FEBRUARY 2007 www. Powder Bul kSol i ds.

com
IN THIS ISSUE
Ofcial Publication of the
Spray-Dryer
Optimization
Read more on page 12
The Sour ce f or Dr y Pr ocessi ng and Bul k Handl i ng Technol ogy
T
The question is often asked, How can more capac-
ity be gotten from our spray dryer? Or, What is
the greatest amount of powder that this dryer can
produce? Optimization of a spray dryer most often
means greater capacity, greater energy efficiency,
and lower manpower input.
Optimization is a complex and multifaceted goal
that is best looked at in three ways. First, one can
address the question from the standpoint of maxi-
mizing any single hour of productionthat is, by
maximizing inlet temperature, outlet temperature,
feed temperature, feed solids, etc. This procedure
can be both theoretical and scientific.
The second way to address the problem is on a
monthly basis. In a 30-day month, there are 720
hours during which a dryer can run. How many
hours per month is it in fact running? How many
hours per month are lost to clean in place (CIP)?
How many hours are lost to process-related prob-
lems such a plugging, build-up, etc.? In many
cases, more production can be achieved by reduc-
ing downtime than by trying to operate each pro-
duction hour close to the theoretical maximum.
The third, and often overlooked, approach is to
maximize dryer production on an annual basis
based on changes in ambient conditions. Spray dry-
ers almost always run better in winter than in sum-
mer. This has to do with the amount of moisture in
Spray-Dryer Optimization
By Jim Kent and John McLeod
TechnicalExclusive
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the ambient air.
When the mois-
ture in the ambi-
ent air is higher,
less water can be
evaporated in the
spray-drying
process.
Because each opti-
mization procedure has
unique requirements, it is difficult to give
one-size-fits-all answers. But
if an operation is analyzed
critically, if the right ques-
tions are asked and if clear
methods are applied to find
solutions, operations can be
improved.
Improving Capacity
Simply stated, the capacity of
spray drying is measured by the
amount of water evaporated. Evaporation
is defined as the difference between inlet
and outlet temperature, or T, in the dry-
ing air. The larger the T, the greater the
capacity of the spray dryer. The goal in
optimizing a spray dryers capacity is to
increase T by raising the inlet tempera-
ture or lowering the outlet temperature.
What is the optimal outlet temperature?
The outlet temperature is a manifestation
of the relative humidity in the outlet air.
If the outlet temperature is too low, the
product particles in the drying chamber
will not become dry enough in the time
allowed, enabling sticky particles to cause
blocking or plugging. If the outlet temper-
ature is too high, excess capacity remains
unutilized. The proper outlet tempera-
tureor more specifically, proper outlet
relative humidityis product- and dryer-
specific, but once established, it remains
constant for a specific product in a partic-
ular dryer.
To develop a viable dry particle, a dryer
should operate just on the safe side of
dry enough while avoiding too dry,
which results in underutilization.
Understanding these principles and using
a modern control system with the instru-
mentation needed to collect operating
data are the primary means to achieve
optimal drying conditions.
An instrument for measuring incoming
air moisture is key to good operation.
Using instrumentation to determine when
the ambient conditions change allows
operators to adjust the drying parameters
to account for changing conditions while
maintaining optimized production.
Another key to achieving optimal drying
conditions is spray-dryer inlet tempera-
ture. The higher the inlet temperature,
the more energy is available for evaporat-
ing water. Obviously, spray dryers do not
operate with infinitely high inlet tempera-
tures. There are good reasons for limiting
inlet temperature, and they are generally
process, product, or safety related. Inlet
temperature can be limited for process
reasons when the T has been optimized
and the maximum outlet humidity has
been reached. This means evaporating as
much water as possible and operating just
above the products sticky point.
Build-up can occur in vessels that operate
above a certain inlet temperature or
below a certain outlet temperature. In
addition, vessels can experience bridging.
This is a manifestation of operating with a
T greater than that which can produce a
viable dry particle.
Inlet temperature can also be limited for
product reasons. If the product becomes
denatured, burned, deprived of desired
volatiles, or degraded in other ways at
high inlet temperatures, the drying inlet
temperature is limited to a point below
which the undesired characteristics do
not occur.
Another reason for limiting the
inlet temperature is related to safety. If
product builds up in the dryer, particular-
ly in areas next to high-temperature sur-
faces, product may ignite. Sugar-based
products can
autoignite when
wall build-up
reaches certain
thicknesses at cer-
tain moisture levels and
temperatures. Being aware
of these conditions enables
users to set reasonable limits for the
inlet temperature.
