Mass transfer in rolling rotary kilns: a novel approach

A novel approach to modeling mass transfer in rotary kilns or rotating cylinders is explored. The movement of gas in the interparticle voids in the bed of the kiln is considered, where particles move concentrically with the geometry of the kiln and gas is entrained by these particles. The approach considers a differential section along the length of a rotary kiln where the gas concentration in the freeboard is assumed to be uniform in that section. A reactor modelling approach has been used to derive effectiveness factors for the bed as a function of bed fill, reaction kinetics and rotation speed. In many cases, the entrained gas becomes depleted within the bed, leading to a simplified model for the bed effectiveness factor. Experimental data confirms the validity of this model for slower rates. At faster rates, mass transfer can be much higher than the model predicts, indicating that other mechanisms, such as dispersion or diffusion are also important in these conditions.