Conical mixer and dryer with stainless steel finish, ideal for blending and drying powders and granules efficiently.
BLOGS

Understanding the Working Principle of a Conical Mixer Dryer

Written by ChemiplantMarch 27, 2024

In the ever-evolving landscape of industrial manufacturing, Chemiplant Engineering Company stands tall as a beacon of innovation and quality. With a journey spanning four decades under the visionary leadership of Mr. Ved Kalra, the company has continually expanded its horizons, enriching its arsenal with new and innovative process equipment. Among its stellar offerings, the Mixer-Dryer emerges as a versatile solution, finding applications across a myriad of industries. Let’s delve deeper into the working principle of the Conical Mixer Dryer and unravel its significance in modern manufacturing processes.

Application Spectrum: Chemiplant’s Mixer-Dryer finds extensive utility in an array of industries, including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food, confectionery, cement, detergents, chocolates, electronics, and automobiles. Its versatility extends to operations under atmospheric, pressure, or vacuum conditions.

Applications

  • Polymeric Reaction
  • Reactions under a blanket of inert gas
  • Extraction from plants & herbs
  • Decaffeination of coffee
  • Alkalyzing of cocoa
  • Removal of solvents with high boiling points from powders
  • Preparation & de-aeration of pastes and creams

Product Description: The Conical Mixer-Dryer comprises a conical chamber with an orbiting arm and a rotating screw element. This unique design facilitates efficient mixing and higher heat transfer coefficients, resulting in reduced drying times. The discharge of the product occurs through the bottom of the cone, ensuring seamless operation.

Advantages of Conical Mixer-Dryer

  • Efficient mixing action and high heat transfer area due to the combined action of the screw and revolving arm.
  • Versatility in performing various processes such as mixing, drying, homogenizing, de-aeration, extraction, and reactions.
  • Simple and fast loading & discharge of product.
  • Compact design requiring low floor space compared to horizontal dryers.
  • Suitable for heat-sensitive products due to low product temperature.
  • Energy-efficient with low power consumption.
  • Environmental and operator safety ensured through totally enclosed operation.
  • Large working capacities ranging up to 30KL.

Materials: Standard models are constructed from various grades of Stainless Steel such as SS316/SS316L and SS304/SS304L. Exotic metals like Hastelloy, Monel, Inconel, etc., can also be supplied based on specific requirements.

Pilot Mixer & Dryer: For pilot plants and small-scale productions, Chemiplant offers the SA-Pilot Dry Mixer, a mobile and compact solution equipped with necessary instruments, PLC, and HMI. With batch capacities ranging from 30L to 165L, it facilitates easy scale-up and operations.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Conical Mixer Dryer epitomizes Chemiplant Engineering Company’s commitment to delivering efficient and versatile process equipment. Its unique design, coupled with advanced features and materials, ensures seamless operation across various industries. By understanding the working principle of this equipment, manufacturers can harness its capabilities to optimize production processes, enhance product quality, and achieve greater efficiency in today’s competitive market landscape.

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A Fluid Bed Dryer with a large tank and a mixer, used for drying and mixing substances.
BLOGS

The Complete Guide to Understanding How Fluid Bed Dryers Work

Written by ChemiplantMarch 18, 2024

Fluid Bed Dryers are used to dry, wet granulated materials attained after the granulation process. The material is dried through the combination of (a) moisture diffusion from the inside of the granules and (b) the removal of moisture by forced-air convection. In this unit operation, the granulated material is fluidized by hot & dehumidified air to achieve efficient heat and mass transfer.

There are three critical inlet air parameters that affect the efficiency of the Process and the Quality of the product:

  • Temperature
  • Humidity
  • Air Flow Rate

Features:

  • Mono block construction – retarding chamber and filter bag chamber made in a single-piece construction to enhance GMP & promote hygienic cleaning.
  • Solid Flow Sensor installed to detect leaks on filter bags to avoid material loss & air contamination.
  • Intrinsically safe earthing arrangement.
  • Inlet air-filtration system with primary. secondary and 0.3 microns HEPA filters.
  • Pneumatic lifting/locking for product container with retarding chamber.
  • Fully Automatic Bag shaking.
  • Rear Chamber with heating coils and Inlet filter is to be mounted in the Technical Area (Remote Area) 
  • Blower/Motor to be mounted in the Technical Area (Remote Area)
  • Inlet & Outlet dampers with pneumatic control valves.
  • PLC-based control panels with Time vs. temperature, Control Batch Programming & batch data printouts.

Working Principles:

Fluid Bed Dryer is a batch operation in which the moist material is converted to a free-flowing fluidized state by means of an upward-flowing hot air stream. During this process, the entire surface of each particle is surrounded by hot air thus achieving a homogeneous distribution of temperature & thereby a rapid drying operation.

The air is drawn through a blower fan from outside & passed through 3 stages of filtration (pre, fine & HEPA) & heated with the help of steam coils & or electric heaters. The air then flows upwards through the material Inside the product container & absorbs the moisture from the material.

The filter bag assembly mounted above the container & retarding chamber keeps the material caught up in the flow of air which subsequently fall back into the container, by means of the outlet air damper as installed in the outlet duct.

The drying time depends on various factors such as physical properties of raw material, initial moisture content, type of moisture (free or inherent of water of crystallization) & the drying temperature.

Accessories:

  • Retarding Chamber:

During the FBD operation, there is a tendency of generation of static electricity due to the agitation of material and the presence of steam & dust. However, the same is variable in quantity depending upon the material air velocity & the degree of dryness of the product. The retarding chamber is provided to settle the heavier particles in the product container. Also, outside the retarding chamber antistatic probe assembly is provided to absorb static electricity and to discharge the same to the earthling cable.

  • Filter Bag & Sealing:

The filter bag is sealed with the help of an inflatable gasket held inside a SS ring which is inserted into the lower end of the filter bag & sandwiched between the retarding chamber & the filter housing The gasket material can be Silicon, Neoprene, or EPDM Food Grade rubbers. The basic function of the sealing is to prevent the product from escaping into the outlet air.

  • Filter Bag Shaking Device:

The device is used for the removal of fine particles from the Filter Bag & thereby avoiding pressure drops across the filter. It consists of a wire rope & pulleys wherein one end of the wire rope is attached to a handle and the other end to the filter bag hanger. The filter hanger is held in place by the handle stopper & whenever the handle is released, jacked up & down the filter bag is compressed & stretched alternately. This operation can also be automated by means of a pneumatic cylinder.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, fluid bed dryers are crucial for drying wet granulated materials efficiently. They operate by fluidizing the material with hot, dehumidified air, allowing for effective heat and mass transfer. The key parameters affecting the process efficiency and product quality include temperature, humidity, and airflow rate. The design features of fluid bed dryers, such as mono block construction, solid flow sensor, and inlet air-filtration system, enhance their performance and hygiene. The working principle involves converting moist material into a free-flowing fluidized state using an upward-flowing hot air stream. Accessories like the retarding chamber, filter bag & sealing, and filter bag shaking device further optimize the drying process and ensure product quality. Overall, fluid bed dryers are essential in various industries for their rapid and efficient drying capabilities.

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