USE OF COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS TECHNIQUES TO ASSESS DESIGN ALTERNATIVES FOR THE PLENUM CHAMBER OF A SMALL SPRAY DRYER

The inlet region of a pilot-scale, co-current spray dryer was simulated using the proprietary Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes, CFX4 and CFX5. Several design alternatives were considered for correcting uneven inlet air distribution, which is known to influence spray dryer performance and airflow patterns. The simulations were used to assess each alternative prior to construction, assuming isothermal and incompressible flow conditions. Experimental measurements were compared with the simulation results for the original and one modified design.

Drying air is supplied to this dryer via an overhead pipe feeding an annular plenum chamber, of diameter 400 mm, surrounding the atomiser. A distributor plate with two concentric rings of 50 holes, each of 5 mm diameter, forms the base of the plenum chamber. A three-dimensional grid was required to model each of the 100 holes separately and to consider the asymmetric flow behaviour. The resulting grid consisted of about 532,000 cells. The CFD simulations proved useful in predicting the trends in flow distributions in each of the designs.     

Air flow patterns in an industrial milk powder spray dryer

The air flow patterns in an industrial milk powder spray dryer have been investigated. Isothermal three-dimensional transient simulations in the absence of atomised liquid droplets have been carried out using the commercial CFD code (CFX10.0) in which the transient Navier–Stokes equations are solved. The shear stress transport (SST) turbulence model was implemented to model the effects of turbulence.     

Design Impact on Airflow Patterns in Fluidization Units

The airflow behavior in a fluidization unit was integrally studied by means of experimental work and computational fluid dynamics simulation. The computational domain included the gas inlet pipe, plenum, perforated plate, fluidization chamber, and air outlet pipe. Different scenarios were simulated to allow distinguishing the best way to represent perforated‐plate distributors and elucidate the impact of the grid design on the fluidization performance. The simulated pressure drop across the distributor and the plenum flow pattern were in concordance with the experimental data. It was found that the distance between the peripheral holes and walls has a great impact on the airflow downstream the distributor.     

New Engineered Particles from Spray Dryers: Research Needs in Spray Drying

This article reviews developments in the simulations of spray dryer behavior, including the challenges in modeling the complex flow patterns inside the equipment, which are often highly transient and three-dimensional in nature. There appears to be considerable scope for using CFD simulations for investigating methods to reduce the rates of wall deposition and of thermal degradation for particles by modifying the air flow patterns in the chamber through small changes in the air inlet geometry. Challenges include building particle drying kinetics and reaction processes, as well as agglomeration behavior, into these simulations. The numerical simulations should be valuable supplements to pilot-scale testing, enabling more extensive and accurate optimization to be carried out than hitherto possible. New understanding of reaction processes and materials science, in combination with recent knowledge of the application of CFD to these problems, may enable new engineered powder products to be developed from the one-step spray-drying process.     

Experimental Study and CFD Modeling of Wall Deposition in a Spray Dryer

The wall deposition phenomenon in a pilot-scale spray dryer was investigated based on mathematical modeling and experimental trials. For this purpose, the governing equations were obtained and solved numerically by applying a mathematical modeling technique and an open-source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software. The wall deposition, velocity distribution of the existing phases, and droplet trajectory in the drying chamber were determined. The effect of the operating parameters including the feed flow rate, inlet concentration of dissolved solid, and initial droplet diameter on the air flow pattern, droplet trajectory, and wall deposition was investigated. Through the experiments, the wall deposition of powder product in different positions of the drying chamber was measured. In modeling part of this study, we attempted to determine the effect of particle diameter on the percentage of wall deposition and the position where it occurred.

The model results obtained for wall deposition were compared with collected experimental data and good agreement was observed.     