Plant operators should know why inlet
and outlet temperatures are set at particu-
lar levels. Just because limits exist and
the spray dryer has run for years does not
mean that operating conditions should
not be evaluated and optimized. Limits
are often in force for reasons that no
longer exist.
Feed temperature, particularly in existing
plants, can also be optimized.
Theoretically, heating feed as close to the
dryers inlet temperature as possible is
ideal. All of the energy available from the
air heater can then be used for water
evaporation, with no energy going toward
heating the residual product. In most
cases, it is not possible to heat the product
greatly without causing product degrada-
tion. Elevating the temperature as high as
the product allows without degradation
yields extra capacity from the spray dryer
by acquiring heat from a source other
than the main air heater.
Finally, using the highest concentrations
of feed solids yields greater capacity. This
topic, however, is beyond the scope of the
spray dryer itself.
Decreasing Downtime, Increasing
Run Time
A plant may decide at some point that it
requires all of the 720 hours in a 30-day
month to meet its production require-
ments. During a production month, there
are two ways to understand the amount of
time that is not spent in spray drying.
The first is the planned time spent per-
forming processes such as cleaning or
CIP. The second is dryer-related
unplanned downtime, such as unplugging
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cyclones. Even if a plant does not need all
720 hours, operating in the most efficient
way possible leads to labor savings.
If the dryer feed system is down for
cleaning, dryer downtime results, reduc-
ing the amount of available time in a pro-
duction month. In a food or dairy plant,
the feed system for the spray dryer often
must be washed or CIPed daily. In food
plants that often switch between products,
batches and products must be separated.
A hot issue is dealing with allergens and
cleaning between allergen classes.
Many simple incremental operational
improvements can be made in the feed-
system CIP to shorten turnaround times.
For example, is the labor required to
remove nozzle lances from the spray
dryer and hook them up for cleaning pro-
ceeding as efficiently as possible? A sec-
ond set of nozzle lances that has been
pressure tested and is ready for installa-
tion will save operators from having to
cover the same ground twice.
There has been a
trend toward using
spray dryers with two
feed systems, each of
which can operate at
100% capacity. While
this procedure works
particularly well for
nozzle atomization
systems, it can pro-
vide benefits for
rotary atomization
systems as well. If
feed-system CIP
requires that a spray
dryer be down for sev-
eral hours per day or
week, those hours can
be regained by using a
dual-feed system.
A dual-feed system
can be used in two
ways. First, and most
simply, an exact dupli-
cate of the feed sys-
tem, whether rotary
or nozzle, can be built
up to the point of con-
nection with the
atomizer. When feed
system 1 is shut down
at the end of a batch,
the nozzle lances or rotary atomizer are
removed for cleaning. Clean nozzle lances
or a clean rotary atomizer are immediate-
ly installed and connected to feed system
2, after which the spray dryer is put back
into operation. Then feed system 1 can be
cleaned when convenient. In this proce-
dure, CIP does not interfere with produc-
tion.
Generally, switching between two feed
systems can take between 30 and 60 min-
utes. But the 1 to 3 hours required for CIP
do not cut into production and are gained
back as time available for spray drying.
The second way to implement a dual-feed
system is more complex and only applies
to nozzle atomization. This method
requires an air disperser with double the
number of nozzle lance locations. If a
dryer has 6 nozzles, the air disperser
must be rebuilt to hold 12 nozzles, 6 of
which are used at any given time. Then
the spray dryer will never have to be shut
down. At the end of a batch, the process-
ing speed of feed system 1 is reduced
while the processing speed of feed system
2 is ramped up. Production capacity
always remains constant during this oper-
ation. Feed-system CIP setup is taken out
of the critical path and can be performed
when convenient.
If CIP is not planned immediately after
the feed-system switch, accommodations
can be made for the high-pressure feed
system to purge the nozzle lances with
compressed air, or a recirculating loop can
be created to flush the system with water.
An added benefit of using a dual-feed sys-
tem and switching back and forth is the
reduction of drying-chamber fouling,
which is most often caused by startups
and shutdowns. If startups and shutdowns
can be minimized or eliminated, the time
between chamber washes can be extend-
ed. With fewer startups and shutdowns,
the use of fans and heaters between
spray-drying operations can be reduced,
resulting in energy savings.
Spray-Dryer Cleaning
Aside from operations, the most impor-
tant events in the life of a spray dryer are
planned or unplanned cleans. For some
operations, cleaning may be performed
daily to separate batches or allergen class-
es. For other operations, cleaning may
take place annually.
First, personnel must ask why the spray
dryer is going to be cleaned. Generally,
there are five answers to this question:
1. To remove buildup that can result in
fire or explosion.
2. To eliminate buildup that is causing
product quality issues.
