Abstract
Drying of products and raw materials is a widely used procedure in many manufacturing processes and chemical plants. The work described aims to improve the learning experience of students in a senior level undergraduate chemical engineering laboratory. The tray dryer unit used in the experiment was first retrofitted with a PC, a data acquisition card and LabVIEW software. Then a 2(k) full factorial design and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to analyze the operation of the retrofitted dryer by the variation of two parameters: air temperature and velocity. The interactive effects of these parameters on the drying rate were also evaluated. Air temperature has the most significant effect on the drying rate, while the air velocity does not have a significant effect. Furthermore, interactive effects were not observed for both parameters. The results indicate that the performance of the retrofitted unit has improved by the incorporation of the intuitive and easy to use interface, which allows the students to monitor dynamic data and control the unit in real-time. Results of the student survey indicate that the level of understanding of process design and optimization has increased upon course completion. Most of the students believe that the lab is challenging and interesting, and would be worthwhile for lifelong learning. Overall, this approach not only exposes students to a hands-on industrially relevant unit operation, but it also complement classroom teaching on LabVIEW and statistical design of experimental concepts. (C) 2016 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.