Simulation of agglomeration in spray drying installations

During spray drying ,agglomerates of powder particles are formed which determine the instant properties of the powder(i.e the ability to dissolve easily,quickly and completely ).Agglomeration during spray drying is considered to be a difficult process to control .The main cause of this is the complex interaction of the process variables:the atomisation process ,the mixing of spray and hot air and the collision of particles . As a consuquence,agglomeration during spray drying is often regarded as a black box and is operated by trial and error

At the beginning of 2001 a large international research  and technological development project started with the aim of developing an industrially validated (computer )model ,using CFDtechnology ,to predict agglomeration processes in spray drying machines .This project ,initiated and co-ordinated by NIZO food research is titled EDECAD（efficient design and contiol of agglomeration in spray drying machines)and is sponsored by the EC fifth framework programme within the research programme "Competitive and Sustainable GROWTH ".The main result of the EDECAD project will be a so-called "design Tool".which will establish relations between the configuration of the drying installation (geometry ,nozzle selection ),process conditions product composition and dinal powder properties .The design tool will be validated on a pilot-plant scale and an industrial scale .This design tool is envisaged to be a powerful tool for designing and optimising spray drying and agglomeration machinery .