GEA contact fluidizers for bulk chemicals drying
The GEA CONTACT FLUIDIZER is a two-stage system for bulk chemicals drying that keeps you in control of particle flow and final moisture content. Designed to give you confidence in reproducible processing at high capacity, our system can also help you reduce overall energy draw and allow you to reuse waste heat and recycle solvents, for a lower environmental footprint.
Proven technology for drying bulk s-PVC, HDPE, vitamins and much more
We have configured and installed more than 1100 industrial fluid bed plants for bulk chemical applications, including around 140 plants for s-PVC drying. We really do know a thing or two about designing systems for a broad range of applications, from commodity polymers such as s-PVC and HDPE, to dietary supplements including vitamins, and emerging or bespoke chemicals.
Contact fluidizer technology, in a nutshell …
The GEA CONTACT FLUIDIZER is a two-stage system that first evaporates surface water from the product feed in a back-mix chamber, and then removes remaining, internal water by evaporation in a dedicated true plug flow section.
Some of the bulk products suitable for drying using GEA CONTACT FLUIDIZER fluid bed technology:
- s-PVC
- HDPE
- Vitamins
- PAN
- ABS
- Sodium bicarbonate
- Dense sodium carbonate
- c-PVC
- MBS
- POM
- Modified lignin
The drying process
Wet powder is introduced into the back-mix section of the CONTACT FLUIDIZER where evaporation starts and the powder becomes directly fluidizable. The proprietary Rotary Feed Spreader ensures the continuous uniform distribution of the wet feed material that is a prerequisite for maintaining the ”homogeneity” of the back-mix section and thereby its performance. The semi-dried powder enters the plug flow section, where the powders' residence time is fully controlled. If, as a final step, product cooling is required, the fluid bed is extended with a plug flow section equipped with internal cooling panels.
The gas required for the fluidization of the powder is distributed by the GILL PLATE, tailor-made for the individual plant, to ensure even gas distribution over the bed, good transport of lumps and effective emptying of the fluid bed at shut-down.
When it comes to thermal efficiency, the heating panels submerged into the fluidized powder layer make the design unique because of its highly effective method of transferring the heat from the panels to the powder through the fluidizing gas.
Features:
- Available as an open system to handle powdery water based feeds and as a closed-cycle system for powders wetted with organic solvents
- Low specific energy consumption
- Average particle-size range 50-800 μm
- Long product residence time, gentle drying
- Optimized drying profile due to the combination of back-mix and plug flow sections
- Low specific air flow due to the application of heating panels
- Available w/o CIP system for efficient cleaning
- Available with Integrated Filters
Optimize functionality and process parameters
Offering top performance and safety, our CONTACT FLUIDIZER is packed with GEA innovations to help enhance efficiency, reduce energy use, and ensure great product quality. Partner with us at GEA and we’ll use our dedicated small-scale platform to test and optimize process parameters for your products, so we can tailor the best CONTACT FLUIDIZER configuration for your application.
GEA CONTACT FLUIDIZER – GEA expertise supporting your business:
- Our dedicated small scale testing system lets us optimize process parameters
- Vertical fluid bed heating panels help to reduce energy use, improve efficiency, and prevent powder settling on surfaces
- The GEA NIRO® BARRIER GAS SYSTEM, installed as standard, prevents the formation of wet deposits and condensation on the internal drying chamber walls
- The controllable, proprietary GEA NIRO® ROTARY FEED DISTRIBUTOR for wet feed cake delivery, installed as standard, optimizes dispersion into the back-mix chamber
- GEA Niro TRUE PLUG FLOW compartments allow for control of powder residence time, air flow and depth
- Technology for heat recovery and/or organic solvent recycling can be included as standard
- Particle flow is controlled and directed through the back-mix chamber using customized GEA NIRO® GILL PLATE components that are also designed to transport powder lumps
- For challenging products the GEA NIRO® LUMP TRAP SYSTEM can also be installed
- Automated CIP units are user friendly, and feature dedicated nozzles optimized to maximize cleaning efficiency for individual fluid bed configurations
- Configurable closed loop cycle systems are available for processing toxic or hazardous products.
How does it work?
The GEA CONTACT FLUIDIZER comprises an initial back-mix chamber that contains an array of vertically oriented heating panels through which hot water or steam circulates, and which are completely submerged in the layer of wet particulate product to be dried. Gas blown through GEA’s unique GILL PLATES at the base of the chamber causes the particles to flow like fluid and come into direct contact with the heating panels. The surface moisture – which may be water, or a solvent - is then evaporated, collected and removed.
When the moisture in particles in the back-mix chamber has reduced to a certain level, these lighter weight particles are transported into the second, true plug flow section in which the drying process is continued to ensure that the desired final moisture content is achieved.
In contrast with other contact fluid bed designs, the plug flow section of the GEA CONTACT FLUIDIZER technology features discrete compartments, and directional gas flow to prevent back mixing. Controlled powder movement in the plug flow section also helps to prevent scorching and heat damage. Product height in the plug flow compartments can be automatically/remotely adjusted.
Dedicated GEA know-how for every application
GEA has decades of experience configuring CONTACT FLUIDIZER systems for a wide range of products. For commodity products, for example, s-PVC, the process of design and configuration can be fast and simple. If you need a more specialised solution, then we’ll sit down with you to learn about your products, challenges and expectations. We can then work together to design and fine-tune the best CONTACT FLUIDIZER technology for your needs.
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