Continuous Direct

Dryers
Drying Equipment

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 General classification of dryers
Criterion of drying Example of dryer type
classification
Pressure in dryer Atmospheric and vacuum dryers
Method of operation Continuous and batch dryers
Among all types of dryers classification,
Method of heat supply Convective, contact, infrared, dielectric,
sublimation dryers
operation and methods of heat transfer
Type of drying medium Hot air, superheated steam, waste gases, liquid
is selected as the main classification.
heat carriers
Direction of heat and material Co-current, counter current, cross flow
flow
Mode of drying medium flow With free or forced flow
Method of moisture With outlet drying medium, with inert gas, by
entrainment chemical absorption of moisture
Form of wet material Liquids, granules, slurries, powder, paste-like
material, sheets, thin layers

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Therefore, dryers can be categorized as follows:

•Direct dryers
Continuous and batch operation
•Indirect dryers

•Infrared dryers

•Dielectric dryers

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 Direct Dryers vs. Indirect Dryers
• Direct dryers
Heat transfer for drying is accomplished by direct contact
between the wet solid and hot gases. The vaporised liquid
is carried away by the drying medium. Also named as
convection dryers.

• Indirect dryers
Heat for drying is transferred to the wet solid through
a retaining wall. The vaporised liquid is removed
independently of the heating medium. Rate of drying
depends on the contacting of the wet material with hot
surfaces. Also named as conduction or contact dryers.
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 Infrared Dryers
• Also known as radiant-heat
dryers.
• Often used in drying thin
coatings, films and webs.
• Presence of airborne dust,
water moisture and carbon
dioxide will enhance
radiation. Fig. 1: Infra-red heaters for
• Applications: motor industry, drying and baking the enameled
finish of vehicles in motor
food industry, pulp and paper industry.
industry.

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 Dielectric Dryers
• Dielectric drying is a process of heating poor
conductors of electricity (dielectric) by mean of high
frequency electrical currents.
• Heat is developed within the material rather than
being brought to it from the outside.
• The material is heated more uniformly throughout.
• This technique is very expensive.
• Industrial application: Drying of massive geometrical
objects, i.e. ceramic monolith

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 Continuous
Direct Dryers

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 Continuous Direct Dryers

Spray dryers Tunnel

Rotary dryers
- atomizers dryers

- Classification
- Flow consideration
- Advantages
- Application
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 Spray Dryers
• Spray drying involves evaporation of moisture from an atomized
feed by mixing the spray and the drying medium (typically air).

• The sprays are produced by either rotary (wheel) or nozzle

atomizers of different types.

• The drying proceeds until the desired moisture content is reached

in the sprayed particles and the product is then separated from the
air using a cyclone or a bag filter.

• The mixture being sprayed can be a solvent, emulsion, suspension

or dispersion.
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 Fig. 2: Schematic diagram
of dry air flow in spray
dryer.

Number Descriptions
1 Two-fluid nozzle, operated by compressed air to disperse the solution onto fine
droplets (air intake).
2 Electric heating of the drying medium using heater.
3 Spray cylinder for drying the droplets to solid particles (drying chamber).
4 Separation of the particles in the cyclone.
5 Outlet filter to remove fine particles.
6 Aspirator for generating the flow.
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Flow Consideration
Co-current Counter-current Combine

• The material is • The material is sprayed • The product is sprayed

sprayed in the same in the opposite upwards and only
direction as the flow direction of the flow of remains in the hot zone
of hot air. hot air. for a short time to
• The hot air flows eliminate the residual
• The droplets come
upwards and the moisture.
into contact with the
hot drying air when product falls through • Gravity then pulls the
increasingly hot air into product into the cooler
they are the moistest.
the collection tray. zone.
• The product is treated • The residual moisture • Due to the fact that the
with care due to the is eliminated, and the product is only in the
sudden vaporization. product becomes very hot zone for a short
hot. time, the product is
treated with care.
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Atomizers
• Atomization is the process of breaking up a continuous liquid phase
into discrete droplets.

• Greatly influences the final powder structure and quality.

