The FILTERMAT® spray dryer from GEA Niro
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What is the FILTERMAT® dryer?
GEA Niro's range of spray dryers are designed to handle all types of products generally available in powder form. However, with higher carbohydrate and fat content the drying process becomes more difficult, and the limiting factor becomes powder deposits in the drying chamber, air ducts with powder loaded air and cyclones.
GEA Niro has, therefore, designed a FILTERMAT® spray dryer that will dry products, which cannot be dried in any other type of spray dryer.
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The FILTERMAT® process
The FILTERMAT® dryer is based on co-current nozzle atomization, where the nozzles are placed right below a specially designed air disperser with two air inlets. The air flow ensures that the atomized product particles do not get in contact with the chamber wall.
Should it, however, happen then the air cooled chamber surface prevents scorching to the deposits. The product particles with high moisture content will fall onto the bottom of the drying chamber, which is formed as a moving belt. |
As the belt is porous, it permits the drying air to pass through the formed 'mat ' of powder, which will act as a filter, and then through the porous belt. The drying air will at this stage contain a very small amount of particles and can without problems be sent to the atmosphere; however, cyclones and/or CIP-able bag filters are always installed as a precaution. The small amount of powder collected here is negligible and is disposed of as animal feed.
The moist powder on the moving belt is conveyed into the after-drying section, where warm air is passed through the powder layer and the porous belt for final drying. Cooling of the powder is likewise done in a subsequent section, where cold dehumidified air is passed through the powder layer and porous belt on its way out of the FILTERMAT® drying plant. It is therefore not necessary to use surplus energy to 'fluidize' and convey the product during the after-drying and cooling of the product.
The air used for the final drying and cooling is, like the main drying air, passed through the cyclone and/or CIP-able bag filter.
After discharge from the belt the product will exhibit a porous structure, which can be milled to the wanted particle/agglomerate size. After discharge from the belt the product will exhibit a porous structure, which can be milled to the wanted particle/agglomerate size.
The FILTERMAT® product applications
The FILTERMAT® dryer is typically used in e.g. drying of tomatoes, fat-enriched whey and permeate and coffee.
SIMPLIFIED FLOW SHEET:
FURTHER READING:
Processing Plants for the Food & Dairy Industries - Catalogue (PDF)
<--- Link to PDF file