SPRAY DRYING

3. EQUIPMENT/MATERIALS
spray dryer with atomizer (220 V) collecting jar
air compressor (220 V) psychrometer
anemometer cellophane tape
cotton 500-mL beaker (1)
detergent (200 g) distilled water (500 mL)
stirring rod
4. SAFETY
he operation o! the spray dryer in"ol"es a large amo#nt o! energy which is
s#pplied by means o! electricity$ %or this reason& care m#st always be obser"ed in
operating the #nit& especially when pl#gging the compressor (220V) to the electric
so#rce$ 'e!ore r#nning the #nit& it is also important to check i! the collecting jar !or
the dried solids was properly attached$ (! not properly mo#nted& the jar may get
dislodged !rom the #nit d#e to the high-press#re in the chamber d#ring operation$
)#ring operation& the compressor m#st be con"eniently located near the spray
dryer$ (t sho#ld be ens#red& howe"er& that the hose connecting it to the chamber
and the electrical wires m#st not hamper the mo"ements o! the #sers$ *lso& the
wheels o! the dryer m#st be locked be!ore operation$
o ens#re ma+im#m sa!ety& all these m#st be care!#lly checked be!ore the
e+periment$
5. PRELIMINARY
he o"erall energy balance in"ol"ed in this e+periment is ,#ite comple+$ his is
beca#se o! the many components o! the e,#ipment that s#pply and #se heat d#ring
the operation$ (n order to #nderstand the e,#ation& one m#st !irst analyze the
schematic diagram o! the set-#p$ his e+ercise wo#ld be help!#l in the analysis i!
one attempted to sketch his-her own diagram based on his-her obser"ation& and then
matched it with the diagram in this man#al !or a !inal check$ .ach term in the
e,#ation m#st be associated with the proper component in the #nit& as well as with
the proper stage o! operation$
Problem C1 Spray Drying
6. THEORY
* spray dryer consists o! a "ertical cylindrical chamber into which the material to
be dried& in the !orm o! sl#rry& is sprayed in the !orm o! small droplets$ /eat trans!er
and mass trans!er are accomplished by direct contact between the hot air and the
dispersed droplets$ he hot air dries the solids while it cools$ *!ter the completion o!
the operation& the cooled gas and the dried solids are separated$ his may be
accomplished partially at the bottom o! the drying chamber by mechanical
classi!ication and separation o! the dried particles$ %ine particles are separated !rom
the gas in e+ternal cyclones and then collected in a glass jar$
0pray dryers handle sl#rries and sol#tions at relati"ely high prod#ction rates$ (n
the operation& the sl#rry is p#mped to a nozzle or a rotary disk atomizer which sprays
the !eed in !ine droplets$ he droplets are s#bjected to a stream o! hot air !lowing
either co#nter-c#rrently in relation to the !alling droplets or in a comple+ combination
o! the two paths$ *!ter being dried& the solid particles are separated !rom the air by
gra"ity$ he e+ha#st air carries the !ines !rom the drying chamber& and so the air is
passed thro#gh a cyclone separator or bag !ilters and wet scr#bbers be!ore iss#ing
to the atmosphere$
0pray drying in"ol"es three !#ndamental #nit operations1 (1) li,#id atomization&
(2) droplet mi+ing (2) drying o! li,#id droplets$ *tomization is accomplished #s#ally
by one o! three atomizing de"ices1 (1) high-press#re nozzles& (2) two-!l#id nozzles&
(2) high-speed centri!#gal disks$ 3ith the atomizer& a thin sol#tion may be dispersed
into droplets as small as 2 m$ he act#al drying time is meas#red in seconds
beca#se o! the small s#r!ace area o! the droplets$
* heat analysis aro#nd the e,#ipment will res#lt to the !ollowing1
apparent 4 heat gained 5 heat gained 5 heat gained
heat inp#t by the solids by the water by air
to the #nit
)e!ining nomenclat#re as1
62 4 heat inp#t to the #nit
%2 4 mass o! the dry solids
4 total mass o! water in the !eed sl#rry
wa 4 mass o! dry air
780 4 speci!ic heat o! the solids
78 4 speci!ic heat o! air
o 4 e+it air temperat#re
9 4 inlet temperat#re o! sl#rry
i 4 inlet temperat#re o! air
heat gained by the solids 4 ) : ( 7 %
o 80 2

heat gained by the water 4 ; ) : ( 7 <
o 8
+
heat gained by the air 4
) ( 7 w
i o 8 a