Fig. 3: Idealized process of drop formation by breakup of a

liquid sheet. 12
Types of Atomizers:

1. Centrifugal atomization

2. Single fluid nozzle

3. Two-fluid nozzle

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Centrifugal Atomizers
• Feed liquor pumped to spinning disc.
• Feed send to center of disc and is spread between two 2
plates.
• Accelerated to high velocity upon sending between 2 plates-
functions as nozzle to increase fluid velocity.
• Usually employed for non homogeneous food industry.
• Larger productions – feed up to 60,000 lb/hr can be employed.

Fig. 4: Centrifugal Atomizer for Cyclone Spray

Dryers (A. Top view. B. Side view) 14
Single Fluid Nozzle (Pressure Nozzle)

• A spray is created by forcing the fluid

through an orifice.

• Spraying pressure depends on feed

characteristics and desired particle size, and
can range from 300 to 3,000 psig.

• Most energy efficient.

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Two-Fluid Nozzle (Pneumatic Nozzle)
• Creates spray by contacting two fluids, the feed and a compressed
gas.
• The atomization energy is provided by the compressed gas, usually
air where the contact can be internal or external to the nozzle.
• Least energy efficient of the atomization techniques.
• It is very useful for making extremely fine particles (10-30 micron).
• Typically use with any type of spray dryer feed pump.
• The control of the spray angle is however, limited.

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Advantages of Spray Dryers
(i) Particle size control

• The dry particle size can be easily controlled by atomization

of the liquid feed and the design of the hot gas inlet.

(ii) Ease the downstream operations

• Spherical shape of most spray dried particles provides fluid-

like flow properties which makes many downstream operations
(e.g. packaging, pressing, filtering, and handling) easier and
less costly.

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(iii) Suitable for heat sensitive products

• The heat and mass transfer during drying occurs in the air
and vapor films surrounding the droplet.
• This protective envelope of vapor keeps the particle at the
saturation temperature.
•Heat sensitive products can be spray dried easily at relatively
high inlet temperatures.

(iv) Short residence time

• The surface area produced by atomization of the liquid feed

enables a short gas residence time, ranging from 3-40 seconds
depending upon the application, which permits spray drying
without thermal degradation.
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(v) Reduction in corrosion potential

•Because spray drying is a gas suspended process, the dryer

chamber remains dry by design.
•Therefore, many corrosive materials can be processed with
carbon steel as the primary material of construction of the spray
dryer chamber, which reduces capital costs.

(vi) Homogeneous dried products

•Spray drying produces the most homogeneous product for multi-

component solution/slurries.
•Each particle will be of the same chemical composition as the
mixed feed.

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 Application of Spray Dryers
The major and most successful drying applications of spray dryers
are for solutions, slurries, and pastes which have properties as
follows:

• Cannot be dewatered mechanically;

• Heat sensitive and cannot be exposed to high-temperature
atmospheres for long periods;
• Contain ultrafine particles which will agglomerate and fuse if
dried in other than a dilute condition.

Besides spray drying is widely employed in drying of dairy

products. E.g: to produce milk powder.

Certain detergents are produced from spray drying as well. 20

 Rotary Dryers
• A rotary dryer is basically a cylinder, inclined slightly to the
horizontal, which may be rotated, or the shell may be
stationary, and an agitator may revolve slowly.
• In either case, the wet material is fed in at upper end, and the
rotation, or agitation, advances the material progressively to
the lower end, where it is discharged.

Fig. 5: Component arrangements of a countercurrent direct rotary dryer

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Classification of Rotary Dryers
1. Direct rotary dryers
• Heat is added to or removed from the solids by direct
exchange between flowing gas and solids

2. Indirect rotary dryers

• Heating medium is separated from physical contact with
the solids by a metal wall or tube

3. Indirect-direct rotary dryers

• A combination of both direct and indirect types. For
example, hot gases first heat an inner shell and then pass
between an inner and outer shell in contact with wet
solids

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 Specific Types of Direct Rotary Dryers
Types of direct Descriptions
rotary dryers
This is usually a bare metal cylinder, with or without
Direct rotary dryer flights. It is suitable for low- and medium-temperature
(cooler) operations, the operating temperature being limited
primarily by the strength characteristics of the metal
employed in fabrication.
This is a metal cylinder lined on the interior with
Direct rotary kiln insulating block and/or refractory brick. It is suitable for
high temperature operations.
This is one of the more important special types, differing
Direct Roto-Louvre from the direct rotary unit in that true through
dryer circulation of gas through the solids bed is provided. Like
the direct rotary, it is suitable for low- and medium-
temperature operation. 23
 Flights
•For the purposes of lifting and showering the solids through
the gas stream during passage through the cylinder.

