PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION DRYING - MODELING AND COMPUTATIONAL SIMULATION

This paper presents an alternative method for drying suspensions, whic h consists in wetting inert polypropylene particles with suspension an d drying these wet particles while they are pneumatically transported with hot air or combustion gases. A mathematical model was developed t o simulate the drying process and the pneumatic transport. Experimenta l work was carried out in a pilot pneumatic dryer, using polypropylene particles like inert transport phase to verify these models. Apple pu lp maltodextrine mixtures was dried and the results confirm the techni cal feasibility of the proposed technology.