A Scaling-up Approach from Experimental Tunnel to Spray Dryer

Abstract

A scaling-up approach from drying of a thin layer wet material in a experimental tunnel to a pilot scale spray drying was developed through determining drying kinetics of quick evaporation process. Maltodextin was selected as solid material in solution to be dried. Critical moisture contents as a function of initial water evaporation rate (drying rate) shows that there is the same variation between the small scale test tunnel and the pilot scale spray dryer. Result of CFD modelling demonstrates that drying kinetics obtained from the small-scale tunnel could be properly applied to scale-up the spray drying process.