Spray Drying Performance of a Laboratory Spray Dryer for Tomato Powder Preparation

This work investigates the performance of a spray dryer for tomato powder preparation by spray drying of tomato pulp. Samples of tomato pulp with a 14% constant total solids concentration were used, and a pilot scale spray dryer (Buchi, B-191) with cocurrent operation and a two-fluid nozzle atomizer was employed for the spray drying process. Twenty-four different experiments were conducted keeping constant the feed rate, the feed temperature, and the atomizer pressure, and varying the compressed air flow rate, the flow rate of drying rate, and the air inlet temperature. In each experiment the air outlet temperature was recorded. Data for the residue remaining in the chamber and cyclone walls was gathered and two types of efficiencies were calculated as an indication of the spray dryer performance. Analysis of experimental data yielded correlations between residue accumulation and the variable operating conditions. The same operating parameters had a great influence on the air outlet temperature whereas temperature deviations were observed comparing measured air outlet temperatures with corresponding outlet adiabatic saturation temperatures.     

SCALE-UP OF SPRAY DRYERS WITH THE AID OF COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS

The scale-up of spray dryer chambers is difficult because of the complexity of gas and spray flow patterns. The principal concerns in designing a spray drying chamber are to ensure sufficient residence time for drying and to avoid particle-wall collisions. Dimensionless groups are of limited use because it is practically impossible to achieve dynamic similarity between small and large chambers. In the past, empirical, rather than theoretically based, rules generated by experience with existing plant have been used in the design and scale-up of spray dryer chambers but these models, because of their empirical nature, are limited in their range of applicability. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is potentially a powerful tool to aid spray dryer design allowing much more flexibility in design but because of the difficulties of modelling such complex phenomena, especially the gas turbulence, its predictions cannot, at present, be considered absolutely reliable and experimental validation of the results is required. However, by considering the principles of similarity, it is shown that validations carried out on pilot scale equipment under the correct conditions will prove the accuracy of CFD applied to spray dryers of any size.     

SCALE-UP OF SPRAY DRYERS WITH THE AID OF COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS

Abstract

The scale-up of spray dryer chambers is difficult because of the complexity of gas and spray flow patterns. The principal concerns in designing a spray drying chamber are to ensure sufficient residence time for drying and to avoid particle-wall collisions. Dimensionless groups are of limited use because it is practically impossible to achieve dynamic similarity between small and large chambers. In the past, empirical, rather than theoretically based, rules generated by experience with existing plant have been used in the design and scale-up of spray dryer chambers but these models, because of their empirical nature, are limited in their range of applicability. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is potentially a powerful tool to aid spray dryer design allowing much more flexibility in design but because of the difficulties of modelling such complex phenomena, especially the gas turbulence, its predictions cannot, at present, be considered absolutely reliable and experimental validation of the results is required. However, by considering the principles of similarity, it is shown that validations carried out on pilot scale equipment under the correct conditions will prove the accuracy of CFD applied to spray dryers of any size.     

Spray Drying Performance of a Laboratory Spray Dryer for Tomato Powder Preparation

Abstract

This work investigates the performance of a spray dryer for tomato powder preparation by spray drying of tomato pulp. Samples of tomato pulp with a 14% constant total solids concentration were used, and a pilot scale spray dryer (Buchi, B-191) with cocurrent operation and a two-fluid nozzle atomizer was employed for the spray drying process. Twenty-four different experiments were conducted keeping constant the feed rate, the feed temperature, and the atomizer pressure, and varying the compressed air flow rate, the flow rate of drying rate, and the air inlet temperature. In each experiment the air outlet temperature was recorded. Data for the residue remaining in the chamber and cyclone walls was gathered and two types of efficiencies were calculated as an indication of the spray dryer performance. Analysis of experimental data yielded correlations between residue accumulation and the variable operating conditions. The same operating parameters had a great influence on the air outlet temperature whereas temperature deviations were observed comparing measured air outlet temperatures with corresponding outlet adiabatic saturation temperatures.     

