density controller, but modern plant with many stages exhibit Preheating is by coils in the calandrias and condenser

and condenser (7), and a

process lag times which demand a more refined method. Where
a finishing stage is fitted with a separate steam supply, control of
the latter results in quick responses and effective density control,
provided the remainder of the evaporator is also controlled to
prevent excessive swings in concentration to the finisher. This
may be achieved manually but is often done by a second density
control system acting on the feed milk rate. The required
accuracy of this second system is less and within the capability of
normal instrumentation, notwithstanding the process lag.
Where there is no separately heated finishing stage, rapid
response in density control can be achieved by bleeding a small
stream of preheated milk from a point upstream of the main
milk flow control valve and introducing it to the evaporator
immediately upstream of the final stage of concentration. This
‘bleed’ stream is controlled t o maintain the final product
density. Here again, a coarser control should be applied to
maintain the density at an earlier point in the circuit between
limits appropriate to the capability of the final density control
system.
CONCLUSIONS
Examples of simplified flow diagrams for modern skim
evaporators are provided in Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a typical
five-effect plant. Thermocompression is applied across two
effects. Effects 1, 2, and 5 are split, the first two using separate
calandrias and the fifth internally, and a finishing stage (6) is
fitted, heated by a separate small thermocompressor circuit.
final heater (8) and holding tubes are included.
Figure 3 illustrates an MVR evaporator arranged as a triple
effect. There are three calandrias (1-3), but these have
respectively two, two, and three stages in each so that adequate
tube wetting is provided without recirculation of product. The
vapour from the third effect is passed through a secondary
separator (5) and superheated (6) before admission to the
compressor (4). Preheating (7) is limited in this example to that
necessary to achieve distribution, and control of heat balance is
achieved via the small rejection condenser (8) within the vacuum
system .
These examples illustrate many of the topics covered by this
paper in an attempt to describe the key features of modern
evaporator technology as they relate to skimmed milk
evaporation. This technology is not static but is continually
developing under the stimulus of new user requirements,
increasing energy cost, and competition between manu-
facturers. The future will surely see an increased use of MVR,
and the part to be played by other concentration methods such
as reverse osmosis in the drying of skimmed milk has yet to be
fully established. However, the multiple-effect, thermo-
compression falling-film evaporator, which we all know, will
undoubtedly remain the main contributor to efficient milk-
drying for many years.
I wish to acknowledge gratefully the assistance given in the
preparation of this paper by colleagues in The APV Company,
and I thank the Directors of The APV Company for permission
to publish.

Technology of skimmed milk drying

By JAN PI SECKY
A/S Niro Atomizer, 305 Gladsaxevej, DK 2860, Soeborg, Denmark

A survey is presented of various processes and spray drying installations for obtaining skimmed milk
powders with desired qualities. The spray dryers discussed are: spray dryer with pneumatic conveying
system, two-stage drying system, spray dryer with cooling bed, and spray dryer with straight-through
instantizer. The rewet agglomeration process is also described.
The second part deals with the most important final product properties (moisture, bulk density, and
solubility index) and with the parameters controlling them.
In the thirdpart the possibilities are discussed of saving energy and reducing stockloss. Two types of heat
recuperators (air-to-air and air-to-liquid-to-air) and wet scrubber are described.

Skimmed milk powder is the most common dried milk
product. It represents more than 60 per cent of the total
production of the milk powder industry and technologically it
can be produced without difficulty on any of the 2,000 existing
dairy spray drying installations in the world. There are a number
of types of spray dryer which differ in design, air flow pattern,
method of atomization, etc., as shown in Figure 1.
Space does not allow me t o describe and compare the
performance of all these components, and probably it is not
necessary. We all agree that any spray dryer (preceded by any
evaporator) can be used to convert liquid skimmed milk into a
powder, if the target is that quality specified by the American
Dried Milk Institute (Fig. 2) and if there are no special
requirements as to energy consumption. However, develop-
ments during the last few decades, and especially during the
seventies, have changed the situation dramatically. Every
producer must be competitive in all respects t o achieve (a)good
consistent product quality, ( b ) low energy consumption, ( c )low
running costs, (d)minimal labour, and ( e ) low powder loss.
Spray dried skimmed milk powder is manufactured in two
basic qualities, ordinary product and agglomerated product, by
means of five different spray drying systems, as shown in
Figure 3. As well as in households and farms, the final product is
used in further processing industries for making ice-cream,
recombined milks, cheeses, fat-milk powders, baby-food,
processed meats, prepared dry mixes, confectionery, chocolate,
soft drinks, soups, sauces, dressings, pharmaceuticals, etc. For
these further processing industries, special types of skimmed
milk powder have been developed with modified properties to
give products that are better suited to a given purpose than

