Experimental analysis of spray drying in a process intensified counter flow dryer

This research presents an experimental analysis of a counter flow spray drying process using water and skim milk as a feed. The study was performed by examining the droplet size distribution of sprays and the temperature profiles in the dryer. The influence of air inlet temperature, air mass flow rate, feed flow rate, and droplet size on air temperatures in the dryer was evaluated. The evaporation and deposition zones were found to be highly dependent on the droplet size. The obtained results show that it is possible to achieve efficient contact between hot air and spray in a small volume using a counter-current mechanism.

Automated summary

This research experimentally analyzes a counter flow spray drying process using water and skim milk as a feed. The droplet size distribution of sprays and the temperature profiles in the dryer were examined. The study evaluated the influence of air inlet temperature, air mass flow rate, feed flow rate, and droplet size on air temperatures in the dryer. The results obtained show that efficient contact between hot air and spray in a small volume can be achieved using a counter-current mechanism.