Vacuum Tray Dryers
Vacuum Tray dryer is the most commonly used batch dryer. They are
Function :
Used mainly for drying of high grade, temperature
and oxygen sensitive products. Highly suitable for
drying hygroscopic substances, which are dried
to very low residual moisture, content level.
Frequently vacuum drying cabinets are the sole
possibility for drying lumpy, glutinous products or
products of low pomposity. Capacity: Standard
models range from 4 trays to 48 trays.
Salient Features:
Bodies may be of cylindrical or rectangular cross
section. Both shelves and body are heated (the
body to prevent internal condensation) with
controlled circulation of hot water, steam or dia
thermic fluid. Vacuum is drawn through large
diameter ducts to minimize pressure drops and
produce minimum working pressures. Both
rotary and static dryers can be supplied with the
following optional ancillaries.
• Heater system for either pressurized hot
water or diathermic fluid.
• Cyclones and sleeve filters for powder
recovery (for rotary dryers)
• Solvent recovery system with condenser
and receiver, vacuum pump and ancillaries,
characteristics and dimensions depending
on the drying processes.
box-shaped and loaded and unloaded via a door (two doors on the
larger models). Inside are several heating plates mounted one above
the other on which the product is placed in trays. The bottoms of
both heating plates and trays should be as smooth as possible to
permit optimal heat transfer between plates and product. The
medium flowing through the heating plates is water, steam or
thermal oil. The distance between the heating plates is determined
primarily by the surface loading and the foaming of the product. To
void retrograde condensation the cabinet walls are indirectly
preheated by the heating plates. Next, the product is introduced and
heated at atmospheric pressure. Only after all individual product
trays reach the same temperature the cabinet is evacuated and
drying can start. The preheating phase is very important in order that
the drying curve and the foaming of the product is identical
throughout the cabinet. During the main drying phase the vacuum is
in the range of 40 to 80 mbar abs and in the final drying phase
vacuums of only few mbar abs are reached. Heating temperatures
are normally in the range between 800C and 1100°C. Depending on
product and surface load, drying takes from a few hours to 1 to 2
days. For some products the vacuum and temperature profiles are
automatically controlled in order to prevent a pass over of the critical
product temperature.
The dimensioning of the vacuum system is an important factor in the
design of drying cabinet systems. If for example vigorous foaming of
the product is desired, evacuation to the operational vacuum level
must take place very quickly. Vapors produced during drying are
taken out direct, or via a steam jet compressor to a surface
condenser in which the vapors condensate. The non-condensable
vapors are extracted by the vacuum system. On completion of the
drying, the product can be cooled by circulating of cold water
through the heating plates.