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Atomization Rotary wheel TYPE: ~IpI(tuTI
Pressure nozzle
Two-fluid nozzle
Chamber Vertical conventional
Vertical tall-form ORDINARY PNCUUATIC awmma
Horizontal (box-type)
Powder discharge By gravity (conical bottom) RUJULAR
Mechanically (flat bottom) ( NON- AGOLO-

Air-flow direction Downwards UCRATED) -STAGE

Upwards DRYINQ SYSTEU
Horizontal
Air-flow pattern Rotary
Non-rotating
SPRAY DRYER WITH
Product air-flow Co-current COOLING BED
Counter-current
Powder aftertreatment Cooling (single-stage)
Afterdrying (two-stage) AQQLOMERATED SPRAY DRYER WITH
Afterdrying systems Flash dryer (SEMI-INSTANT WRAIQHT-THROUQH
Fluid-bed dryer TO INSTANT) INSTANTI ZER
Cooling systems Fluid-bed cooler
Pneumatic cooling system r
R
cm
INSTANTIZING
Fig. 1. Main characteristics of spray dryers
SYSTEM

Fig. 3. Types of spray dried skimmed milk powders and

Specific Grading Requirements manufacturing processes
f o r Nonfat Dry Milk
Extra Grade
Extra Grade is so designatedto indicate the highest quality of nonfat dry
milk. In addition to the foregoinggeneral requirements, it shall meet the content takes place in the drying chamber. The subsequent
following specifications:
pneumatic conveying system serves only to collect the powder,
spray Atmospheric roller leaving the chamber cone together with the powder fraction
not greater than not greater than
being separated from the exhaust air in cyclones, to cool it down
Milkfat 1.25% 1.25% and bring it via the final cyclone to the bagging-off hopper.
Moisture 490% 4.00%
Titratable acidity 0.15% 0.15% Figure 6 shows a spray dryer with a two-stage drying system,
Solubility index 1.25 ml* 15.00 ml which is producing the same type of powder as the previously
Bacterial estimate 50,000 per gm 50,000 per gm mentioned installation. It differs from the above dryer in that
Scorched particles Disc B (15.0 mg) Disc C ( 2 2 3 me) the pneumatic conveying system is replaced by the Vibro-
*Except product designated as 'high heat' which shall not be greater Fluidizer. The moisture content of the powder leaving the
than 2.0 ml. chamber is 2-3 per cent higher than the required final moisture
content. The function of the Vibro-Fluidizer is t o remove excess
Standard Grade
moisture and finally to cool the powder down. The fines
Standard Grade includes all nonfat dry milk that fails in one or more fractions from all cyclones are returned to the Vibro-Fluidizer.
particulars to meet the requirements of Extra Grade, but it shall meet
the following specifications: From both installations the powder consists predominantly
spray Atmospheric roller of single particles: it is dusty and difficult to reconstitute. There
not greater than not greater than is, however, some slight difference. Two-stage dried powder is
Milkfat 1.50% 1.50% coarser due to bigger primary particles and the presence of some
Moisture 5.00% 5.00% agglomerates. Consequently, it is not so dusty and can be
Titratable acidity 0.17% 0.17% reconstituted more easily. However, the biggest difference
Solubility index 2.00 ml* 15.00 ml
Bacterial estimate 100,000 per gm 100,000 per gm between these two powders is in the properties that are
Scorched particles Disc C ( 2 2 3 mg) Disc D ( 3 2 3 mg) influenced by heat exposure during drying, that is, by the so-
called particle temperature history.
*Except product designated as 'high heat' which shall not be greater
than 2.5 ml. The properties in question are the solubility index and the
content of occluded air, which plays a n important role in bulk
Fig, 2. ADMI specificationfor skimmed milk powder (reprint from density. The droplet temperature just after atomization is low,
ADMI-Bulletin 916 (revised) 1971) being just slightly above the wet bulb temperature of the drying
air. With progressive water removal the particle temperature
increases gradually, achieving finally a temperature which is
below the outlet air temperature. How far below depends on
conventional skimmed milk powder. We are talking about particle moisture content.
tailor-made products with special functional properties. A It is thus obvious that the particle temperature in a two-stage
survey of milk powder properties is given in Figure 4. drying system, which works normally with the outlet
Let me now describe the basic drying installations for temperature about 20°C lower than that of a single-stage dryer,
skimmed milk powder together with an evaluation of their is correspondingly at least 2OoC lower.
ability to comply with quality and energy consumption Figure 7 shows the parameters controlling the powder
requirements. moisture content in a spray drying operation. From this we can
The most simple installation for making the ordinary powder see that a change of f 0 . 2 per cent powder moisture content
type is the spray dryer with a pneumatic conveying system corresponds to a change of inlet temperature, f10"C; outlet
(Fig. 5 ) . Such an installation works on the so-called single-stage temperature, T 1°C; or feed concentration, f1 per cent.
drying principle, which means that the removal of all the The decrease of outlet temperature achieved by a two-stage
moisture from the concentrate to the required final moisture drying system can thus be utilized to increase both the inlet

