Drying is one of the most energy-intensive and frequently used processes in the tobacco industry. In the present work, heat and mass transfer phenomena in drying sheet materials with impinging air flow are analyzed. A blended leaf （BL） drying model is developed and validated to predict the drying behavior of the reconstitute tobacco product. A numerical method of line technique [Schiesser, 1991] was used to solve the coupled differential equations governing the drying process. This model has been successfully applied to simulate BL drying processes in the pilot plant and the BL plant. The present model provides a relatively fast and efficient way to improve process performance, increase plant productivity, and optimize energy utilization. With this model, the number of trials necessary to achieve the objectives is reduced, in other words, a large amount of time, money, and manpower is saved. The model results are also helpful in studying the drying behavior of reconstitute tobacco products and understanding the effect of dryer profiles on the sheet strength and subjective results.

Reconstitute Tobacco Drying Mathematical Model

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