Rotary Dryers are commonly used for drying the wood shavings, wood sawdust, wood chips in the particleboard industry.

These rotayr dryers also play an increasingly important role in drying wood residues for biomass fuel such as wood pellet, charcoal, etc. Many potential benefits may be realized through an improved understanding of the rotary drying process.

A rotary dryer simulation model was developed, in the form of a computer program, for the purpose of analyzing the drying behavior of wood particles such as wood shavings, wood chips, wood sawdust, etc.

The model of rotary dryers is applicable to single pass rotary drums, with or without a centerfill flighting section. Modifications to the base program could be made to allow for alternative rotary drum designs, such as double pass drums and triple pass drums.

The approach used in the model development analyzed the rotary drying process in a sequential manner. Beginning with a study of particle residence time in a rotary drum, the process of heat transfer, and then mass transfer, were incorporated to yield a complete rotary dryer simulation model.