•These flights are usually offset every 0.6 to 2 m to ensure

more continuous and uniform curtains of solids in the gas.

•The shape of the flights depends upon the handling

characteristics of the solids.

•This may take the form of flights, as shown in figures below:

Fig. 6: (1,2) Helical and angled lifting flights in a rotary dryer and (3) Air flow through a rotary louvre dryer.
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•In dryers of large cross section, internal elements or partitions
are sometimes used to increase the effectiveness of material
distribution and reduce dusting and impact grinding.

•Use of internal members increases the difficulty of cleaning and

maintenance unless sufficient free area is left between
partitions for easy access of a person.

•Some examples of the more common flight arrangements are

shown in figure below:

Fig. 7: Alternative direct heat

rotary dryers’ flight
arrangement.

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 Advantages of Rotary Dryers

• Low operating costs

• Low maintenance costs
• Can perform high volume process
• High thermal efficiency
• Flexibility and heavy construction
• Rotary dryers are less sensitive to wide
fluctuations in throughput and product size
• Wide variations in the feed

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 Tunnel Dryers
• Tunnel dryer is a long chamber holding a number of trucks that
travel in one direction; as a fresh truck is pushed in at one end, by
hand or by machinery, the truck with the longest period in the
tunnel at the other end is pulled out.

Fig. 8: Arrangements for tunnel dryers. 27

Applications of Tunnel Dryers

• For drying paraffin wax, gelatin, soap and

pottery ware.

• Drying and baking enameled pieces.

• Continuous tunnel or conveyor ovens are

employed also for drying refractory shapes.

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Continuous Direct
Batch/Continuous
Dryers
Direct Dryers

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Overview
• What is batch/continuous direct dryers?

• Direct dryers which operates either in batchwise

or continuously (Similar working principle).

• Examples: Fluid bed and through circulation

dryers.

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Batch/Continuous Fluid Bed Dryers
Working Principle:

• Wet solid is fluidized by heated air or hot gas.

• Rapid mixing and heat transfer.
• Wet solid is admitted to the top of the feed;
dry product is taken out from the bottom.

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Fig. 9: Fluid bed dryer.
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Advantages of Fluid Bed Dryers
• Close control of condition.
A predetermined amount of free moisture
may be left with the solids to prevent
dusting of the product during subsequent
material-handling operations.

• As a classifier at which both drying and

classification operations are accomplished
simultaneously.
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 Batch/Continuous
Through Circulation Dryers
Working Principle:

• A layer 25 to 150 mm thick of wet solid is

slowly carried on a travelling metal screen
through a long drying chamber or tunnel.

• The chamber consists of a series of separate

sections, each with its own fan and air heater
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 Fig. 10: Through-circulation screen-conveyor dryer.

• At the inlet end of dryer, the air usually passes

upward through the screen and the solids
• At the discharge end, where the material is
dry and may be dusty, air is passed downward
through screen.
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‘Preforming’ process
• If the particles of wet solid are large enough, gas
may be passed through the bed instead of
across it, usually with a significant increase in
drying rate.
• If the particles are too small to permit this,
‘preforming’ of material should be carried out.
It is the process of converting a wet solid into a
form suitable for through circulation of air. E.g.
granulation and extrusion.
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Batch Direct Dryers

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 Tray Dryers
• Consists of a rectangular
chamber of sheet metal
containing two trucks that
support racks H.
• Each rack carries a
number of shallow trays,
perhaps 750 mm square
and 50 to 150 mm deep,
that are loaded with the
material to be dried.
Fig. 11:Internal structure of a tray
dryer. 38
•Heated air is circulated at 2
to 5 m/s between the trays by
fan C and motor D and passes
over heaters E.
•Baffles G distribute the air
uniformly over the stack of
trays.
•Some moist air is
continuously vented through
exhaust duct B; make up fresh
air enters through inlet A.

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•The racks are mounted
on truck wheels I, so that
at the end of the drying
cycle the trucks can be
pulled out of the
chamber and taken to a
tray-dumping station.

