiency of drying considerably by an increase of 29.7 %. This enhancement optimizes energy use and reduces operational costs, making the GSV dryer with the WHR system a more sustainable and cost-effective solution for grain drying.