MEMORANDUM

To: From: Date: Subject:

Dr. Dixon Group 4 Ryan Carter, Chris Dollarhide, Travis Hoon, Daniel James, Yuriy Makar March 02, 2011 CHE 362: Rotary Dryer P&ID Updates and Design Review

BACKGROUND

Rotary dryers are commonly used in industry in order to reduce moisture content in solid process materials. This is done by bringing the moist material in contact with heated gasses, usually steam. When the feed enters the dryer, it is passed along a large rotating drum. The internal surface of the drum can be smooth, screw shaped, or bladed in order to agitate the material and ensure surface contact with the heated gases. These gases can either run parallel or counter to the solid flow. Normally the feed end of the drum sits at a slightly higher elevation relative to the effluent end, allowing gravity to aide in the transport of the solids.

INTRODUCTION

Rotary dryers can be run continuously, or batch wise, and thus have numerous industrial applications. Some applications include; the drying of woodchips, soil remediation, the drying of grains, and cement manufacture. While the rotary dryer may be versatile, it also has many drawbacks. The physical dimensions of the system may make it impractical for small scale industry, and the constant need for heat and gas sources requires special accommodations. While some portable rotary dryers run on natural gas or propane, this is not cost effective for large scale industry. As such, most facilities that employ rotary dryers have to have a dedicated hot gas line installed.

RESULTS/DISCUSSION

The rotary dryer used for this lab has recently been modified and reinstalled. Our goal was to update the P&ID and suggest possible changes/implementations after reviewing the design and set of the equipment. The updated P&ID is attached and we have described below the suggested safety and design modifications, as well as list of updates made to P&ID. Design Modifications: 1. The two temperature sensors (T1 and T2) needed at the inlet should be installed. 2. The pipe leaving the steam trap is destined to pour water onto the floor. It should be hooked up to the drain. 3. The rotary dryer is currently held up by two jacks and it should be secured to a more permanent base to avoid possible injury. Bolt the two available blocks to the floor and secure the rotary dryer to the blocks. Avoid using the jacks as the primary means of support. 4. The air leaving the dust collector currently vents into the unit ops lab, it should be vented out of the unit ops lab through the buildings main exhaust duct. 5. The humidity sensors are both installed, but need to be secured in place before running the experiment. 6. A safety zone should be highlighted around the dryer, use safety tape. 7. The warning label reading, Turn of motor before shaking filters, shake daily, on the dust collector below the ac box should be moved next to the shaking lever. 8. The window at the feed side does not open because the clips were installed incorrectly. The clips should be installed properly.

P&ID Modifications: Reassembly of the Rotary Dryer in the new Unit Operations Lab required multiple changes to the experimental setup that needed to be documented by updating the P&ID and Equipment List. An accurate and detailed P&ID will benefit those who will be using the Rotary Dryer by providing information about all the components of the experimental setup which is important for startup processes, troubleshooting issues and the running procedure.

Many of the updates can be seen on the attached documents which include the previous and the updated versions of the P&ID. The strategy used for updating the PI&D was centered around (1) making revisions so the new experimental setup is accurately represented and (2) increasing the details depicted by the P&ID to at least the level required to fully understand the units instruments and running process.

A few examples of additions/revisions include updating the steams inlet line, adding previously missing components, adding general information about electrical components such as control boxes, and finally making sure that all the components apart of the Rotary Dryer Unit are included in the equipment list with as much information as possible. Because of these modifications made to the Rotary Dryer P&ID, it will be easier for those using the unit operation to quickly gain a fuller understanding of the units process.

CONCLUSION

An update of the process and instrumentation diagram for the rotary dryer at the School of Mines chemical engineering facility has been successfully completed. Preliminary safety checks have been completed and the aforementioned modifications have either been completed, or should be completed prior to operating this piece of equipment.

RECOMMENDATIONS

While it is advisable that all recommended modifications should be completed prior to employing the rotary dryer, three major modifications should be made. The valves that turn on and off air and gas flow located around the lab need to have the hand lever removed, and replaced with a circular handle to prevent the handle from snagging clothes, book bags, etc. Should the two jacks that hold up the head end of the machine fail or be knocked off center, damage to equipment and personnel is likely. A redundant support system of blocks should be secured to the floor and the dryer. The safety sticker near the lever that agitates the dust filters needs to be relocated from underneath the power box to the side facing the lever. The sticker warns against using the lever while the motor is running, and if this is not done, there will be damage to the equipment. As always, special attention must be paid to machinery during the startup process. As this machine has not been used in quite some time, and the steam piping within the new facility is unproven, there are bound to be safety issues not recognized in this report.