To evaluate the benefits from optimising the flap angle and
introducing the guiding plates in the drying process, the
moisture content was measured with and without the air
guiding plates. The optimum moisture content would be 6e7%
w.b. The product moisture content at the end of the first belt
without guiding plates varied from 48.7% w.b. at the sides to
83.6% w.b. in the middle of the belt (Fig. 7). The bulk on the left
side of the dryer dried faster than that on the right, because of the flap settings with an angle of 0. The differences could not
be compensated till the end of the drying process, thus the
final moisture content was between 2.4 and 4.8% w.b. at the
end of the fifth belt. By changing the flap setting to 45 the
moisture content on both sides were similar at the different
belts. After the installation of the inclined roof-style, air
guiding plates below the first belt, the hot air from the sides
reached the middle of the belt and provided improved drying
of the product and a more uniform moisture distribution
across the belt. The moisture content with air guiding plates
was in the range 65.4e74.1% w.b. at the end of the first belt and
between 3.7 and 4.2% w.b. at the end of the fifth belt and thus a
smaller variation. The moisture content was uniform across
the belt.