Practical example: Use of an orbital cleaner in a spray dryer
For cleaning a spray dryer, used for the production of baby food, the decision was made to use Breconcherry cleaning technology. The spray dryer has a height of 15 meters (49.2 ft) and a diameter of 10 meters (32.8 ft). Due to these dimensions and the heavy powder deposits at roof and side walls, a tank cleaner with high mechanical impact was required. Orbital cleaners work on the basis of two rotating axes, one horizontal and one vertical, as shown in the illustration.
A problem arising in this particular case was the size of the insertion opening at the top of the dryer. It has a diameter of only 200 mm (7.9”). Many orbital units need a larger insertion opening than this because of the length of their nozzles.
| Cleaner | Recommended working pressure | Flow rate | Insertion opening |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twister | max. 16 m | 2.7 – 5.8 m³/h | min. Ø 100 mm |
| Typhoon | max. 17 m | 5.6 – 10.5 m³/h | min. Ø 130 mm |
| Tempest | max. 19 m | 12 – 23.4 m³/h | min. Ø 210 mm |
| Tornado | max. 27 m | 14.6 – 22.7 m³/h | min. Ø 220 mm |
| Tornado 4 | max. 33 m | 14.2 – 47.4 m³/h | min. Ø 250 mm |
Another requirement was to reduce the time for cleaning and optimize time for production. The tank cleaner Tornado 4 fulfilled these requirements perfectly.
Tornado 4: Standard version (left) and version with short nozzles (right)
Due to the small insertion opening a Tornado 4 with short nozzles was constructed. In the cleaning process the tank cleaner is suspended on a hose 2 m under the top of the dryer and stays in this position during the whole cleaning process. This achieves efficient and excellent cleaning results.
Using the Tornado 4 saves 50 h per year for cleaning which can be used for production now.