3. To separate product groups or classes
to prevent cross-contamination.
4. To eliminate bacterial growth that can
cause product quality issues.
5. As part of regularly scheduled main-
tenance.
Often, cleaning is performed to address
and eliminate the root causes of produc-
tion issues. If buildup can be minimized
for example, by performing fewer startups
and shutdownswash frequency required
for preventing fire hazards or product
quality issues can be reduced. Ultimately,
maximizing the time between cleans or
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CIPs will also maximize the time allowed
for production.
While performing cleans, three areas can
be evaluated to achieve the most efficient
time utilization: setting up the dryer for
cleaning or CIP, the cleaning or CIP pro-
cedure, and drying out the equipment
and preparing it for production again.
Setting up a CIP and preparing equipment
for production are generally manpower
issues. Establishing piping connections or
isolating pieces of equipment can be
accomplished using more manpower or
automation. For example, if spray balls
are still being installed manually, perma-
nently mounted retractable spray balls
can be added to reduce labor and time
requirements.
During the cleaning or CIP cycle itself,
timelines can be improved by addressing
the four parameters that affect cleaning:
solution delivery pressure, solution chem-
ical strength, solution temperature, and
duration. Improving
any of the first three
parameters generally
reduces the time
required to complete a
cleaning cycle. With
one or two operators,
performing a simple
hot-water clean of a
small-sized modern
spray dryer system to
separate product types
or batches can often be
accomplished in
approximately three
hoursfrom going off-
line to resuming pro-
duction. Chemical
cleans of a larger dryer
with a months worth
of production build-up
can be turned around
in 816 hours. In many
operations, however,
2448-hour cleans are
highly valued.
Unplanned Downtime
In dealing with
unplanned downtime,
there are myriad
mechanical- and
process-related reasons
for shutdowns. One of
the most common causes of unplanned
spray-dryer downtime is the plugging of
cyclones, chamber outlets, conveying
lines, and similar equipment. Plugging
has two main causes: mechanical issues
and moisture. Mechanical issues
whether bridging or reduced floware
much easier to deal with than moisture.
These problems are handled using
mechanical means such as pneumatic
hammers, bridge breakers, or increased
outlet sizes.
The more difficult issues include mois-
ture and condensation. By definition, the
air inside a spray-drying process vessel
be it a chamber, cyclone, or baghouseis
moist and warm, while the temperature
outside the vessel is cooler. If the internal
surface of the vessel is allowed to cool
below the dew point of the moist air, con-
densation will occur. For a process with a
160180F dryer outlet temperature,
dew points can be in the range of
120130F. If the room in which the ves-
sel is situated is 80F, there is enough
temperature differential to cause heat loss
and condensation, leading to product
plugging or bridging. If the vessel is insu-
lated and clad or heat jacketed, these
problems are generally eliminated.
Nevertheless, other conditions exacerbate
the problems.
A crucial component is the cyclone tip or
product outlet. In the cyclone tip, the
rotational velocity of the air is high.
Inversely, because the air velocity is high,
the air pressure is low. For example, in a
high-efficiency cyclone with 6 in. of water
column differential pressure between the
air inlet and outlet, the static pressure in
the tip can be 20 in. water column. Such
low pressure would be the same as mov-
ing the plant from sea level to 1400 ft
above sea level. Such low absolute pres-
sure in the area of the cyclone tip causes
fog or condensation in the air.
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Why is the cyclone tip the most problem-
prone component of a dryer? If three
effects are combinedsmeared product
caused by rotation, air leakage into the
cyclone from a rotary valve or similar
device, and the low absolute pressure
inside the vesselplugging can occur.
A second area to explore is the nozzle
lances in a nozzle spray dryer. Operators
regularly install and remove nozzles, dis-
assembling and reassembling them.
Handling the small parts that comprise a
spray nozzle and assembling them cor-
rectly so that they can operate at many
thousands of pounds per square inch of
pressure is difficult. Incorrectly installed
spray nozzles result in poor product quali-
ty and require operators to shut down and
restart the spray dryer, leading to produc-
tion losses.
One way to solve this problem is to pres-
sure test the nozzles before they are
installed. A small operation can be set up
either near the dryer top or in another
part of the plant in which a small indus-
trial high-pressure pump is used to test
each nozzle with water after it has been
assembled. This test can be done on a
second set of nozzle lances while the
dryer is operating so that the tested
lances can be installed during the next
changeover.
Effect of Ambient Conditions
Humidity levels in the dryer inlet air
resulting from the seasonal variability in
ambient air conditions play an important
role in standardizing incoming air in
open-cycle dryers and dryers without
inlet-air cooling systems. To understand
this, it is necessary to understand a pri-
mary maxim of spray drying: Dryer
capacity is limited by the total moisture in
the air leaving the spray-drying chamber.