Pro-oxidative effects of spray drying orange oil in a bench top dryer

The influence of potential heat exposure during spray drying on the oxidative stability of spray dried orange oil was studied. The design of some of the table top spray driers expose dried product to dryer exit air temperatures in the powder collection chamber or on the walls of the dryer if there is an accumulation of material on the drying chamber walls. This heat exposure may accelerate oxidation of the product in subsequent storage. To determine the potential for heat damage to affect oxidation of the powders produced, an orange oil infeed emulsion (carrier material - modified starch) was prepared and spray dried using the sample collection chamber supplied by the manufacturer as standard equipment. The spray dryer was then modified to extend the collection chamber inlet such that the product remained cooler than in the standard collection chamber. In this study, the spray dryer was operated for 1?h (inlet air temperature; 180°C and an exit air temperature; 100°C). Thus, the spray dry product could have been exposed to as much as 1?h of heating in the collection chamber (potentially at temperatures as high as the exit air temperature). In the case of spray drying with a collection chamber extension, the collected product was maintained at ca. room temperature. This would approximately mimic the heat exposure powders receive in an industrial spray dryer. Powders produced using both equipment designs were taken from both the collection and drying chambers, adjusted in water activity (0.33) under a nitrogen environment, and then put into storage in an incubator maintained at 35°C for 4 weeks (exposed to air). The ratio of limonene oxide to limonene was used to monitor oxidation using gas chromatography. This study showed a substantial increase in rate of oxidation of the spray dried powder from the table top spray dryer with the standard commercial collection chamber and much less in case of an extended collection chamber. The powder from the respective drying chamber also showed a higher rate of oxidation in comparison to its collection chamber. Thus, we urge researchers studying heat damage (e.g., oxidation) of powders produced on the table top dryers to be conscious of overestimating heat damage during drying.     

Spray Drying of Chicken Meat Protein Hydrolysate: Influence of Process Conditions on Powder Property and Dryer Performance

The influence of operational conditions of a spray dryer on powder properties and equipment performance during spray drying of chicken meat hydrolysate was evaluated by a central composite rotatable design. The independent variables were inlet air temperature (120 to 200°C) and feed flow (0.1 to 0.38 kg/h). Spray dryer performance was assessed through estimation of product recovery, outlet air temperature, thermal efficiency, and energy on the dryer, obtained by mass and heat balance in the dryer system. Powder property was characterized in respect to antioxidant activity. The stable free radical diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) was used to estimate the antioxidant activity of protein hydrolysate powder. This response varied from 38.7 to 59.4% and was only affected by inlet air temperature. Moreover, the results demonstrate a significant effect of the processing conditions on dryer performance. The increase of feed flow results in higher thermal efficiency and lower energy on dryer. Higher product recovery values were obtained at lower inlet air temperature and feed flow.     

入口旋流对均一粒径液滴喷雾干燥塔影响的数值模拟

均一粒径液滴喷雾干燥塔（MDSD）在生产均匀尺寸颗粒产品中发挥着较大优势,进一步优化其干燥过程操作尤为重要。集成离散相（DPM）和反应工程法（REA）干燥方法,通过耦合分散室和主干燥室模型,本研究开发了完整的MDSD三维计算流体力学模型。并系统探究了在干燥过程中分散气旋流、热空气旋流以及二者共同旋流对颗粒运动和最终干燥效果的影响。模拟结果表明,在30°入射角下加入旋流效果最优。同时引入分散室和干燥室旋流后发现,同向旋流比反向旋流带来的干燥效果提升2%,更比无旋流操作下的干燥效果提升30%。欲达到同样的干燥效果,引入同向旋流,塔身可缩短近12%。     

