In this research, a comprehensive thermodynamic investigation through energy and exergy analyses is conducted to assess the performance of malt and mixtures of malt - inert add drying process. In this regard, energy and exergy efficiencies are evaluated with the experimental thermodynamic data for different techniques of malt drying (fixed, fluidized and modified fluidized bed with inert add). For all drying techniques analyzed, the study evidenced that energy utilization increases with drying agent velocity, drying time and temperature, meanwhile the energy utilization ratio decreases with this parameters. On the other hand, exergy loss and exergy efficiency increases with air velocity and drying temperature, but they have an antagonist behavior regarding with drying time: exergy loss decreasing in time, meanwhile the exergetic efficiency increases in time. The energetic values of the parameters for the fluidized bed are considerable smaller than those of fixed bed, which recommends the fluidization as intensification technique for malt drying. Also, the study evidenced the good influence on the energetic behavior of the fluidized bed, if the malt particle are mixed with a porous, hygroscopic inert add.
Energy and exergy analyses of an industrial wood chips drying process