In simpler terms, if the air leaving the
chamber is too moist, a viable stable parti-
cle is not produced and the product tends
to be sticky. If the air leaving the cham-
ber is too dry, some drying capacity
remains unused. To maximize dryer
capacity, the dryer should be operated as
close as possible to the maximum total
moisture of the chamber outlet air, a
parameter measured in pounds of water
per pound of dry air (lb lb).
Once the dryer inlet temperature, dryer
outlet temperature, and other parameters
have been optimized for a specific prod-
uct under specific conditions, dryer outlet
moisture will be optimized. Then the
plant should be operated as close to this
theoretical maximum as possible. This
procedure is difficult to carry out because
of weather and seasonal changes.
Facilities often hope to solve this difficul-
ty by installing an instrument to measure
the total moisture of the chamber outlet
air and then program a control loop to
allow the dryer to operate at a setpoint
just below the maximum. This is not pos-
sible, however, since any commercially
available instrument, such as a hot-wire
anemometer or a humidity transmitter,
would be quickly fouled by the powder in
the air stream. The problem must be
approached from a differ-
ent angle.
First, it is important to
understand the three
sources of water in the out-
let: the humidity in the
ambient air absorbed into
the dryer, combustion prod-
ucts if a direct-fired gas
burner is used as a source
of heat, and the water
evaporated in the spray-
drying process. If the mois-
ture contributions from the
first two sources are
reduced, the contribution
from the third can be
increased. If the moisture
from the first two sources
can be measured and con-
trolled, one can operate
with much less of a margin
on the third and thereby
maximize capacity.
How does one measure
and control this? Using
the units of measure used
for outlet humidity (lb
lb), every contributing
component is measured.
This means measuring
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the two or three components that con-
tribute to the water total and all of the
air components.
First, it is necessary to measure the ambi-
ent air moisture with some sort of
hygrometer that sends data back to the
control system. If some air is taken from
inside the plant and some from outside,
two instruments can be needed. Air vol-
ume must be measured for each air
stream. This can generally be done using
a pitot tube with a differential-pressure
transmitter, which calculates the air vol-
ume in the control system. Alternatively,
something similar can be done using a
hot-wire anemometer.
If a spray dryer has a direct-fired gas
burner that runs on natural gas or
propane, moisture is added to the drying
air stream as a product of combustion.
This can amount to a 5 to 10% increase in
the moisture contribution, depending on
the specific conditions. An accurate gas
meter can send the gas consumption data
to the control system, where a stoichio-
metric calculation can be made to calcu-
late the exact moisture contribution.
Finally, the volume of water contribution
from the evaporated water must be meas-
ured. Since either a nozzle spray system
or a rotary atomizer system is fed with a
positive-displacement pump, the volume
of water pumped into the dryer can be
calculated from the pump speed, pump
displacement, and solids content. This
procedure is generally more accurate than
using a flowmeter, but mechanical ineffi-
ciency and slippage must be accounted
for to ensure accuracy.
When all the moisture and air inputs have
been collected, the final calculation can
be made in the control system.
Operational data must be collected to
indicate when the dryer is operating cor-
rectly and when it becomes plugged.
Alarms or automation systems can be put
in place to ensure that the spray dryer is
operating at its optimum level without
being in danger of plugging or experienc-
ing a wetdown condition.
Conclusion
Corporate profitability drives the need to
understand the science of spray dryers
and their optimization. Consequently, the
cost of implementing any of the sugges-
tions discussed in this article must be
weighed against the opportunity cost of
an extra pound of production or an extra
available hour of uptime. No move in the
direction of optimization can be justified
unless it results in a positive financial out-
come.
Jim Kent is the sales manager for the food
and dairy division of Niro Inc. in Hudson,
WI. Kent has a BS in aerospace engineering
from the University of Minnesota. He can be
reached at 715-377-0536 or [email protected].
John McLeod is the rebuild sales engineer of
Niro Inc. in Columbia, MD. McLeod has a
BS in chemical engineering from North
Carolina State University and an MBA from
the University of South Carolina. He can be
reached at 410-997-6670 or
[email protected].
Reprinted from Powder Bulk Solids, February 2007 Copyright 2007 Canon Communications LLC
Niro Inc. 9165 Rumsey Road Columbia, MD 21045 USA Tel 410 997 8700 Fax 410 997 5021
Niro Inc. 1600 OKeefe Road Hudson, WI 54016 USA Tel 715 396 9371 Fax 715 386 9376
E-mail [email protected] Website www.niroinc.com