CFD modeling of spray drying of fresh whey: Influence of inlet air temperature on drying, fluid dynamics, and performance indicators

Whey is a very perishable food and a potent source of protein. It might be more commercialized through the process of spray drying, which would enhance its shelf life. No CFD computational models applied to the drying of fresh sweet whey have been reported in the literature to investigate transport phenomena in spray dryers and to predict crucial design parameters such as deposition, powder recovery, and drying efficiency. Using an Eulerian-Langragean technique, the behavior of multiphase flow as well as heat and mass transfer were investigated. The influence of the inlet air temperature was evaluated in relation to the velocity profiles of the continuous and discrete phases, the residence time distribution, the particle diameter formed, the air temperature near the injection zone, the particle temperature, and the mass fraction of evaporated water. Furthermore, performance parameters such as powder recovery, particle deposition, and drying efficiency were projected for varied air inlet temperatures. The velocity, residence time, and particle size distribution patterns were similar for the different air inlet temperatures. Greater variations might be noticed in the injection zone, especially in the temperature and mass fraction profiles. The lowest drying temperature resulted in the lowest particle deposition and the best thermal efficiency, making it the optimal process condition. This investigation can serve as a benchmark for the design of optimized spray dryers with greater thermal efficiency and yield to produce powdered whey.