Simultaneous Drying and Cleaning of Guava Seeds in a Spout‐Fluid Bed with Draft Tube

Abstract

AbstractA half sectional spout‐fluid bed column with draft tube was used for the cleaning and drying of guava seeds in one single operation. The process took place on a batch basis with a constant spouting velocity of 1.5 Ums and an additional annular air flow rate equivalent to 0.5 and 0.7 Umf. A regression model based on the spouting air temperature Ts, the annular inlet air temperature Ta and the additional annular air flow rate xUmf was obtained to calculate the drying time. An additional cleaning step was necessary to increase the separation efficiency of the dried pulp from about 70% obtained during the drying process to 84%.