Theoretical analysis on drying of polymer solution with continuous or intermittent heating by high-intensity infrared radiation

Abstract

A theoretical study is performed that describes the heat transfer and moisture variation during drying process while the polymer solution is exposed to the high-intensity infrared radiation flux and hot air. We examine the effects of various parameters on the drying of coated film on a thick substrate. The effects of external heating conditions on drying are presented in terms of the drying rate, heat transfer as well as the moisture distribution. Numerical results show that the absorbed radiative heat energy in the polymer solution is dominant on drying rate of polymer solution during the process. The numerical results are also compared to widely-used thermal-lumped approximation to illustrate the validity of the approximation. While the intermittent heating is considered during drying, the energy consumption and flexible heating design are examined and we investigate the influences of various drying stages and external heating on the drying characteristics.