Design of an Efficient Gas Distribution System for a Fluidized Bed Dryer

Fluid bed dryers are commonly used to process granular solids. The design of the gas distributor has a significant impact on the performance of heat and mass transfer with or without chemical reactions in fluidized beds because it affects the quality of the fluidization obtained. In this work, an extensive study was carried out to design an optimal gas distribution system for a fluidized bed dryer. The air distribution chamber, also called a plenum chamber or gas chamber, was modified to obtain uniform air distribution across the bed cross section. Percentage maldistribution of the flow is considered as the basic evaluation parameter to quantify uniformity of the fluidizing gas distribution. Effects of various relevant design parameters such as the ratio of the orifice diameter to plate thickness (d_o/t), percentage free area, superficial gas velocity, etc., were examined experimentally and via modeling. The gas chamber was redesigned by inserting different types of packings in the chamber. In addition, the effect of height-to-diameter ratio (H/D) of the chamber on flow distribution was studied. Chambers of different H/D ratios and different air inlet nozzle diameters at various positions were examined to evaluate their effect on flow uniformity across the distributor. Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamic studies were carried out to evaluate the effects of pertinent parameters on flow uniformity, which has a direct bearing on the quality of fluidization and hence heat and mass transfer rates obtained.     

A Three-Dimensional Numerical Study of the Gas/Particle Interactions in an Industrial-Scale Spray Dryer for Milk Powder Production

Gas/particle interaction plays an important role in modern spray dryers and may have influences on wall deposition, agglomeration, powder degradation, etc. In the present study, the three-dimensional (3-D) transient multiphase flow in an industrial-scale spray dryer has been investigated using the CFD package FLUENT. The Eulerian–Lagrangian approach and two-way coupling method were used in the simulations. The reaction engineering approach (REA model) for milk particles has been implemented. Some new characteristics of the gas flow pattern and the particle behavior (e.g., temperature–time profiles) were identified from the numerical results; for example, the milk particles flow in such a way that makes the central jet oscillation more nonlinear. The discrete phase enhances the turbulence near the air/droplet inlet but damps it downstream. The transient turbulent flow causes significant uncertainties in the particle tracking, which presented some challenges in simulations. The study has highlighted the importance in performing 3-D transient simulations in order to understand the industrial-scale dryers.     

A New Technique for Spray-Dried Encapsulation of Lycopene

A new technique for lycopene microencapsulation by spray drying using dehumidified air as the drying medium was developed and the optimum operating conditions for encapsulation efficiency were determined. A pilot-scale spray dryer was employed for the spray-drying process. The modification made to the original design consisted of connecting the dryer inlet air intake to an absorption air dryer. The dextrose equivalent (DE) of maltodextrin, ratio of core to wall material, feed temperature, inlet air temperature, drying air flow rate, and compressed air flow rate were the factors investigated with respect to encapsulation efficiency. The resulting microcapsules were evaluated in terms of moisture content, bulk density, rehydration ability, lycopene isomerization, and storage stability. The optimum operating conditions were found to be as follows: ratio of core to wall material, 1:3.3; feed temperature, 52°C; inlet air temperature, 147°C. Under these conditions, the maximum encapsulation efficiency was about 93%. The use of dehumidified air was proven to be an effective way of increasing lycopene encapsulation efficiency.     

Effect of Maltodextrin Addition during Spray Drying of Tomato Pulp in Dehumidified Air: I. Drying Kinetics and Product Recovery

This work investigates the effect of maltodextrin addition on the drying kinetics and the stickiness during spray drying of tomato pulp in dehumidified air. A pilot-scale spray dryer was employed for the spray-drying process. The modification made to the original design consisted in connecting the spray dryer inlet air intake to an absorption air dryer. Twenty-seven different experiments were conducted varying the dextrose equivalent (DE) of the maltodextrin, the ratio (tomato pulp solids)/(maltodextrin solids), and the inlet air temperature. Data for the residue remaining on the walls were gathered. Furthermore, the effect of maltodextrin addition on the drying kinetics and the stickiness of the product was investigated using a numerical simulation of the spray-drying process modeled with the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code Fluent. The code was used to determine the droplet moisture content and temperature profiles during the spray-drying experiments conducted in this work. The stickiness was determined by comparing the droplet temperature with its surface layer glass transition temperature (T_g ). The T_g was determined using a weighted mean rule based on the moisture content profiles calculated by the CFD code and the experimental data of T_g , which were obtained for the different tomato pulp and maltodextrin samples and fitted to the Gordon and Taylor model.     

