Drying Behavior of Polyester Based Yarn Bobbins in a Hot-Air Bobbin Dryer

Abstract

Drying behavior of polyester based yarn bobbins (67% polyester, 33% viscose) was simulated for different drying air temperatures by a simultaneous heat and mass transfer model. In the model, it was assumed that mass transfer is occurred by the diffusion mechanism. In the study, firstly drying behavior of polyester bobbins for different drying air temperatures has been determined experimentally. The experiments were conducted on an experimental hot-air bobbin dryer designed and manufactured based on hot-air bobbin dryers used in textile industry. In the experimental setup, temperatures of different points of the bobbins were measured by thermocouples placed inside the bobbins and weight of the bobbins during the drying period were determined by a load cell. Then moisture ratio and temperature values of the model have been fitted to the experimental ones. The fit was performed by selecting the values for the diffusion coefficient and the thermal diffusivity in the model in such a way that these values make the sum of the squared differences between the experimental and the model results for moisture ratio and temperature minimum. The results show that there is a good agreement between the model results and the experimental ones. The results also show that temperature has a significant effect on mass transfer and temperature dependence of the diffusion coefficient may be explained by an Arrhenius type relation.