Spray Drying Application Guide

Increase Output in Spray Drying Applications

Improve Production and Product Quality All Year Round

Munters is the world leader in dehumidification

Munters is the largest manufacturer of dehumidifiers in the world. Since developing the first desiccant dehumidifier
in the late 1930s, Munters has continued to innovate in the fields of dehumidification and energy recovery. Our long
history and extensive expertise in dehumidification makes us the premier choice for your dehumidification needs.

he technology of spray drying systems and spray

dryers are widely used in food, pharmaceutical and
industrial applications converting liquid solutions to
powder or granules.
Companies utilizing spray drying technology, prefer the
dry winter climate to the humid summer climate for increased
production and quality. In the winter time, water content in the
air is low which creates optimal operating conditions. In the
summer climate, humid conditions have a greater impact on
production quality, dry time and overall production efficiency.
Additionally, the constantly changing moisture level of outside
air during production can have a negative impact on consistent
quality output.
It is necessary during the spray drying process to stabilize
all parameters of the operation to optimize production and
improve efficiency. Using desiccant dehumidification can
make this possible.

TYPICAL SPRAY DRYING APPLICATIONS

Food
Milk powder, coffee, tea, eggs, cereal, spices, flavorings
Pharmaceutical
Antibiotics, medical ingredients, additives
Industrial
Paint pigments, ceramic materials, catalyst supports

Minimum 20% of the production is lost each year

90

Figure 1: Typical spray dryer

In spray drying applications, it is critical

that moisture is controlled

0
-5

80

-10

70

Humidity Gr/Lb

-20
50
-25
40
-30
30
-35
20

-40

10

-45

-50
January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November December

SPRAY TOWER PROBLEMS

Production rate
varies by season

Production stops

Drying time too long

Lack of flexibility

Inconsistent quality
of the powder

Spray Drying Application Guide

Product scrap

% lost of production

-15
60

By dehumidifying the incoming air, maintaining the same low

moisture content throughout the year is easy. This allows for
stable inlet conditions, enabling consistent quality and increased
performance from the spray drying process. Munters has
developed a range of special high performance dehumidifiers
which enable this to happen. Munters dehumidifiers control
precise moisture content of the incoming air, which provides the
following advantages to the spray drying process:

Consistent production all year. Production is no longer

affected by outside conditions. No more production stops
in the summer due to weather conditions, also eliminating
the need for frequent parameter adjustments.
Consistent quality all year. Having stable dry inlet
conditions means consistent quality.
Less cleaning time. Less product sticking to the wall of the
spray tower.

Fan

Bag
Filter

OUTLET DUCT

FEED

FINES

Feed Screw
Reactivation Air

FRESH AIR

Wet Air

Air
Filter

Fan

Air Heater

DRY/COOLED
PRODUCT

Dry Air

Pre-Cooled Outside Air

FRESH AIR

Air
Filter

Cool / Demist
Reheat

Fan

Figure 2: Munters supplies multiple products for spray drying processes, including indirect gas-fired
heaters, heat exchangers, desiccant air dryers. All of these systems can be used to control the temperature
and humidity of the process air.

Summary

Munters dehumidification can improve the performance of the spray drying

application by providing a low moisture level to the spray dryer all year round.
The moisture in the incoming air to the desiccant is absorbed by the desiccant
rotor. The air coming off the dehumidifier system can be controlled to the desired
moisture content. As the process is exothermic, the temperature difference is
dependent on the amount of moisture removed, but can be up to 120F. This means
the spray dryer has less work to do to achieve its temperature of the entering air into
the chamber. With summer conditions, outdoor air introduces a huge quantity of
water in the spray tower. For example an outdoor air condition of 77F at 61% RH
(85 gr/lb) and an airflow of 50,000 CFM, then 2600 lbs. of water are introduced per
hour into the spray tower.
The Munters GTR rotor makes the system much more efficient. An outdoor
air condition of 77F at 61% RH (85 gr/lb) passes through the Munters system and
provides process air of 50,000 CFM at 147F and 14 gr/lb. This means only 450 lbs.
of water are introduced per hour to the spray tower a savings of almost 2200 lbs. of
water per hour. In addition over 4,000,000 BTUH is saved because of the higher air
temperature due to the dehumidification process.
With 2200 lbs. of water less per hour
introduced into the tower and a 55% slurry,
a production increase equal to 29
tons of extra powder (product)
can be produced in one summer
day. Munters equipment has been
successfully used in many spray
drying situations worldwide.

GTR Desiccant Rotor

Munters GTR Desiccant Rotor was

designed with the spray drying application
in mind. The GTR Rotor provides
greater grain depression (lower process air
moisture content) than standard desiccant
wheels when exposed to outside air. This
allows for the elimination of pre-cooling.
Another advantage of the GTR
Desiccant Rotor is the higher outlet
temperature (because of the larger
amount of moisture removed), which
can reduce the energy required for process
heating to the high temperatures that spray
dryers require.
With Munters GTR technology,
applications such as spray drying benefit
with a reduction of moisture content while
increasing the process air temperature
resulting in production increases from
1520%.
Installations include:

Nestle
Lesaffre
Sofivo
Aromes de Bretagne
Lactalis Solaipa

Spray Drying Application Guide

Munters is a global leader in

energy efficient air treatment solutions.
Munters manufactures engineered products that can economically control
humidity and temperature, provide energy recovery, and/or utilize direct or
indirect evaporative cooling for comfort, process and environmental protection.
With permanent or temporary solutions, Munters offers a wide variety of
options to meet specific climate, application and budget requirements.
Munters has net sales approaching $1 billion USD with more than 20
manufacturing facilities across the globe and sales offices in over 30 countries.
Munters employs approximately 4,300 people worldwide.
For more information see www.munters.us

Munters Corporation
Tel: (800) 843-5360 E-mail: dhinfo@munters.com www.munters.us
AG0024-00

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