TIP 0404-07

OLD TIP NO. 014- 17

ISSUED – 1970
REVISED – 1984
REVISED – 1989
REVISED – 1991
REVISED – 1994
REVISED – 2000
REVISED – 2004
REVISED - 2005
© 2005 TAPPI

The information and data contained in this document were prepared by

a technical committee of the Association. The committee and the
Association assume no liability or responsibility in connection with the
use of such information or data, including but not limited to any
liability or responsibility under patent, copyright, or trade secret laws.
The user is responsible for determining that this document is the most
recent edition published.

Paper machine drying rate

Scope

This TIP outlines procedures for calculating paper machine drying rates for coated and uncoated papers and
provides drying rate curves. The objective of the TIP is to define rate of water removal on a common basis for mills
to use to compare a particular machine to past performance and to other machines. The definition of drying rate and
its calculation are simple to permit widespread use. These procedures cannot be used for machines with auxiliary
drying equipment such as infrared dryers and impingement dryers unless these auxiliary dryers are shut off.
Data points on the curves represent observed performance of existing machines. Lines represent calculated
average and two-sigma variation of plotted data.
The calculation does not identify or account for factors that affect drying rate. There are many variables that
can affect calculated drying rate. These factors include:

• Sheet furnish • Dryer configuration • Type of pressing

• Syphon design • Dryer felting • Amount of pressing
• Use of dryer bars • Dryer surface scale • Breaker stack
• Pocket ventilation • Hood humidity
• Dryer fabric application • Reel moisture content

Safety precautions

This TIP outlines a calculation procedure. No safety precautions are required.

Definition of drying rate

The drying rate (RW) as applied to drying on the machine is defined as the amount of water evaporated per
hour per unit area of drying surface. Drying surface is defined as the total circumferential length of steam-heated
dryers that are in contact with the sheet multiplied by the width of the sheet at the reel. Drying rate is expressed as
pounds per hour per square foot in customary units and as kilograms per hour per square meter in SI units, and
reported at the average steam temperature.

TIP Category: Automatically Periodically Reviewed (Five-year review)

TAPPI
TIP 0404-07 Paper machine drying rate / 4

where:

Tavg = average saturation steam temperature, C ( F)

Ti = saturation steam temperature, of dryer (i), C ( F)
N = number of steam-heated dryers that contact the sheet

Saturation steam temperatures can be determined from measured dryer steam pressures using common steam tables
(1, 2). Abbreviated excerpts from these references are included in this TIP.
Note that a weighted average steam pressure is not necessarily equal to the corresponding weighted average
steam temperature. This is because steam pressure and steam temperature are not linearly related. Also note that the
temperature of the saturated steam in the dryer is higher than the temperature of the condensate leaving the dryer.

Drying rate for coated papers

Equations 1 and 2 can also be used to compute the drying rate for coated papers. However, entering dryness E
must generally be calculated from information on coating weight and moisture, while reel basis weight B can be
either used directly or computed from the raw stock basis weight. The equations for these calculations are as
follows:

Bc ( P / 100) ! W
B" (4)
( L / 100)

( B c (1 ) P ) ! W ( 100 ) 1) %
E " 100 ) 100 & 100 C # (5)
& B !
(100W )
#
' c C $

in which the variables are defined as:

Bc = basis weight of the sheet entering the coater (wet basis), kg/m2 (lb/ream)
W = dry coating weight applied, kg/m2 (lb/ream)
P = percent dryness of sheet entering the coater
C = percent coating solids in coating solution as applied to the sheet (wet basis).

Equations 4 and 5 can also be used to calculate the drying rate after a size press, where W is the dry weight per ream
of the starch picked up and C is the percent starch solids in the size solution.