(n the heat balance1
) ( 7 w ; ) : ( 7 < ) : ( 7 % 6
i o 8 a o 8 o 80 2 2
+ + + =
7. OPERATING PROCEDURE AND CONDITIONS
KINDLY PLACE YOUR BAGS AT THE DESIGNATED LOCKERS
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Problem C1 Spray Drying
NOTE: 8rior to start-#p& check the !ollowing1
7.1 P!"S#$#"U% G&'(!)'*!+
=$1$1 he li,#id distrib#tor and the atomizer wheel m#st be correctly mo#nted
and the wheel rotating !reely$
=$1$2 7heck all the d#ct connections !or tightness$ *ll gaskets m#st be
correctly mo#nted$ >ake s#re that air is not s#cked into the dryer
system d#e to air leakage aro#nd the d#ct connections$
=$1$2 ?btain the initial mass o! the collecting jar$ >o#nt it to the #nit$ 7heck
that the glass jar #nder the cyclone is sec#rely !astened$ (t is
recommended that the glass jar be warmed to pre"ent condensation in
the jar d#ring the early stages o! the operation$
=$1$@ 7onnection o! 7ompressed *ir$ 7ompressed air at 5 A B kg-cm2 (=0 A
C0 lbs-in2) is re,#ired to power (a) the atomizer (t#rbine dri"e type) and
(b) the dryer roo!& which is pne#matically li!ted and lowered$ )#ring
dryer operation& the compressed air capacity re,#irement appro+imates
to 1= D-m2-hr$ 7ompressed air is best s#pplied to the dryer "ia an air
hose& which can be connected to the dryer by the air line co#pling
placed at the back o! the instr#ment panel$ he air hose !or s#pplying
air to the atomizer is attached to the st#d located at the back o! the
instr#ment panel$ (t is important that air s#pplying the #nit is !ree !rom
water and oil$ *n oil-water separator m#st be placed in the compressed
air line& as close to the #nit connection as possible$
=$1$5 8repare the sl#rry by mi+ing s#!!icient amo#nt o! powdered detergent
and water to make #p 500 mL o! B0E by mass detergent sl#rry$ Dote
the !ollowing data1 weight o! dry solids and weight o! sl#rry be!ore
drying$
7., S#$#"U%
=$2$1 0witch on the power to the #nit$
=$2$2 #rn the operation switch !rom 0 to > to start the !an$
=$2$2 #rn the switch to (& (( or (((& depending on the inlet air temperat#re
re,#ired$ Fse the percentage timer to the air temperat#re #ntil the
desired inlet air temperat#re is obtained$ <NOTE: he #nit is designed
to operate with an inlet air temperat#re ma+im#m at 250 7 and an o#tlet
air temperat#re ma+im#m at 120 7$;
=$1$@ 3ith the heater on& and the !an started& start the atomizer by completely
opening the air "al"e$ <NOTE: he bl#e "al"e at the le!t end o! the
control panel is the air "al"e$; he atomizer will reach top speed& at a
press#re o! abo#t B kg-cm
2
& a!ter abo#t 20 seconds$ he air press#re is
indicated in the press#re ga#ge and this m#st be kept constant$
=$1$5 8ass distilled water to the atomizer #ntil the re,#ired o#tlet air
temperat#re is obtained$
=$1$B 3hen the o#tlet air temperat#re has been maintained constant (by
maintaining the !eed rate constant) switch !rom the water to the li,#id or
!eed sl#rry$ <NOTE: )#ring the dryer operation it is most important to
keep the o#tlet air temperat#re constant so as to maintain the moist#re
content le"el$;
7.3 M$'* E-%!'.!*#
=$2$1 G#n the dryer keeping the sl#rry !eed rate constant and the e+it air
temperat#re constant #ntil the sl#rry r#ns o#t$
=$2$2 )#ring the r#n& note the !ollowing e+perimental data at a con"enient time
inter"al& say& !i"e min#tes1
inlet air temperat#re& i absol#te h#midity o! air at i
22
Problem C1 Spray Drying
o#tlet air temperat#re& o absol#te h#midity o! air at o
the operating press#re o! the atomizer inlet temperat#re o! solids& 9
air "elocity total r#n time
=$2$2 *ppro+imately ten min#tes a!ter the sl#rry r#ns o#t& ,#ickly b#t care!#lly
#n!astened the collecting jar !rom the #nit and replace it with another
one$ 7ool the collecting jar and its contents and then determine its
mass$
=$2$@ Gepeat the process !or another sl#rry !eed rate by "arying the opening o!
the !eed container$
7.4 S/&#(01*
=$@$1 0witch !rom the !eed sl#rry to distilled water& reg#lating the amo#nt o!
water !ed so that the o#tlet air temperat#re does not decrease$
=$@$2 G#n the #nit !or 5 to 10 min#tes with water$
=$@$2 0witch o!! the air heater$
=$@$@ 0et the percentage timer to zero and the operation switch at >$
=$@$5 #rn o!! the water s#pply$
=$@$B 0top the atomizer appro+imately three min#tes later$
=$@$= )raw cold air thro#gh the dryer !or !i"e min#tes or so$
=$@$H 3hen the o#tlet air temperat#re is appro+imately 50 7& the chamber
may be opened and the powder retained in the chamber may be swept$
0witch the !an on d#ring the operation$
=$@$C #rn the operation switch to zero$
H$ G.*>.D ?% )**
H$1 Fsing the heat balance e,#ation& e"al#ate the heat e!!ects in the e,#ipment
indi"id#ally$
H$2 )etermine the apparent total heat inp#t into the #nit$
H$2 )etermine the E reco"ery o! the solids in the chamber$
H$@ )etermine the E drying o! the solids based on the amo#nt o! water that was
dri"en o!! !rom the original sl#rry$
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