Laboratory 5: Spray dryer 1.

Introduction

Spray dryer is considerably important in many industrial drying operations. A spray dryer is a piece of commercial equipment for rapidly removing moisture from a liquid to produce a solid in powder form. The initial liquid can either be a solution (a dissolved solid) or an insoluble solid in suspension in the liquid which sometimes called slurry. Common spray dried products include instant coffee, milk powder, paint powder, egg powders, resins and detergents. It is used extensively in the food industry, the pharmaceutical industry and dairy processing. The diagram shows a schematic representation of a typical spray drying system for milk powder. For spray drying, it is usual to pump a concentrate of the liquid product to the atomizing device where it is broken into small droplets. Droplet sizes can range from 20 to 180 micrometres depending on the nozzle. A nozzle is usually used to make the droplets as small as possible, maximising heat transfer and the rate of water vaporisation. These droplets meet a stream of hot air and they lose their moisture very rapidly while still suspended in the drying air. The dry powder is separated from the moist air in cyclones by centrifugal action. The centrifugal action is caused by the great increase in air speed when the mixture of particles and air enters the cyclone system. The dense powder particles are forced toward the cyclone walls while the lighter, moist air is directed away through the exhaust pipes. The powder settles to the bottom of the cyclone where it is removed through a discharging device. Sometimes the air-conveying ducts for the dry powder are connected with cooling systems which admit cold air for transport of the product through conveying pipes.

Figure 1.1: Spray dryer Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Labspraydryer.svg A=Solution or suspension to be dried in, B=Atomization gas in, 1-Drying gas in 2-Heating of drying gas 3-Spraying of solution or suspension 4-Drying chamber 5-Part between drying chamber and cyclone 6-Cyclone 7-Drying gas is taken away, 8-Collection vessel of product, arrows mean that this is co-current lab-spray dryer 2. Aims

To demonstrates the principles and operation of spray dryer 3. Apparatus and material

100 gm of pandan extract 600 mL of water 400 mL of milk Pump

SD-Basic Lab Plant Spray Dryer Magnetic Stirrer Beaker

4. Procedures

The apparatus is set up. Power button, blower, heater, compressor is switched on. Run the spray dryer with 1 L of water.

The inlet temperature is set at 1900C. The flow rate is set at 2 rpm.

100mL of sample is prepared in the beaker and being stirred throughout the experiment using magnetic stirrer.

Wait until the product is gained. The product is collected in the product collector.

The tube is ensured to be correctly connected and in correct position to ensure the sample flow smoothly into the spray dryer.

The tube is connected from the spray dryer into the solution sample in the beaker.

5. Discussions

This experiment is carried out to demonstrate the principles and operation of spray dryer. Spray dryer is a method of producing a dry powder from a liquid or slurry by rapidly drying with a hot gas. Relatively high temperatures are needed for spray drying operations. However, heat damage to products is generally only slight, because of an evaporative cooling effect during the critical drying period and because the subsequent time of exposure to high temperatures of the dry material may be very short. For this reason, it is possible to spray dry some bacterial suspensions without destruction of the organisms. This is also the preferred method of drying of many thermally-sensitive materials such as foods and pharmaceuticals. In drying slurry, a formulation is needed to produce a good quality of powder. In this experiment,
powder with pandan leaf extract is to be produced. In order to get the powder, a formulation of the solution/slurry needs to be made where the pandan leaf extract is mixed with milk powder and water to produce slurry. The milk is a vital component in the slurry as it acts as a carrier in producing the pandan leaf powder. In the operation of spray dryer, it is possible to control many of the factors

which influence powder structure in order to obtain the desired properties. They are flow rate
and the inlet temperature. Correct flow rate and temperature are the keys to the spray drying process, 3

as both greatly influence the final powder structure and quality. Suitable outlet temperature is needed for the process in spray dryer as the outlet temperature would control the temperature of the hot air needed to dry the sprayed slurry. The temperature should be high enough to dry the slurry completely and able to produce powder from the sprayed slurry.

On the other hand, a suitable flow rate is also one of the determining parameter in producing a high quality of powder with high production. The flow rate will later determine the slurry distribution when it is being pumped out from the nozzle. The flow rate should be adjusted at suitable value so that it would be fast enough to spray the slurry and make contact with the hot air to be dried into powder. Several trials need to be carried out to find a suitable flow rate and outlet temperature to produce a fine powder from a formulation and able to produce powder with high amount. The amount of powder produced can be determined by weighing the glassware; place where the powder is being collected, before and after the drying process. The difference in mass of the glassware is the mass of the powder. 6. Conclusions In operation of spray dryer, several important parameters for example temperature, flow rate and size of nozzle need to be correctly controlled to produce high quality of powder with high production. A good formulation of the slurry is also needed in order to get a satisfied and desired texture of powder. Several trials has to be carried out to find the suitable temperature, flow rate and a good formulation as different substance would need different temperature and flow rate in order to be dried into powder. Spray drying has become the most important method for dehydration of fluid especially in food industries. The development of the process has been intimately associated with the dairy industry and the demand for drying of milk powders. However, the technology has been expanded to cover a large food group which now is being successfully sprayed dried. 7. Recommendations . 7.1 Sample must be blended and filtered finely to avoid clogging in the nozzle. 7.2 Run the sample at optimum temperature and optimum flow rate to get good quality and quantity of product. 7.3 Wash the dryer with water before and after being used to avoid contaminant to the products. 7.4 Weigh each apparatus (glass ware) before and after run the experiment to get accurate quantity of product.

8. References

Karel, M., O.R. Fennema, & D.B. Lund. 1975. Principles of Food Science : Part II. Physical Principles of Food Preservation. Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York.

Hansen, P.M.T. 1963.Manufacture of butter powder. Australian Journal of Dairy Technology.

Charm,S.E.1971.Fundamentals of Food Engineering. The AVI Publishing Company, Westport, Connecticut.

9. Appendices

Figure 9.1: Pump

Figure 9.2: The formulation need to be stirred well before being pumped into the spray dryer.

Figure 9.3: Setting up of spray dryer

Figure 9.4: Temperature and flow rate control panel.

Figure 9.5: The slurry is pumped in into the spray dryer.

Figure 9.6: The powder produced by the spray dryer.

Figure 9.7: The fine powder.

Figure 9.8: Cyclone where the powder is being collected