Industrial Minerals & Powder Processing worked example

Dryer Energy Cost with production tonnage to dry of 1,300 tons: a worked example in industrial minerals & powder processing

Push production tonnage to dry up to 1,300 tons and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. Use it when a plant manager or process engineer needs to budget drying energy cost per ton, compare fuel sources, or justify dryer upgrades based on energy savings.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Production tonnage to dry: 1,300 tons (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 500)
  • Water removal per ton of feed: 100 lb / ton (unchanged)
  • Energy cost per lb of water removed: 0.01 $ / lb (unchanged)
  • Fixed dryer operating cost per period: 350 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Variable drying cost = production tonnage x water removal per ton x energy cost per lb of water removed) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 357 $ for total dryer energy cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0.27 $ / ton for drying cost per ton.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 6.5 $ for variable drying cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 350 $ for fixed dryer operating cost.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where production tonnage to dry sits at 500 tons and the headline result is 353 $, this scenario comes in 1.13% above the baseline at 357 $.
  • It multiplies tonnage by water removed per ton and energy cost per pound to get variable drying cost, then adds the fixed operating cost for a period total and a cost per ton. The value of this scenario is the size of the gap it exposes: that gap, priced out over a year, is the budget you can justify spending to close it.

Results at a glance

  • Total dryer energy cost: 357 $ (headline result)
  • Drying cost per ton: 0.27 $ / ton
  • Variable drying cost: 6.5 $
  • Fixed dryer operating cost: 350 $

Run it with your numbers

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

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.