Primary Industries for Spray Dryer Applications
The spray dryer is a prominent application in these and other industries:
Food Processing
- Animal feed
- Blood & Plasma
- Egg-Cracking Facilities
- Cereals
- Coffee
- Flavorings
- Milk and Whey Powders
- Pet Food
- Plant Proteins
- Spices
- Starch
- Sugar
- Tea
Pharmaceutical Processing
- Additives
- Antibiotics
- Blood Products
- Drugs
- Enzymes
- Medicinal Ingredients
- Vaccines
- Vitamins
Industrial Processing
- Algae
- Ceramics
- Chemicals
- Detergents
- Fertilizers
- Paint Pigments
- Microalgae
Fan Selection & Specification
Because centrifugal fans are prominent at many points in and around the spray dryer application, virtually any of our fans could be used in one or more ways for supply air, exhaust air, process heating, or process cooling. Select and design your fans based on function, flow, and pressure. Here’s a quick overview of the top fans for each main function:
Spray Dryer Supply Fans
Spray Dryer Exhaust Fans
Spray Dryer Process Heating Fans
Spray Dryer Process Cooling Fans
Fan Arrangements
Fan Arrangements indicate how the motors mount to and drive the fans. In this application, the larger supply and exhaust fans will typically run on an Arrangement 8 direct-drive motor with a variable frequency drive (VFD). The smaller cooling and heating fans are often direct-drive Arrangement 4to minimize the fan footprint.
Arrangement 8 – Direct Drive with an overhung impeller. The fan shaft is directly coupled to the motor shaft with a flexible coupling.
Arrangement 4 – Direct Drive with an overhung impeller. A low-cost arrangement, the fan wheel mounts directly on the motor shaft.
Accessories & Design
When it comes to design and accessories, it’s all about protecting and optimizing operations, maintenance, and life of the fan and bearings. For spray dryer applications, that means designing robust high-quality fans, often with extensive customization to make them food-grade.
Most dairy and food processing applications require stainless steel fans. For some, only the fan airstream parts are stainless, while others dictate that the entire fan be stainless steel, including the motors and safety guards. They also require a smooth, uniform finish and no threads to avoid catching food and water.
These are not suggestions for many food and dairy fan applications. The USDA and FDA inspect all food-grade machinery and are meticulous about these requirements, and the fans are required to pass inspection before startup and operation. For spray dryer applications, we often recommend:
Food Grade Considerations for Dairy & Food Processing Industry Fan Applications
- 304 or 316 Stainless Steel materials of construction
- Glass Bead Blasting to SSPC-SP10 (the highest weld rating) or chemical treatment for removal of weld discoloration
- 32RA Polishing of the Welds and stainless steel materials for a uniform 32 micro-inch finish
- A Simple Epoxy finish for non-stainless steel components
- Clean-in-Place (CIP) Nozzles inside the fan housing along with a drain system at the bottom of the housing for cleaning access during use
- Stainless Steel Washdown Duty Motor with a Stainless Steel shaft for those requiring all parts in contact with the product be food grade
- Ferrule (Sanitary) Drain, Cap & Gasket with no threads
- Teflon Fan Seals and Housing Gaskets to provide food-grade sealing capabilities.
- Flange, Slip inlet & Slip Outlet allows a flexible boot to connect the fan to the ductwork
Accessory & Design Considerations
Talk with Our Application Engineers
If you feel overwhelmed by all this information, don’t despair! We have a team of application engineers who are happy to talk with you and select the best fan for your application. You can call 715-365-3267, email [email protected], or send us your information, and one of our engineers will connect with you.
Content Related to Spray Dryer Applications
Here are related posts and case studies that might be of interest as you think about your application.
