DRYERS AND

DRYING PROCESS
 Drying
• It is may be defined as the vaporization
and removal of water or other liquids
from a solution, suspension, or other
solid-liquid mixture to form a dry solid.
• Drying is commonly the last stage in a
manufacture process.
• Is the final removal of water from
material
• Is defined as the removal of small
amounts of water or other liquid from a
material by the application of heat
• The removal of all or most of the liquid
by supplying latent heat to cause
thermal vaporization.
 Heat is transferred to the
product to evaporate liquid,
and mass is transferred as a
vapor into the surrounding
gas. The drying rate is
determined by the set of
factors that affect heat and
mass transfer.
CAUSES OF MOISTURE
• Cooling
- Many products are cooled.
Often as the last step in a
sterilization or pasteurization
process. Water is often used for
this purpose, leaving water
droplets on the product. For
example: ready meals, cans,
pet food. Other examples are
extrusion of plastics or rubbers
• Cleaning
- After production, the
products are often
cleaned, washed or rinsed.
Once again, water droplets
remain behind. For
example: beer, jam,
sauces, soft drinks
• Steam
- To sleeve products,
they are often placed in a
steam tunnel. The excess
water must be removed.
For example: fruit juices
PROBLEMS DUE TO MOISTURE
• Contaminated environment
• Ink spills
• Non-adhesive labels
• Damage machines
• Failing control equipment
• Mould formation
• Cracking cardboard
IMPORTANCE OF DRYING
• Preservation
• Preliminary to size reduction
• Improve properties of final product
• Eliminate moisture
• Good properties of materials
• Reduce the cost of transportation
• Materials easy or suitable for handling
DIFERENCE BETWEEN DRYING
AND EVAPORATING
When to consider how to dry
materials
• Heatsensitivity
• The necessity for asepsis
• Nature of the liquid to be
removed
• The scale of the operation
Types of dryers
• Drum Dryer (Film Drying)
It consists of a drum of
about 0, 75-1.5 m in diameter
and 2-4 m in length, heated
internally, usually by steam,
and rotated on its longitudinal
axis.
Operation
The liquid is applied to the surface
and spread to a film, this may be done
in various ways, but the simplest
method is that shown in the diagram,
where the drum dips into a feed pan.
Drying rate is controlled by using a
suitable speed of rotation and the
drum temperature.
• Spray Dryer
The spray dryer provides a
large surface area for heat and
mass transfer by atomizing the
liquid to small droplets. These are
sprayed into a stream of hot air,
so that each droplet dries to a
solid particle.
• Tunnel dryer
Layers of food are dried on trays,
which are stacked on trucks
programmed to move semi
continuously through an insulated
tunnel. Able to dry large quantities of
food in a relatively short time However,
the method has now been largely
superseded by conveyor drying and
fluidized bed drying as a result of their
higher energy efficiency, reduced labor
costs and better product quality.
• Bin dryer
Bin dryers are large, cylindrical or
rectangular containers fitted with a
mesh base. Hot air passes up through
a bed of food at relatively low
velocities
• Fluidized-bed dryer
Warm air is blown upwards
directly underneath the food,
causing it to flow and remain
separated. This procedure is
suitable for small items.
• Cabinet dryer
cabinet dryers use
very dry air to purge the
inside of cabinets of
moisture.
• Conveyor Dryer
An appliance in which the
coal or ore is moved through a
chamber containing hot gases
on a perforated plate or a
heavy mesh, stainless-steel
continuous belt.
• Vacuum band dryers
provide a continuous means of
handling heat sensitive materials
which can be fed as a viscous
liquid or paste. The band dryer
comprises a vacuum chamber
housing a number of conveyor
bands which pass over platens
heated by steam or hot water.
• Freeze drying
This method is usually used for
high-quality dried products, which
contain heat-sensitive components
such as vitamins, antibiotics, and
microbial culture. The virtual absence
of air and low temperature prevents
deterioration due to oxidation or
chemical modification of the
product. It also gives very porous
products, which results in high
rehydration rates. However, freeze
drying is a slow and expensive
process.
• Direct solar dryer
Direct solar dryers expose the
substance to be dehydrated to
direct sunlight.
• Indirect solar dryer
Indirect driers are constructed so
the sun shines upon a solar collector (a
shallow box, the insides painted black,
topped with a pane of glass) heating
air which then moves upward through a
stack of four to six trays loaded with
produce.
• Smoking
One of the most ancient food
preservation processes, and in some
communities one of the most
important. The use of wood smoke to
preserve foods is nearly as old as
open-air drying. The heat associated
with the generation of smoke also
causes a drying effect. Smoking has
been mainly used with meat and fish.