A novel textile drying technique via pulsed vacuum method

Abstract

Drying is a time-consuming and energy-intensive process linked to environmental thermodynamic properties. Conventional methods often use high temperatures for long durations, potentially harming textiles. This article introduces an innovative vacuum textile drying technique utilizing pressure pulsation. Experimental validation reveals that pulsed vacuum drying (PVD) accelerates drying rates and lowers operational temperatures for cotton samples. Compared to constant vacuum drying, PVD achieves a 23% faster reduction to 5% moisture content while maintaining quality. PVD reduces drying temperature from 80 to 60 °C for the same drying time at atmospheric pressure. This article presents a numerical model to analyze fabric drying properties. Simulation results align with experimental results, with deviations in a range of 10 °C for critical temperatures and 2% for moisture content and drying time. The experimental and computational results helped to identify dryer performance key variables: chamber pressure, temperature, and vacuum pulse modulation. A series of experiments reveal optimized vacuum modulation that enhances average drying rate and minimizes drying time.