December 14, 2012
Muyang introduces improved dryer for aquafeed extrusion
Press release
Muyang, an integrated solution provider of plants, equipment and services for feed manufacturing, has introduced the SKGD2000B Dryer, an improved version of the previous SKGD2000 Dryer-a popular design of four-pass horizontal belt dryer for aquafeed drying.
Drying is one of the critical steps in the production of extruded aquafeed. Once the product leaves the extrusion system, a precise, continuous and effective drying process is required to remove the excess water and return the product back to a shelf-stable moisture condition.
Typically, large space requirement and massive thermal energy input in production are common issues associated with dryers, which translate to high feed price as the high investment and operation cost are passed on to feed consumers. With the more energy-efficient and smaller SKGD2000B dryer, flexibility meets efficiency with the latest isolation material and optimised air circulating channel.
In the drying process, the wet extrusion is continuously placed horizontally on a moving conveyor belt with process air moving either up or down through the product bed. The four-pass design allows four beds of products to be laid over one another, resulting in more products being dried per square foot of belt area and overall reduction in space requirement of the dryer. The capital investment of such a dryer is less than that of a single-pass dryer. In addition, modular design of the dryer boasts easy assembly and the possibility of further enlargement.
Smaller size
Due to the optimised air circulating channel and the new material applied used for access doors, heat utilisation and drying efficiency of the new dryer are improved greatly, which makes it possible to redesign the dryer to a more compact structure.
Overall height of the new dryer is reduced to 4,404 mm from 5,461 mm and the effective height of the drying chamber is reduced by 1,093 mm, saving 1,065 mm vertical space on the installation floor and a saving of 1,093 mm for dryer wall fabrication. Aquafeed manufacturers could thus benefit from the low capital investment in machine purchase and installation.
Energy saver
Aquaculture plays an important role in bridging the gap between sustainable fisheries and increasing global seafood demand and the demand for aquatic feed has risen correspondingly by an average of 8% in the past 10 years.
Machines that can improve energy utilisation, reduce footprint and lower feed cost will be the first choice for aqua feed extrusion companies in order to keep its leading position in the industry. The SKGD2000B Dryer boasts energy saving features, such as proper recirculation of air, complete insulation and minimum air losses.
A feature of the new drying system is the improved energy efficiency afforded by recovering heat. By mixing warm exhaust air with fresh air and heating this mixture, less energy is wasted on heating cold, fresh air. In addition, the opening of fresh air inlet and that of exhaust air outlet are adjustable according to actual production requirements, thus minimising air losses. Further, only a small quantity of wet air is exhausted out of the dryer, which also help to eliminate the release of carbon dioxide.
With large access door, new pierced frame and seal made of new material, the innovative design not only allows easy access for cleaning and maintenance, but also saves machine fabrication materials, reduces machine weight, lowers heat exchange area, and forms a complete insulation circumference for aquafeed drying.
Compared to the conventional dryer that requires about 250-300 kg of steam heat for drying per tonne of feed, the SKGD2000B Dryer uses less only 180-250 kg, which means at least 576,000 tonnes of steam is saved for the operation of a 10,000 tonnes/year aquafeed mill annually, representing substantial cost savings.
Precise quality control
The control of drying process is vital for maintaining high uniformity and guaranteeing product quality. Different product temperature and moisture content can lead to different product quality and increased energy
consumption.
The SKGD2000B Dryer system provides precise temperature and drying retention time control. By measuring the product temperature in the dryer with two sensitive temperature transducers installed separately at feeding section and discharge section, the product temperature variation could be controlled within ？±1.5. With this control system, the drying retention time is adjustable from 15 minutes to 50 minutes, which makes it more adaptable for different products. The moisture content non-uniformity of dried aqua feed usually is controlled within ？±1%. After drying, the product''s moisture content is usually 9-12%.
Profitable advantages
The SKGD2000B Dryer leads to more homogenous dried product, sustainable economic operation and reduced environment costs for consumers due to smaller size and lower capital investment; reduced energy consumption due to the reduced steam consumption and minimised air losses; precise temperature and moisture control which lower losses of the product value due to over or under-drying; and higher process safety due to automatic protection devices for no-speed warning and fan failure interlocking
Muyang is an integrated solution provider of plants, equipment and services in the fields of feed manufacturing, grain milling, grain handling and storage, environment protection, food processing, steel structure building as well as industrial automation.