An example of these equations follows in both customary and SI units:

Customary units

S = 2000 ft/min
Bc = 43 lb/ream into coater (includes moisture)
L = 96% dryness (fiber and coating) leaving the dryer section
P = 94% dry (wet basis) entering the coater
A = 3300 ft2/ream
D = 5.0 ft diameter
N = 6 coater dryers
W = 8 lb of dry coating applied per ream
C = 60% coating solids
TIP 0404-07 Paper machine drying rate / 8

Press. °C Press. °C Press. °C Press. °C

(kPa) (kPa) (kPa) (kPa)
10 45.81 210 121.78 420 145.40 820 171.46
15 53.97 215 122.53 430 146.26 830 171.97
20 60.06 220 123.57 440 147.10 840 172.47
25 64.97 225 124.00 450 147.93 850 172.96
30 69.10 230 124.71 460 148.74 860 173.46
35 72.69 235 125.41 470 149.54 870 173.94
40 75.87 240 126.10 480 150.32 880 174.43
45 78.73 245 126.77 490 151.10 890 174.90
50 81.33 250 127.44 500 151.86 900 175.38
55 83.72 255 128.09 510 152.60 910 175.85
50 85.94 260 128.73 520 153.34 920 176.31
65 88.01 265 129.37 530 154.06 930 176.78
70 89.95 270 129.99 540 154.78 940 177.24
75 91.78 275 130.60 550 155.48 950 177.69
80 93.50 280 131.21 560 156.17 960 178.14
85 95.14 285 131.81 570 156.86 970 178.59
90 96.71 290 132.39 580 157.53 980 179.03
95 98.20 295 132.97 590 158.20 990 179.47
100 99.63 300 133.55 600 158.85 1000 179.91
105 101.00 305 134.11 610 159.50 1020 180.77
110 102.31 310 134.67 620 160.14 1040 181.62
115 103.58 315 135.22 630 160.77 1060 182.46
120 104.80 320 135.76 640 161.39 1080 183.28
125 105.99 325 136.30 650 162.01 1100 184.09
130 107.13 330 136.83 660 162.61 1120 184.89
135 108.24 335 137.35 670 163.21 1140 185.68
140 109.31 340 137.87 680 163.81 1160 186.46
145 110.36 345 138.38 690 164.39 1180 187.23
150 111.37 350 138.88 700 164.97 1200 187.99
155 112.36 355 139.38 710 165.55 1220 188.74
160 133.32 360 139.87 720 166.11 1240 189.48
165 114.26 365 140.36 730 166.67
170 115.17 370 140.84 740 167.23
175 116.06 375 141.32 750 167.78
180 116.93 380 141.79 760 168.32
185 117.79 385 142.26 770 168.86
190 118.62 390 142.72 780 169.39
195 119.43 395 143.18 790 169.91
200 120.23 400 143.63 800 170.43
205 121.02 410 144.53 810 170.95
Table 2. Saturated Steam Temperatures (S. I. Units).
TIP 0404-07 Paper machine drying rate / 16

TAPPI Drying Rate - Bleached Board - Metric

35.0

30.0
Drying Rate (kg water/hr/sq m)

25.0

20.0

15.0

10.0

5.0

0.0
130.0 140.0 150.0 160.0 170.0 180.0 190.0
Average Steam Temperature (deg C)

Fig. 4M. Bleached board drying rate curve.

TIP 0404-07 Paper machine drying rate / 22

TAPPI Drying Rate - Wood-containing Paper - Metric

30.0

25.0
Drying Rate (kg water/hr/sq m)

20.0

15.0

10.0

5.0

0.0
90.0 100.0 110.0 120.0 130.0 140.0 150.0 160.0
Average Steam Temperature (deg C)

Fig. 7M. Wood-containing paper drying rate curve.

TIP 0404-07 Paper machine drying rate / 28

TAPPI Drying Rate - Average Lines - Metric

40

35

30
Drying Rate (kg water/hr/sq m)

Corrugating
Fine Paper
25 Linerboard
Bleached Board
Newsprint
20 Kraft
Wood-containing
After-size
15
Pulp

10

0
90 110 130 150 170 190
Average Steam Temperature (deg C)

Fig. 10M. Average curves for all machines.