4 Vacuum or pressure: Which is the better density control solution? Rob Strathman, Famsun-USA Design and Engineering Sinking aquafeed pellets allow bottom-dwelling ‘aquatic species to quickly locate and consume their ‘meal before it disintegrates into water pollutants or is otherwise consumed by opportunistic scavengers. Cooking and compressing the feed ingredients into sufficiently dense pellets during extrusion, however, is often challenging. There are multiple operational techniques and pieces of hardware employed to maximize the bulk density of sinking products. However, two extruder add-on devices can provide variable density control and are ‘commonly used within the industry. One such control system uses a mid-barrel vacuum system, while the ther uses an end of the barrel pressure chamber, But the question we are frequently asked is, which is the most effective? ‘The underlying operating principle of both systems is to alter the melt's water vapor pressure force as it passes through the extruder die, The melt is the ‘raw material after it transitions from a crystalline structure into a viscoelastic fluid near the extruder die, Water vapor pressure isa function of the melt temperature, which ranges from 100 to 150°C for most extruded aquafeeds. As can be found on a saturated steam chart, water within this temperature range ae J ie ‘experiences a corresponding vapor pressure of 1.0 to, 48 bar. The water vapor pressure, not the commonly rmisconceived die pressure, isthe driving force behind product expansion, Therefore, it may seem logical that dense feeds ‘would require @ low melt temperature, while highly expanded floating feeds could operate at higher ‘temperatures. Although reducing the melt temperature isa proper technique for controlling expansion, ifit is too low, it often results in more significant challenges: Uncooked starch and easily broken pellets. This set of, ‘counterintuitive conditions are the compeling reasons ‘why these systems are beneficial and often necessary ‘when extruding certain sinking feed products. The Vacuum-Density Control System (V-DCS), see Figure 1, functions by allowing high levels of both thermal and mechanical energy to be applied early- ‘on in the extruder barrel. A vacuum port, located more than halfway down the barrel, then degasses or removes a portion of the high-energy water vapor from the melt. This approach first gelatnizes the starch and ‘then cools the mett before it exits the die. The result isa denser and more durable pellet. Pressure-Density Control Systems (P-DCS), see Figure 2, use compressed air to pressurize a die encapsulating Figure 1. An extroger equips with a Vacuum-Density Control System. Aquafeed: Advances in Processing & Formulation Vol 13 Issue 2 2021Figre 2, An extroer Figure 3. Pellets from a P-DCS Pressure: Left ~ None; Right = 2 bar ue density: Left = 600 g/L; Right = 700g, chamber to a selected level between 0.5 and 2.0 bar. The altered environment sufficiently raises the bolling point of water, preventing the moisture within the pellet from vaporizing and hindering the product's expansion. This approach also ensures a high degree of starch gelatinization, pellet durability, and an optimum density. Product photos in Figure 3 illustrate the differences in pellet porosity, texture, color and density when the pressure chamber is operating at 0 and 2 bar. Operational considerations The vacuum and pressure-based systems are arguably equally effective at manipulating the bulk density of aquafeed pellets. Yet, operationally, they both offer ‘a unique set of conditions that must be considered before making a selection. Processing moisture A significant drawback of the vacuum systems is their tendency to pull raw material from the barrel. Hence, these systems are equipped with an integrated stuffing screw (Fig. 4) and a particulate separation system (not shown). One necessary means of minimizing. the number of fine particles removed is to use large volumes of water during production. The added moisture ensures the raw materials are in a "dough-like" jpped witha Pressue-Density Contra Sytem. a5 consistency before reaching the vacuum port, making. the product more difficult to become airborne and far less likely than fines to be extracted. The typical melt ‘moisture required when using a vacuum system i in the neighborhood of 29-33%. Dryer energy requirements ‘The V-DCS operates at melt moistures that are about 3-6% greater than a P-DCS system. Table 1 compares, the extrusion moisture differences between these ‘two technologies and illustrates the impact of a 39% difference in melt moisture on the dryer's workload. In this example, the dryer’s evaporative load and energy requirement when using a V-DCS are approximately 22% greater than when using a P-DCS system, Itis important to note that in existing production lines, where a dryer is a capacity bottleneck, selecting a pressure system may also significantly increase ‘throughputs. Potentially presenting a hefty ROI to the operation, Screw configurations ~ Impact on capacity and starch gelatinization For some manufacturers, the P-DCS's ability to produce both floating and sinking products with just one screw configuration isa significant benefit. The V-DCS, however, requires a specific screw configuration for sinking feeds, which is not optimal for floating feeds. Thus, a screw configuration change is necessary to optimize the capacity of both products. The screw configuration required for the V-DCS is broken into two distinct sections: the cooking zone and the forming zone. The cooking zone is @ short region in front of the vacuum port, while the forming zone is located between the vacuum port and the die (Fig. 1). The short cooking zone can leave some Advances in Processing & Formulation Vol 13 Issue 2 202116 ‘Table 1, Impact of extrusion moisture on ying. Impact of Extrusion Moisture on the Dryer's Evaporative Load ‘Add-on Density Control ystem Pressure Vacuum ie, ge —_DryMixRate Ke/he 4000 4000 GP certo Kehr 20 20 Water Flow Rate Ke/he 655 880 é Extruder Discharge Rate kg/hr 4,985 5,200 43% 2 Target Final Moisture % 9.0% 90% & dryer Dscharge Rate Ke/he 4,000 4000 z E Evaporative Load Ke/he 985 4,200 218% $B @ drying Eticiency mile 292 292 E Energy Required Mike 2.876 3,504 218% J starch uncooked, _Die change/Diet change-over downtime potentially causing The Pressure-0CS (Fig 5) has an operational challenge pellet durability —_of ts own, namely the extra downtime required at issues. This becomes each diet change-over to remove the chamiber and more problematic gain access tothe die. The chamber contains several when makinglarger additional fasteners that ae time-consuming to remove ciameter pellets, and re-install, adding approximately 10 minutes to each which are more change-over. susceptible to damage caused by _Selecting the right density control system impact and atrtion Both add-on density contol systems serve their forces during intended purpose of controling pellet density very handling. The P-DCS wel, but the pressure version does offer multiple does not require operational advantages. Yet, notall sinking aquafeeds the formingzone, _are designed equally and there are applications where thus typically cooks the vacuum version may be more desirable. the starch more For example, those products requiring high levels of fae Geare 2.742 thoroughly water stabiity may beneft from the higher moisture conditions required by the V-DCS, thus leveling the playing field and making the vacuum version an option to consider. Ultimately, the product design characteristics must be the first consideration when ‘making a purchasing decision and operational factors should be a distant second, ‘More information: Rob Strathman President Famsun-USA Design & Engineering, USA Rob Strathman@Famsun-USA.com Figure 5, Fameun’s pressure-density contrl sytem, ‘Aquafeed: Advances in Processing & Formulation Vol 13 Issue 2 2021