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Advantages vs. Disadvantages
Advantages Disadvantages
Practically useful for small Expensive to operate-
production rate. labor required for loading
Dry almost anything. and unloading
Energy savings. Slow drying process.
Drying cycles are long: 3
to 48 h per batch.

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 Continuous
Indirect Dryers

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Steam tube rotary dryers

Fig. 12: Steam tube rotary dryer.

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• As shown in above figure, it consists of a
rotating cylinder that houses two concentric
rows of longitudinal finned or unfinned tubes
that carry condensing steam and rotate with the
cylinder.
• Wet solids are fed into one end of the cylinder
through a chute or by a screw conveyor.
• Steam enters the tubes through a central
revolving inlet manifold.
• A gentle solids-lifting action is provided by the
tubes.
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• After suitable contact with the hot-tube surfaces,
the moisture (water or solvent) evaporates at about
the boiling temperature and the dried product
discharges from the other end.
• Condensate is discharged into a collection ring.
• Suitable for materials with:
1) free-flowing and granular, crystalline, or flaked
2) wet with water or organic solvents
3) subject to undesirable breakage, dust formation,
or contamination by air or flue gases
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Screw conveyor dryers

Fig. 13: Screw conveyor dryer. 46

•As shown in previous figure, it consists of a
trough or cylinder that carries a hollow screw
inside of which steam condenses to provide heat
for drying the material being conveyed.

•Major applications include removal of solvents

from solids and drying of fine and sticky
materials.

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Drum dryers

Fig. 14: Drum dryer.

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 • Divided into two broad classifications:
1) Single drum
-most common => simple “dip” feed.
-a thick film of feedstock is applied to
the external surface of a heated drum
which rotates slowly about its
horizontal axis.
-the layer of material remains attached to the
drum where moisture evaporates and leaves
behind a layer of solids, which is subsequently
removed from the drum surface by a scraper or
doctor knife.
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2) Double drum
-machines normally employ a “nip” feed device.
-the space between the drums capable of being adjusted
to provide a means of controlling the film thickness.

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• Widely used in the food industry for drying
products initially in liquid form.

• Not suitable for materials which do not adhere

to the drum and thermoplastic materials.

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 Batch
Indirect Dryers

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 Vacuum rotary dryers
• Consist of a heated
vacuum chamber,
which rotates about a
horizontal axis.
• Wet material is
loaded through the
charge opening and
Fig. 15: Vacuum rotary dryer. the vessel is closed
and evacuated down
to the desired
operating pressure.
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• Heat for drying is supplied by a surrounding
heating jacket.
• During the drying cycle the vessel rotates and
imparts a tumbling motion to the drying material,
aiding heat transfer, mixing, and vapor release.
• Widely used to dry such materials as free-
flowing powders, granules, and crystals.
• Disadvantage: not suitable for processing sticky
materials, which may stick to the dryer walls of
form lumps.
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 Agitated pan dryers
• Consist of a heated
vessel fitted with a slow
moving vertical agitator
• Wet materials are fed
through a hinged top
cover.
• The contents of the
vessel are agitated by a
four-bladed paddle which
Fig. 16: Agitated pan dryer.
sweeps the sides and
bottom of the vessel.
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• The agitator also aids in emptying the dryer by
sweeping the dry product towards the discharge
door.

• Dry product is removed through a hinged door

in the side wall.

• Used for drying of pastes and slurries on a small

scale

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 Vacuum tray dryers
• Shelf or contact oven
dryer consists of a
cylindrical or rectangular
vacuum chamber
containing heated shelves.
• Trays containing the wet
material are placed on the
shelves and dried on a
batch basis.
• Evaporated moisture is
removed from the Fig. 17: Vacuum tray dryer.
chamber by a vacuum
pump and condenser.
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• Used for drying small
batches of heat sensitive
or easily oxidized
material.
• Disadvantage : highly
labor intensive loading
and unloading
operations.

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 Freeze dryers
• Moisture in the feed material is first frozen,
by cooling the material, and then sublimed
by conductive, convective, and/or radiant
heating.

Fig. 18: Freeze dryer. 59

 Applications of freeze drying in industry
• Widely applied industrially to the drying of
biological materials, pharmaceuticals, and
foodstuffs.
• Low temperature operation: Suitable for heat
sensitive materials.
• Example of freeze-dried food: Coffee.
(Good color and aroma retention)

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