Trouble Shooting Guide for Wheel Dryers

The wheel dryer is a desiccant dryer. These are the

THE DRYER IS NOT MAKING THE
most predominant dryers in service today. It uses a
continuously turning wheel of desiccant that general- CORRECT DEW POINT
ly provides a very consistent dew point and tempera- a. Return Air Temperature – Most dryers
ture to the process. However, there are some things need no more than a 140 F return tem-
you need to know to address issues that you may see. perature to the desiccant so that it oper-
ates properly. If the return temperature
THE DRYER WILL NOT START is too high, it can be difficult to make a
a. Power issues – Is there power getting to -40 dew point. It may be necessary to
the dryer and the dryer controls? This use cooling water at the return air cool-
could be because the dryer main circuit ing coil.
breaker or disconnect are not turned b. Dew Point Sensor – Generally the dew
on. Check to see if the dryer has the point sensor needs to be replaced yearly.
proper power and voltage. If the dryer is Ensure it’s in proper working order
getting power but the controls are not, c. Desiccant condition – Is there any dust
check the control transformers second- or volatile contamination of the desic-
ary fuse. cant? If so, replace it.
b. Alarm Faults - Did the dryer shut sown d. High return dew point to the desiccant
in an alarm condition? Dryers have – There are limits to how much moisture
safety features that insure they don’t the desiccant can adsorb. If there is
start until there is a corrective action for excessive moisture coming from the resin
major faults. (i.e. surface moisture or from excessive
c. Phase issues – Is the dryer seeing power hydration) the desiccant may not be able
on all phases? Is there correct rotation to achieve the required dew point perfor-
on the blowers? Was there a blower fault mance.
such as pulling too many amps? e. Insufficient regeneration heat or flow
– Check your regeneration filters and the
THE HEATER WILL NOT START regeneration inlet and discharge tem-
a. Safety Interlocks – Most process heat- perature. If the filters are dirty, replace
ers, have an interlock to ensure that the them? If the inlet temperature is below
heater does not come on if the process that specified by the manufacturer,
blower is not running check to see if the heating element is
b. Blower rotation – The heater may not operating properly. If the regeneration
start in the event of incorrect blower exhaust is less than 212 F, the air flow
rotation. may be insufficient or the resin moisture
c. Flow Switch – There may be a flow may be beyond the dryers design limits.
switch so that the heater doesn’t come
on if the air flow is low enough that
there could be an overheat condition.
This could be caused by dirty filters or
clogged lines with fines or volatiles.

38 FEBRUARY 2015 DRYING TECHNOLOGY - KNOWLEDGE CENTER SUPPLEMENT

 Drying Done Right

MATERIAL IN THE HOPPER ISN’T MATERIAL MELTS OR BECOMES VERY “TACKY”

DRYING PROPERLY IN THE HOPPER/ DOES NOT DISCHARGE
a. D irty filters – If the air flow is reduced, PROPERLY
the resin may not dry properly. a. Process Drying Temperature – Has the
b. Hopper Residence Time – Is the hopper manufacturer’s recommended drying
sized properly? Different resins require temperature been exceeded? Most
different drying times. Not all resins dryers have minimum temperatures that
can be dried in 2-4 hours. This is espe- the can operate. Part of this is because
cially true for resins with a low drying there is a temperature rise across the
temperature or soft resins that can stick process blower (heat of compression)
together if the drying temperature is and another rise across the desiccant
elevated. (heat of adsorption). You may need
c. Leaks in the System – The hopper and cooling water prior to the desiccant and/
the conveying system need to be isolated or following it to achieve the manufac-
from ambient and each other. Any leaks turer’s recommended temperature. This
that can cause the dry air to leave the is a typical occurrence with copolyesters
system should be eliminated. This is and bio-resins.
also true of hoses and ducting. b. W heel Speed – Generally high wheel
d. Incorrect drying temperatures – Try to speeds lead to higher discharge tempera-
follow the manufacturer’s recommenda- tures. This is because the time in the
tions. For instance, not all grades of the cooling section is reduced. Discuss
same resin class should be dried at the changing the wheel speed with the dry-
same temperature. (i.e. not all nylon 66’s er’s manufacturer.
are the same) Also, are all of the ele- c. Low Air Flow – Low air flow could lead
ments in the process heater working? At to less cooling and higher discharge
times, this can lead to lower than de- temperatures. Check your filters and
signed drying temperatures. consider adding a flow switch alarm if it
e. Hopper Level – Is the hopper level being wasn’t provided with the dryer.
controlled at too low a level for the d. R esin type – Some resin types, like
residence time necessary? elastomers, have issues with bridging.
f. Dew Point Performance – There must Tall hoppers can lead to high pressure
be a driving force for the resin’s mois- on the resin at the bottom of the hop-
ture to leave it for the air stream. Is the pers, and compression that leads to
dryer operating at it should per the bridging. Soft resins may require special
previous section? Dew points higher hopper designs, or agitation, that limit
than -40 can indicate that the dryer isn’t this issue.
performing to specifications. Many dryers today give you recommendations
g. W heel Speed – Is the wheel rotating at for solving issues. Please note the alarms given by
the manufacturer’s specified speed? the dryers and correct any issues. For further
information, check the instruction manual or dis-
cuss the problem with the vendor’s service depart-
ment expert.

DRYING TECHNOLOGY - KNOWLEDGE CENTER SUPPLEMENT FEBRUARY 2015 39