FLUIDIZED BED VIBRATING DRYER

Our extensive range of vibrated fluid bed dryers is used for fluidization of materials which are difficult to handle in a static fluid bed dryer. These dryers are used to handle material such as salt, chemicals and tea. Some of the features of the material are: Wide particle size distribution Low strength of wet or dry particles Stickiness or thermo plasticity of the particles Pasty properties of the wet feed Operation of Fluid Bed Dryers: Material is easily transported through the dryer due to fluidization and vibration Fluidization velocity can be judiciously selected to minimize entertainment of the smaller particles Minimize entertainment avoid gas bubbling m the fluid bed thereby minimizing attrition Residence time can be adjusted by varying the bed height, through the overflow weir position. Provided with cooling section by partitioning of the plenum chamber These dryers are used to handle following material: Salt Milk products (used as a secondary dyer) Chemicals Tea Fluid bed dryers offers advantages over other drying techniques and is well suited for constant and failing rate drying. The principle is based on the phenomenon that solids having a well defined particle size distribution behave as liquid when fluidized by air. By preheating the air, the residual moisture can be reduced. Fluid bed dryer is suited for powder, granules with average particle size 50 - 2000 microns. If the feed material is sticky and having wide particle size distribution. Vibro fluid bed dryer is the most suited, where vibration helps the movement of solids and drying.

The process air is supplied to the bed through a special perforated distributor plate and flows through the bed of solids at a velocity sufficient to support the weight of particles in a fluidized state. Bubbles form and collapse within the fluidized bed of material, promoting intense particle movement. In this state, the solids behave like a free flowing boiling liquid. Very high heat and mass transfer values are obtained as a result of the intimate contact with the solids and the differential velocities between individual particles and the fluidizing gas.

For even greater thermal efficiency and where inertisation is required, recycling of exhaust gases can be used. This can be implemented on all our airstream drying systems and retrofitted on customer's existing drying operations. Contact tubes can be incorporated with non-cohesive materials that can be processed at temperatures approaching the fluid within the tubes. The result is a significant reduction in airflow compared with the typical standard fluid bed. Many materials begin at or pass through a sticky, softening or cohesive phase during processing. Vibrating beds are extremely effective in keeping the material in a live fluidized state during this transitionary phase. Batch and continuous units ranging from pilot scale to 300 ft2 (28 m2) have been supplied. The fluid bed has been used to dry products in many industries including food, chemical, mineral and polymer. A broad range of feed materials including powders, crystals, granules and prills can be processed. This technology can also be used for cooling applications; either as a separate unit or combined with drying in a single zoned bed.

Fluidization Fluidization (or fluidisation) is a process similar to liquefaction whereby a granular material is converted from a static solid-like state to a dynamic fluid-like state. This process occurs when a fluid (liquid or gas) is passed up through the granular material. When a gas flow is introduced through the bottom of a bed of solid particles, it will move upwards through the bed via the empty spaces between the particles. At low gas velocities, aerodynamic drag on each particle is also low, and thus the bed remains in a fixed state. Increasing the velocity, the aerodynamic drag forces will begin to counteract the gravitational forces, causing the bed to expand in volume as the particles move away from each other. Further increasing the velocity, it will reach a critical value at which the upward drag forces will exactly equal the downward gravitational forces, causing the particles to become suspended within the fluid. At this critical value, the bed is said to be fluidized and will exhibit fluidic behavior. By further increasing gas velocity, the bulk density of the bed will continue to decrease, and its fluidization becomes more violent, until the particles no longer form a bed and are conveyed upwards by the gas flow. When fluidized, a bed of solid particles will behave as a fluid, like a liquid or gas. Like water in a bucket: the bed will conform to the volume of the chamber, its surface remaining perpendicular to gravity; objects with a lower density than the bed density will float on its surface, bobbing up and down if pushed downwards, while objects with a higher density sink to the bottom of the bed. The fluidic behavior allows the particles to be transported like a fluid, channeled through pipes, not requiring mechanical transport (e.g. conveyor belt

Cavitation in centrifugal pumps

Cavitation is a common occurrence but is the least understood of all pumping problems. Your pump is cavitating if knocking noises and vibrations can be heard when it is operating. Other signs may be erratic power consumption and fluctuations or reductions in pump output. If you continue to operate your pump when it is cavitating, it will be damaged. Impeller surfaces and pump bowls will pit and wear, eventually leading to mechanical destruction.

What is the cause?

When water enters a pump, its velocity increases causing a reduction in pressure within the pumping unit. If this pressure falls too low, some of the water will vaporise, forming bubbles entrained in the liquid. These bubbles collapse violently as they move to areas of higher pressure creating the noise and vibration from the pump. The pressure required to operate a pump without causing cavitation is called net positive suction head (NPSH). Therefore the pressure head available at the pump inlet should exceed the NPSH required. This is specified by the pump manufacturer, and is a function of the pump design

How to avoid cavitation

As cavitation relates only to the suction side of the pump all prevention measures should be directed at this area. Suction lifts that are too high will only encourage cavitation. As a general rule, centrifugal pumps located less than 4 metres above the water level should not experience cavitation. The following guidelines should be applied to avoid the problem: minimise the number of valves and bends in the suction line use eccentric reducers, not concentric ensure the straight side of the eccentric reducer is installed along the top of the suction line suction length should be as short as possible suction pipe should be at least the same diameter as the pump inlet connection use long radius bends increase the size of valves and pipework do not allow air into the suction line ensure adequate submergence over the foot valve. The submergence should be at least 5.3 times the suction diameter.

Alternative solutions
One solution may be to reduce the required net positive suction head. This can done by lowering the pump speed. However, this will also result in reduced output from the pump which may not suit your system. If pump suction conditions cannot be improved, you should seek expert assistance.