Energy and mass transport processes in the granular bed of an indirectly heated rotary kiln

The transport mechanisms of momentum, mass, species, and energy are investigated in detail for the rotary kiln process. The residence time prediction of the granular bed is well improved by considering different flow patterns in the drum. Introducing a mixed flow pattern of the basic slipping and slumping behaviour has the most important effect on the improvement of the residence time prediction. The granular bed is assumed to behave as a Bingham fluid in the active layer of the bed. The transport mechanisms of momentum, species, and energy are modelled on the basis of this assumption and using the kinetic gas theory. Additionally, a mathematical transformation is presented to save computational time. The model results of the temperature field are in very good agreement with experimental data.