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February 19, 2025
Spray Dryer Troubleshooting Checklist
A Better Process, Plant Management, Spray Dryer, Spray Drying, Training, Troubleshooting
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Every spray dryer is unique in terms of what it processes, its operating parameters, environmental conditions and other characteristics. There are some basic places to start when trying to diagnose and correct issues with your spray dryer. Use the checklist below for troubleshooting exercises.

Schedule a conversation with Jim Kent to discuss your spray dryer.

Standard Starting Points

1) If it’s not already handy, be sure to have correct documentation for the baseline operation for your spray dryer.

It’s important to know the standard operating parameters as directed by the manufacturer. If the dryer is not performing as expected, determine if the dryer is being operated as originally designed.

There are many reasons why operators may stray from the original operating parameters, but each diversion from these standards has implications for the performance and efficiency of the spray dryer.

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Jim Kent

Jim Kent

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2) Maintain and refer to operational records, especially those from instances when you produced optimal product. 
 
If you are trying to troubleshoot a quality issue, it’s important to have log sheets and trends from when your dryer performed optimally. Now you have a basis for comparison with problematic operational data. Look for deviations, which may point to the source of the problem.
 
3) Ensure proper calibration of your instruments. 
 
In order to be of use for a troubleshooting exercise, the data you are referring to needs to be accurate. Correctly calibrated instruments are essential for good data.
 

Take a Look at Air Flows

Know your dryer air flow:
  • Document the manufacture’s fan data
  • Understand how to read and use a fan curve
  • Get the fan curve for your static pressure
  • Estimate your dryer airflows
 
 
A Pitot Tube can also be used to measure the difference between total pressure and static pressure inside of a duct.
 
 
Your fans define your airflow. Hold onto the manufacturer’s fan curve for reference. Be sure to request one from them if you don’t have it. Many fan manufacturers also have online tools to assist you.
 
Dirty air filters will have an affect on air pressure; take this into account when troubleshooting.
 

Mass Balance

 
In order to properly troubleshoot a spray dryer issue, it’s necessary to analyze the mass balance. You can’t calculate the mass balance without the information depicted in these illustrations. (Watch the related video). The data in the first image is for example only.

Figuring Out Your Feed Solids

Know your dryer feed solids:
  • How can you measure your solids?
  • Confirm with the lab and know the product density
  • Estimate the accuracy of your instruments
 
Are you running/feeding consistently? Can you measure what you’re making accurately? Watch an interesting use case for this type of data.
 
Feed Rate
 
Know your dryer feed rate:
  • Document the feed rate from the high pressure pump
  • Get the nozzle chart & estimate the feed rate
 
Nozzles can be used as an orifice flow meter
  • Download data sheet for your manufacturer
  • Use chart in catalog to find flow rate; find the pressure on the high pressure pump
  • Note: These calculations are based on water, not the actual product being processed
Did you know you can use your high pressure pump as a flow meter? Use this as an alternative to verify your flow rate if you unsure how well your flow meter is operating.
 

You Asked: What do you look for if the evaporation rate on your dryer has changed?

Did you intentionally change the air flow? This will have implications for the evaporation rate. The air disperser may not be designed for the new air flow.

If you are seeing a diminished evaporation rate, you will need to analyze the data to look for the culprit. Use the tools above or contact us for assistance.

More Resources

 

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About Caloris

Caloris transforms process systems design for the better with unexpected, future-focused solutions that solve real operational problems. We engineer efficient, dependable and productive solutions that also improve environmental sustainability where practical. Designed with the end user in mind to drive plant productivity. Caloris offers evaporation, membrane filtration and spray drying process systems for food and dairy industries, as well as for water reuse and wastewater treatment applications. Both Caloris’ custom and pre-engineered packaged systems are designed to meet our customers’ specific concentration/purification needs utilizing the most cost effective and energy efficient technologies available. Whether concentrating dairy, food or juice products at a high-volume production facility, or processing industrial wastewaters to reduce transportation and treatment costs and recover re-usable water, Caloris provides a range of options and technologies.