Estudo experimental de um secador de tabaco para redução de consumo de gás liquefeito de petróleo.

Abstract

This work aims to reduce the consumption of liquefied petroleum gas in a tobacco dryer. The dryer is composed of three heat exchangers and a combustion chamber that operate in thermodynamic equilibrium to ensure the fast drying of the tobacco. The input humidity of the tobacco in the dryer has a direct influence on two important parameters for the industry: the energetic consumption of the equipment and the parameter of quality named filling power. Previous studies done by the industry showed that the greater the moisture entering the dryer, the greater the filling power of the product. However, if inlet moisture is high, the energy consumption increases because part of the fluid that draws water from the tobacco is redirected to the combustion chamber, increasing the burning efficiency. This work was carried out to contest the previous study results, that is, if the humidity at the entrance of the dryer would not have influence on the tobacco filling power. Therefore, a change of humidity would cause an expressive reduction in gas consumption liquefied petroleum from the equipment. At the end of the project, the gas consumption was reduced in 33% with a small change on the filling power of the product, but within the limits stablished by the industry.