Preliminary study on spray drying simulation using computational fluid dynamic.

Spray drying process is considered as a conventional method that is extensively used to convert food product to powder form. It offers a lot of benefit including continuous process, rapid evaporation and industrial viable. But spray drying also expose to various disadvantages such as losses due to the particle's deposition on the drying walls. The understanding on the flow behaviors in the drying chamber of spray drying are important for the strategy to reduce the powder losses during this process. Therefore, in this study, the simulation of flow behavior in the drying chamber was conducted using computational fluid dynamic (CFD). The 2D and 3D was conducted to tested for the most accurate model to represent the process. Discrete phase model (DPM) was used to describe the atomization of the protein particles. The convective terms of the continuous phase equations for several equation and schemes are conducted using ANSYS FLUENT R19.1. Based on the CFD simulation, an uneven velocity distribution between 0.00121 to 3.82 m/s is observed on various zone of the drying chamber which causing the inefficient heat transfer which lead to incomplete evaporation. Incomplete evaporations are identified as main reason for the particle deposition at the dying wall. The identifying of this zone may help to design strategy to improve the flow in the drying chamber and decreased the loses of the powder due to the particle deposition. In future, the particle tracking will be conducted, and the heat profile will be discussed to develop the drying curve of the particle to help the strategy to improve heat distribution for particle deposition reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]