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Title: Observations of flow patterns in a spray dryer

Journal Article · · Drying Technology

Experiments have been performed on a pilot scale, cylinder-on-cone spray dryer fitted with a vaned-wheel atomizer to observe air flow patterns, with and without water spray. A combination of tufts, smoke streams and a laser light sheet, was used to provide information about regions of recirculation, flow stability, spray trajectories and wall deposition. While atomizer-induced swirl dominated the flow patterns under typical operating conditions, some instability was observed, although different in type, for situations with and without atomizer rotation. Clockwise eddies were observed to form and collapse between the wall and the strongly anti-clockwise swirling core created by anti-clockwise atomizer rotation. Without swirl, large portions of the recirculation zones at the walls were observed to have a weak tendency to change randomly between clockwise, anti-clockwise and chaotic behavior.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Sydney, New South Wales (AU)
OSTI ID:
20076030
Journal Information:
Drying Technology, Vol. 18, Issue 3; Other Information: PBD: Mar 2000; ISSN 0737-3937
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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