Condensation heat transfer in a rotating horizontal cylinder with a scraper

A dryer used in the drying process of paper production is usually a rotating horizontal cylinder in which steam condenses. This study concerns some experiments and analyses of condensate flow and heat transfer in a dryer with a scraper.

A laminar film model and a solid film model are introduced for the theoretical analyses. In the former the condensate flow is assumed to be laminar. In the latter the condensate film is assumed to adhere to the cylinder wall. In the analysis with the laminar film model, the film thickness diverges at relatively slow rotations. A criterion for the critical condition at which the divergence commences is proposed. From the solid film model, analytical expressions can be derived for the film thickness and the heat transmission coefficient through the condensate film and the cylinder wall.

The experiments are conducted with an acrylic resin cylinder and a stainless steel cylinder. The experimental result on heat transmission agrees with the analytical result for the solid film model if a condensate film about 25 μm thick remains in spite of scraping.