Cathode Active Material & Precursor Manufacturing worked example

Drying Capacity at 99% expected dryer uptime: a worked example

What does the result look like when expected dryer uptime reaches 99%? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. Use it when drying capacity in cathode active material and precursor manufacturing is being asked to take on more work and you need to know if there is room.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Dry powder output per dryer cycle: 4 kg / cycle (unchanged)
  • Planned dryer cycles: 480 cycles (unchanged)
  • Expected dryer uptime: 99 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 90)
  • Moisture-spec first-pass yield: 97 % (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Gross dryer output = dry powder output per dryer cycle × planned dryer cycles) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1,844 kg for accepted dry powder capacity, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 1,920 kg for gross dryer output.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 19.2 kg for drying capacity lost to downtime.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 57.02 kg for dry powder held for moisture rework.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where expected dryer uptime sits at 90% and the headline result is 1,676 kg, this scenario comes in 10% above the baseline at 1,844 kg.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when expected dryer uptime is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. Uptime and moisture yield are entered as flat averages — real dryers see throughput vary with load humidity, ambient conditions, and product, so a single yield number smooths over batch-to-batch swings.

Results at a glance

  • Accepted dry powder capacity: 1,844 kg (headline result)
  • Gross dryer output: 1,920 kg
  • Drying capacity lost to downtime: 19.2 kg
  • Dry powder held for moisture rework: 57.02 kg

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Drying Capacity calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.