Flame Spray Drying

Abstract

This article presents results of preliminary studies on a novel spray drying method; i.e., spray drying with a simultaneous ignition of a sprayed medium, termed Flame Spray Drying (FSD). Preliminary FSD trials were carried out to determine the concentration of a flammable spray component at which flame could be initiated and combustion process sustained for two materials with different thermal sensitivity (i.e., maltodextrin and ceramic powder) and two flammable components: ethyl alcohol and sunflower oil. The analysis of temperature distributions in the atomization/flame zone shows significant differences in the evaporation rate for different fuels. Combustion of ethyl alcohol results in higher temperatures and a 0.5 to 1.0 m shorter combustion/evaporation zone in relation to the flame formed with the sunflower oil. Puffing and robust agglomeration of particles and partial caramelization of some powders was observed as a result of an intensive heat and mass transfer in the flame zone.

Keywords:

• Ceramic powder
• Combustion
• Drying
• Energy saving
• Ethanol
• FSD
• Maltodextrin
• Sunflower oil

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The authors thank Ceramika Paradyz Inc. (Opoczno, Poland) for the supply of ceramic material applied in the research.

Notes

Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www.tandfonline.com/ldrt.