Pulse Combustion Spray Drying of Egg White: Energy Efficiency and Product Quality

A new technique for spray drying of egg white was developed and termed as pulse combustion spray drying (PCSD) which uses high-temperature pulsating jets generated by the pulse combustor to atomize and dry the liquid feed simultaneously. The pilot-scale PCSD testing of egg white was conducted and the drying energy efficiency was evaluated. Selected product properties of the PCSD egg white powders were measured. It was found that compared with traditional spray drying, the PCSD process achieved a higher energy efficiency of 2,604 kJ/kg water evaporated and the PCSD powders had a superior surface characteristics, smaller mean particle diameter, and more homogeneous size distribution. Additionally, the egg white proteins and their foaming and gelling properties were protected well in the PCSD process. Experimental results showed that the PCSD technique is promising for drying of egg white and even other heat-sensitive food feeds.