DRYING REFINED SUGAR ON THE CONTINUOUS PULSED FLUIDIZED BED DRYER: EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE MAIN TECHNOLOGICAL PARAMETERS DETERMINATION

Abstract

A continuous pulsed fluidized bed (CPFB) dryer with relocated gas stream was employed to conduct the drying of refined sugar. The experiments were carried out according to the 2-level orthogonal experimental plan, combined with multiple response optimization according to Response Surface Method (RSM) to determine the appropriate parameters (hot air temperature, hot air velocity, pulse frequency, particle mean diameter) in the refined sugar drying process. The appropriate conditions of drying process were identified at 71.5C of hot air temperature, 2.1 m/s of hot air velocity, 0.55 Hz of pulse frequency and 467m of particle mean diameter. At these conditions the dried refined sugar reached final moisture content of 0.035% (wet basis), the specific electrical energy and the specific heat value consumption reached 187 Wh/kg product and 1024 kJ/kg product, respectively.