Classification of Dryers

The following factors are considered during classification of dryers

 Temperature and pressure in the dryer
 The method of heating
 Heating media
 The method by which air is circulated
 The nature of the wet feed and the way it is introduce in the dryer.
 Any mechanical Aid for improvement of drying process
 Selection of Dryers

‘SLOAN’ has pointed two steps of primary importance for selecting a

dryer for a particular application
 A listing of dryers which are capable of handling the material to be
dried
 Eliminating the more costly dryers on the basis of annual costs,
capital and operating cost
 Spray Dryers

 In these dryers water/moisture is evaporated from a feed that are in

the form of solution, emulsion, gel or slurry and gives product in
the form of power or small solid beads.
 We can dry materials like
 coffee, dyes stuff, pesticides, tiles, starch etc
Mechanism
 Major parts of Spray Dryers

In spray drying the major parts are:

 Feed delivery system
 Atomization system
 Hot gases production
 Drying Chamber
 Solid gas separation system
 Atomization

 The performance of spray dryer is critically dependent on the drop

size produced by the atomizer and the manner in which the
gaseous medium mixes with the drops.
 The aim of atomization is to produce a large surface from which
evaporation can easily takes place. Smaller the droplet size easy
will be the evaporation
 Production of particles of desired shape, size and density.
Modes of disintegration of liquid films
Classification of atomizers

 Classification of atomizers
 Two fluid nozzle
 Pressure nozzle
 Rotary nozzle/ atomizer
 Two fluid nozzle
 Compressed air comes from
top ( 30psi) while the wet
liquid feed of pressure (30-60
psi) comes from the bottom
 At low pressure bubble of
liquid develops, whereas at
high pressure liquid will flow
just like tissue filaments and
then these ligaments are
disintegrated.
 Two fluid nozzle
 Usually used for low
production rate, particularly if
fine particle size is required.
 This type of nozzle is designed
for highly viscous liquids.
 The operation of this type of
driers is used in
pharmaceutical and ceramic
industry
 Pressure Nozzles
 Liquid is forced under pressure
through an orifice.
 The resulting liquid sheets can
be controlled by varying the
direction of flow towards the
orifice.
 Flat and conical spray sheets
can ne produced.
 Used for larger production
 Rotary Nozzles
 Liquid is fed on to a rotating
surface and spread out by
centrifugal force.
 Since the accelerating speed can
be controlled independently, this
type of atomizers extremely
versatile for handling different
liquids having a wide range of
properties.
Industrial Spray Driers
Tray Dryers

 It consist of well insulated cabins which consists a series of trays

 It also contain a fan which distribute air uniformly in the dryer
 The materials are placed on trays and drying is normally don by
circulation of air over the wet material.
 Used for granular material to dry.
 Batch dryer used for small capacity.
Try dryers
Tray or Shelf Dryers
Tunnel Dryers
Tunnel Dryers

 Drying is done by passing hot air over the material either co-currently
or counter currently
 Used for high production
 Instead of trays the wet materials can be placed on conveyor belts
 Paraffin wax, Gelatin materials and soap can be dried.
 Size varies over a wide range, with length some time exceeding 30m.
Rotary dryers

• For the continuous drying of materials on large scale (1tonne/h)

• Consist of large cylinder, driven at low speed
• Hot gases and electrical heated air can be used as drying medium
• Operation can be co-current or counter current
• Heating may direct or indirect
Rotary dryers
Drum Dryers
 If a solution or slurry is run on to a slowly rotating steam-heated
drum, evaporation takes place and solids may be obtained in a dry
form.
 Consist of one or two drums (Cylinders)
 The materials is feed by different methods. i-e, Spray feeding, roll
feeding, nip feeding etc.
 After feeding, the material is spread on the surface of drum and
formed a thick layered
 Drums are rotated slowly and the dry material is dispatched by means
Drum Dryers
Pneumatic Dryers
 Consist of large air lift and a separating cyclone so that dry
product is obtained from the bottom
 Solids are introduced in to the dryer by some form of mechanical
feeder to give a short length of material (5-10mm)
 Hot gases from furnace, or from oil burner enters from the bottom
 The separation of gases and material take place in cyclone
 Material handled include food products, chalk, coal, organic
chemicals etc.
Pneumatic Dryers
Fluidized bed dryers
 Fluidization is a collective phenomenon of particulate beings
behaving like a fluid.
 Consist of fluidizing chamber and a bottom air chamber
 Wet materials is feed continuously into the bed through a rotatory
valve and this mixes immediately with the hot air
 Dry product is obtained from the bottom
 Used for fertilizers, plastic materials, and inorganic slats etc.
Fluidized bed dryers
Selection of Spray, pneumatic
and fluidized bed dryers
 Turbo shelf Dryers
 Handling of sticky materials can present difficulties, and one type of
dryer which is useful for this type of material is the turbo-dryer
 Consist of a series of shelves (0.7-200 m2). These shelf rotates and by
means of suitably placed arms , the material is pushed through a slot
on to a shelf below.
 After repeated movements, the solid leaves at the bottom of the dryer
 The shelves are heated by a row of steam pipes and in the centre there
are three or more fans which spread the hot air over the material and
went out at the top.
Turbo shelf Dryers
Specialized drying methods
Solvent Drying
Superheated solvent drying:
 In which a material containing non-aqueous moisture is dried by
contact with superheated vapors of its own associated liquid
 Useful for material containing flammable liquid such as butanol
 Drying of propylene pellets to eliminate the need for water
washing.
Superheated solvent drying:
Superheated steam drying

 The replacement of air by super heated steam to dry the material

 Used for thermal insulating material.
Freeze drying
 Heat is supplied either by conduction or radiation from hot platens
 The sublime moisture condenses on refrigerated coil at the far end
of drying chamber
 Flash drying

 The type of drying in which the solid materials remain in contact with
the hot gases which remove vapors from the solid material.
 Heat sensitive materials such as foods and pharmaceuticals may undergo
thermal degradation when subjected to high temperatures
 This problem may often be overcome by using a flash drying technique
to ensure that the solids are in contact with hot gas in a highly turbulent.
 The time of contact is very short, perhaps only for a few seconds.
Problem
Problem