Dehumidification/Product Moisture Load
Dehumidification/Product Moisture Load
(OP)
Looking for some help in regards to "product moisture load" in LBS/HR of moisture removal to size dehumidification equipment properly. We have pharmacuetical softgel capsules of 500mg each, of which we need to remove about 10% moisture from this product. This issue is that this 10 % water content removal is being done slowly over a 36 hour process in a drying room that recives 129 lbs. of this product each hour. (Thats 117,000 capsules produced each hour X 500mg each capsule converted to LBS, which gives us our 129LBS of product each hour).
The moisture load that we calculated from this info above is 12.9Lbs/hr "product moisture load in lbs/hr". (10% of our original 129lbs).If this sounds correct please let me know?
If so, how would we calculate the 12.9lbs/hour over the 36 hour drying process? Multiply 12.9Lbs/hr X 36 hours and just take the 10% of that number to be our "moisture load content" for the drying room?
We are not concerned with any other loads at this time, such as room loads, etc.
Just our product load.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
The moisture load that we calculated from this info above is 12.9Lbs/hr "product moisture load in lbs/hr". (10% of our original 129lbs).If this sounds correct please let me know?
If so, how would we calculate the 12.9lbs/hour over the 36 hour drying process? Multiply 12.9Lbs/hr X 36 hours and just take the 10% of that number to be our "moisture load content" for the drying room?
We are not concerned with any other loads at this time, such as room loads, etc.
Just our product load.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.





RE: Dehumidification/Product Moisture Load
as your product stays for 36 hours you cannot calculate only new 129 lbs received.
i believe load should be (quantity removed per product)/36x(existing stock)
you should take other realistic load into account (door opening, people), at least to see how much to add to capacity.
another issue is how did you get to data that 10% is removed within 36 hours? it sounds to me as manufacturers spec which says "10% will be removed in 36 hours if space dry bulb temp is x and relative humidity is y", so you likely need capacity which will maintain such conditions against outdoor conditions.
RE: Dehumidification/Product Moisture Load
RE: Dehumidification/Product Moisture Load
So you believe it should be (quantity removed per product, per product meaning 129lbs of product each hour / 36 hours X existing product load)?
Now would my existing product load be basically the 129lbs hour of product we are producing X 36 hours, giving us a product load of 4644lbs of product sitting in drying room. Every hour we are removing 129lbs of product from room and also adding a new batch of 129lbs every hour. So we have a constant of 4644lbs always in drying room.
The 10% moisture removal should be met over a 36 hour process if we maintain 68F dry bulb and 20RH conditions in the drying room environment.
We need to be at 68F 20RH 20grains/lb.
We are using a liquid dessicant system, but are having an issue with what size to use based on not accuratley being able to determine exact product load.
Again, I appreciate the input. Thank you.
RE: Dehumidification/Product Moisture Load
That is achievable with a liquid dessicant system, but the product load really determines what size system to use. So we are really trying to be as accurate as possible with the product load and moisture of lbs/hr removal. We do not want to make a mistake on our calculations and size the system to small.
RE: Dehumidification/Product Moisture Load
if you are removing 10% of water content, than you need to find quantity of water content in product, not use that 129 lbs of overall product weight.
next, as mentioned in my previous formula, the fact is that all products lay for 36 hours, so they make load, and 129 that are coming in within one hour are possibly balances with 129 coming out each hour; even if it is not, again your maximum storage content makes load, not only hourly input, putting hourly input into equation would make sense only if drying process lasts one hour, but if it lasts 36 hours, all existing product which lay in storage less than 36 hours make load.
RE: Dehumidification/Product Moisture Load
RE: Dehumidification/Product Moisture Load
If you are removing mass in the drying room then product mass flow rate in will not equal product mass flow rate out.
Is 500mg the entering mass, or the leaving mass?
Is 500mg even the actual mass of the capsule? Most medical capsules are named for the mass of the important ingredient. But there are many fillers, the capsule casing, etc.
RE: Dehumidification/Product Moisture Load
But we are only removing water content from the shell of the capsule. The shell weighs about 500mg. Of which we need to remove 10% of that moisture content from the shell.
RE: Dehumidification/Product Moisture Load
RE: Dehumidification/Product Moisture Load
The 500mg shell is holding water content. We only need ro remove 10% of the water content from the shell. Just the content of the shell.
Do i need to calculate in the other fill material inside the shell, the 2800mg - 500mg = 2300mg. I dont believe i need to calculate in the other 2300mg into the equation. Or do I?
Just base my product load on the 500mg.
If my product load is 129lbs of product pet hour @ 10% moisture removal. Is it safe to say that my LBS/hr water removal is 12.9 LBS/hr?
RE: Dehumidification/Product Moisture Load
So how many mg of water do you think you need to remove from each shell?
(hint: The answer is not 50 mg.)
RE: Dehumidification/Product Moisture Load
RE: Dehumidification/Product Moisture Load
We are attempting to remove the moisture through a liquid dessicant HVAC system.
RE: Dehumidification/Product Moisture Load
The level of engineering assistance that you need appears to be more than is reasonable to obtain through an internet tips forum.
You should take advantage of whatever engineering capabilities the supplier of the desiccant system offers.
RE: Dehumidification/Product Moisture Load
RE: Dehumidification/Product Moisture Load
RE: Dehumidification/Product Moisture Load