58 Journal of the Society of Dairy Technology. Vol. 34, No. 2, April 1981
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PROPERTIES OF MILK POWDERS

General properties

-/
Properties influenced by processing
I
Quality
I
Basic powder properties Functional properties Product faults
lo) Acidity I
Ib ) Microbiological I
properties I ( 0 ) Free moisture Instant properties Solubility index
1 lb) Particle size ( 0 0 ) Wettability Scorched
Ic) State of f a t I distribution lbo) Dispersibility particles
(ac) Physical
Ibc) Chemical
I lob) Primary
(co) Sinkability
Free fat
I L bb) Secondary (do) Rate of hydration
Id) Organoleptic Scum
Flowability
properties lc) Partical density White flecks
Friability
Id) Bulk density Specks
WPNI
l a d Low-heat
Composition of the solids Ibd) Medium
(cd) High heat
Hygroscopicity
( 0 ) Fat
Cakyness
1b ) Non-fat solids Thermostabillty
ic Food ingredients Shelf life
Id) Functianal additives

Fig. 4. Survey of milk powder properties

temperature and feed concentrations. In so doing, we must

Fig. 5. Spray drying plant with pneumatic transport system. - milk;
. . . . . . cool air; - - - - heated air
f other hand, it is more difficult to keep the solubility index under
Fig. 6. Two-stage drying system. - milk; . . . . . . cool air; - - - -heated
air
again correspondingly increase somewhat the outlet tempera-
ture. Nevertheless it will still remain considerably lower than the
outlet temperature of the single-stage dryer, and we get the
benefit of better powder quality (lower particle temperature),
higher plant capacity, and lower energy consumption.
The excess moisture must be evaporated in the Vibro-
Fluidizer, which is both much gentler as to particle heat
exposure and more economical in consumption of heat.
Bulk density is also a property which depends to a great extent
on the particle temperature history. The factors influencing bulk
density are shown in Figure 8. From this Figure we can see that
the advantages of two-stage drying, enabling operation with
high feed concentration and still keeping a low particle
temperature, are favourable for obtaining high bulk density.
Both types of spray drying installations shown are normally
equipped with rotating wheel atomization, but they might just
as well run with pressure nozzles. The advantage of nozzles is
better powder flow and a somewhat higher bulk density. On the
control with nozzles. To achieve a good solubility index in
single-stage dryers operating with nozzles it is necessary to work
with a considerably lower feed concentration than when using
wheel atomization, and thus the operation is less economical.
Two-stage drying has enabled pressure nozzles to be used
without solubility index defects and with a reasonably high
concentration of the feed, which is, however, still somewhat
lower than with rotary wheel atomization when otherwise
running under comparable conditions.
Agglomerated powder, which can be semi-instant (called also
non-dusty) o r instant, can be manufactured using a spray dryer
with cooling bed, or a spray dryer with straight-through
instantizer, or a rewet instantizing system using ordinary
powder as raw material. The spray dryer with cooling bed is
shown in Figure 9. It is, in principle, a single stage dryer, that is,
the final moisture content of the powder is achieved in the
chamber, and the cooling bed has the functions of cooling down
the powder and of blowing off the fines, which are then recycled
together with main cyclone fines to the atomizer for
agglomeration.

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Conditions of Conditions of Conditions of
drying air atomization feed
9
Wheml velocity
or Pasteurization
temperature

Inlet temperaturr

Outlrt temperatun

t 3.6 g/l kg air Seasonal variations

of oroteinAactosr ratio

Total sollds contrnt

Fig. 7. Influences of technological variables on powder moisture (ex chamber)

Speed or Fines
L, Agglomeration
return

Fig. 8. Influence of various factors on bulk density (reprint from Dairy Industries International, Feb. 1978)

