Fluidised-bed steam dryers have been in use for industrial-scale drying of pressed beet pulp for more than 20 years. This highly energy-efficient process can be considered to be state of the art in the industry.
Scientific laboratory and pilot-plant testing have provided the basis for a detailed description of the principles of fluidisation and drying in superheated water vapour. Advances in production data acquisition, in particular regarding the options for the real-time presentation and evaluation of high-resolution operating data (Industry 4.0), have opened up new potentials for optimisation of the drying process in fluidised-bed steam dryers. By analysing and interpreting sequences of events, or simultaneous events, it is now possible to analyse process behaviour in great depth. This allows malfunctions to be avoided by improved design or, assisted by suitable measuring and control systems, to be detected at an early stage. Failures can then be prevented altogether by initiating automated countermeasures.
On the basis of more recent insights gained from the analysis of faults and disruptions using modern operating data acquisition, BMA’s fluidised-bed steam dryer (WVT) has been subjected to fundamental technological and technical improvements, so it now meets today’s demands for efficiency and reliability.
Modifications include the product inlet, the distribution plate and several other parts, in addition to the known and patented PPS (Plug Protection System; EP 2457649 B1), and the patented rotary weir (EP 2146167 B1).