CFD Analysis of Dust Explosion Relief System in the Counter-Current Industrial Spray Drying Tower

The aim of the paper was to evaluate the performance of venting devices in an industrial counter-current spray tower during dust explosion using a CFD model and EN14491:2006 standard. Three-dimensional CFD simulations of dust explosion in the spray tower for six different configurations of safety vents located at the top and side walls of the dryer were carried out. In the calculations, in which dust was replaced with a flammable gas-air mixture, the following parameters of dust explosion were analyzed: reaction progress, maximum and average gas temperature, gas velocity, and pressure. Reduced pressures calculated according to EN 14991:2006 standard are close to maximum pressure obtained from CFD simulations for all analyzed spatial configurations of the safety vents, which proves that the CFD model can be used both to design explosion mitigation systems and to describe the mechanism of explosion propagation in the drying chamber. Results of the calculations allowed us to evaluate the performance of analyzed venting devices, to determine the spatial configuration and parameters of venting devices that should be installed to minimize damages of the dryer construction.     

A Parametric Study of the Gas Flow Patterns and Drying Performance of Co-current Spray Dryer: Results of a Computational Fluid Dynamics Study

A computational fluid dynamic study was carried out to investigate airflow pattern, temperature, and humidity profile at different levels in the drying chamber. Good agreement was obtained with published experimental data. The effects of operating pressure, heat loss from the chamber wall and inlet air conditions on the gas flow pattern, droplet trajectories, and overall dryer performance also were investigated. Results are presented and discussed in terms of the gas velocity, temperature, and humidity profiles within the chambers. The volumetric evaporation values, heat transfer intensity, and thermal energy consumption per unit evaporation rate were computed and compared for drying of a 42.5% solids solution in a spray chamber 2.215 m in diameter with a cylindrical top section 2.005 m high and a bottom cone 1.725 m high. Wall regions subject to formation of undesirable deposits are also identified.     

COMPARISON OF SUPERHEATED STEAM AND AIR OPERATED SPRAY DRYERS USING COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS.

In this paper a numerical simulation of a spray dryer using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code Fluent is described. This simulation is based on a discrete droplet model and solve the partial differential equations of momentum, heat and mass conservation for both gas and dispersed phase.

The model is used to simulate the behaviour of a pilot scale spray dryer operated with two drying media : superheated steam and air Considering that there is no risk of powder ignition in superheated steam, we choosed a rather high inlet temperature (973 K). For the simulation, drop size spectrum is represented by 6 discrete droplets diameters, fitting to an experimental droplets size distribution and all droplets are injected at the same velocity, equal to the calculated velocity of the liquid sheet at the nozzle orifice.

It is showed that the model can evaluate the most important features of a spray dryer : temperature distribution inside the chamber, velocity of gas, droplets trajectories as well as deposits on the walls. The model predicts a fast down flowing core jet surrounded by a large recirculation zone. Using superheated steam or air as a drying medium shows only slight differences in flow patterns. Except for the recirculation which is tighter in steam.

The general behaviour of droplets in air or steam are quite the same : smallest droplets are entrained by the central core and largest ones are taken into the recirculation zone. In superheated steam, the droplets penetrate to a greater extent in the recirculation zone. Also, they evaporate faster. The contours of gas temperature reflect these differences as these two aspects are strongly coupled. In both air and steam there is a “cool” zone which is narrower in steam than in air. Finally, the panicle deposit problem seems to be more pronounced in air than in steam.

Adding to the inherent interest in using superheated steam as a drying medium, the model predicts attractive behaviour for spray drying with superheated steam. In particular. under the conditions tested with the model, a higher volumetric drying rate is obtained in superheated steam.