Journal of the Society of Dairy Technology, Vol. 34. No. 2. April 1981
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Usually we can say that a spray dryer with a cooling bed is not
highly recommended if it is to run solely with agglomerated
skimmed milk powder. This dryer was designed primarily for
high-fat products, and its application for agglomerated
skimmed milk must be considered as secondary.
The spray dryer with straight-through instantizer, as shown in
Figure 10, works on the two-stage drying principle. It means
that the powder leaves the chamber with 2-3 per cent higher
moisture, and that it runs with a low outlet temperature
benefiting from all the above-mentioned advantages resulting
therefrom. The excess moisture is removed in the Vibro-
Fluidizer after-drying section, and the powder is cooled down in
the cooling section. The fines blown off in both sections are,
together with the fines from the main cyclones, recycled for
agglomeration.
The moisture content of droplets within the agglomeration
zone is much higher than in the dryer previously mentioned, and
Fig. 9. Spray drying plant with cooling bed system. - milk; . . . . . . cool
air; - - - - heated air this makes it possible to obtain well-agglomerated powder of
true instant quality. From the point of view of economy, it is
again comparable to the two-stage dryer.
The third possibility for manufacturing instant skimmed milk
powder is rewet agglomeration. The equipment is shown in
Figure 1 1. The used raw material is an ordinary powder which is
transported by blow-line from the supply silo to the
3 agglomeration chamber. For skimmed milk powder so-called
surface agglomeration is used in the agglomeration tube. The
transport blow-line brings the powder axially into the
agglomeration tube, into which hot air with high relative
humidity is simultaneously introduced tangentially. The
powder particles pick u p the moisture from the air, thus
becoming wet and sticky. The vortex movement in the tube
provides the mechanical impact necessary for obtaining stable
agglomerates.
The instant quality of rewet powder, supposing that the
general quality of the outgoing powder was reasonably good, is
superior to that of straight-through powder. On the other hand,
due t o doubled processing, the production costs are higher.
Moreover, rewet powder is much more voluminous than
straight-through powder, thus requiring more and stronger
packaging material to protect the product against crushing
during transport and manipulation. Rewet powder is therefore
an excellent instant product, but a somewhat luxury product for
special applications, representing a negligible amount of the
total volume of skimmed milk powder production.
Fig. 10. Spray drying plant with straight-through instantizer system.
- milk; . . . . . . cool air; - - - - heated air The two-stage drying principle, either without recycling the
fines for the manufacture of ordinary heavy powder or with
fines recycling for instant products, is the way to satisfy the
demands of the industry for improved powder quality and
reduced consumption of energy. Also the stack-loss of a two-
......... f
stage dryer provided with cyclones is considerably lower, being

Fig. 1 1 . Rewet instantizing plant. - milk; . . . . . , cool air; - - - -heated Fig. 12. Wet scrubber
air

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Ex haust air
inlet I 1

outlet

Fig 13 (left).
Heat recuperator (air-to-air)

Fig. 14 (below).
Heat recuperator (air-to-liquid-to-air)

J 11 Cleaning water Cteanii water

outlet inlet 7 c . i . ~ )

Exhaust oir inlet

about half that of a corresponding single-stage dryer. Both the

energy consumption and the stack-loss can be further reduced
by installing either a wet powder collector or a bag filter and/or
heat recuperator.
The wet scrubber (Fig. 12) can work with liquid skimmed
milk as a washing medium, thus having the additional
advantage of converting the stack-loss powder into product. As
the temperatures of the milk in the scrubber are identical with
the temperatures of optimum bacterial growth, it is necessary to
provide effective CIP cleaning of the scrubber at regular
intervals.
Another possibility for recovering both the stack-loss and the
heat from the outlet air is a bag filter followed by a heat (80-

recuperator. The heat recuperator may be either a plate or

tubular heat exchanger. From the point d view ofCIPsystems,
i rating transfer medium

the tubular type is advantageous as it is made of stainless steel. i to heat exchonger

on supply air.
Such a heat recuperator can be designed either as an air-to-air
system, as shown in Fig. 13; or an air-liquid-air system, as
i
sh~wnia Figure 14. i
The powder quality and production emnomy are, of course, i I
*&qendeatnot only on the spray dryer but to a great ex?ent also
rn the evaporator and on the linkage ofthese .twounits. This is
m e important nowadays, because two-stage drying has made
I
i
I
I
I. .._...
transfer medium
..-at excnonger
it possible to run with high feed concentratims, and further on supply atr.
&wbpment in this direction can be expected. In order lo
acbkve this it is important to have not only an evapratar
which can deliver the highiy concentrated feed, and a spray
dryer, which can process it !further, but also effective
imtrmnentation and control by computer of both units as one
OLIVBpleX.

Cleamng w a t r i n M

Journal af the Society of Dairy Technology, Vol. 34. No. 2. April 1981