MORE | Spring 2019

Heat Transfer in a Rotary Drum using Infrared Camera Temperature Measurement

Rotary drums are used industrially for the mixing and heating of particulate materials including pharmaceuticals, food products, and cement. These processes are inefficient due to a lack of understanding of the heat transfer mechanisms in the rotary drum. This research aims to save energy by optimizing the heating of rotary drums. A three level, two factor design of experiments was completed to determine the effects of drum fill level and rotation rate on the wall to particle heat transfer coefficient, using conductive and convective heat sources. The inner drum wall and particle temperatures were measured with an infrared camera.