Computer-aided modeling of the chemical process of drying of a moving dense multilayer mass of phosphorite pellets

Mathematical and computer models were developed for the chemical process of drying of a moving dense multilayer mass of phosphorite pellets in a travelling grate machine. These models take into account the intensity of the internal moisture transfer in a pellet and the overmoisturization of individual horizons in the heated bed of pellets, which enables one to determine the technological parameters of the drying mode. The adequacy of the developed mathematical model was tested by comparing the calculated values of the moisture content and temperature of pellets, the characteristics of the heat-transfer gas, and the intensity of the moisture transfer in pellets while drying in a moving dense bed with the results of industrial tests. Numerous computational experiments were performed to determine the relative degree of drying, the moisture content, the pellet drying intensity, and the moisture content of the heat-transfer gas at various characteristics of moist pellets and the operating technological parameters of the travelling grate machine.