Industrial drying

When it comes to breaking with convention and habit, which often lead to the association of a given drying technique with a given product, or when the product is new, the choice of a type of dryer quickly becomes a headache for the process engineer. There are over 400 different technologies on the market, of which around 100 are commonly used in industry. At best, these technologies can be grouped into ten major families. This dossier is devoted to presenting these major dryer technology families. As the technology must be compatible with the shape of the product to be treated, a classification based on the structure of the product to be treated has been adopted. In addition to the dryer itself, a drying plant comprises a range of ancillary equipment needed to pre-treat the product to make it compatible with the chosen technology, to ensure the dryer operates correctly, and to post-treat the dry product and waste gases. Some of these ancillary systems are designed to guarantee the safe operation of the plant and its environment, but it is essential to be aware of the risks involved and the means of prevention and protection. Analysis grids can be used to identify the range of equipment likely to meet industrial needs, to facilitate the pre-selection of appropriate technical solutions.

This dossier is the continuation of the set devoted to the theoretical aspects of industrial drying, consisting of :

• [J 2 451] and [J 2 452] "Hot-air convection drying (parts 1 and 2)";

• [J 2 453] "Other drying methods than hot air".