How It Works

SteamDryer Process Description

The product is initially introduced through the inlet rotary valve (1), which transfers it from the non-pressurized environment into the pressurized system operating with superheated steam at up to 3 barg. From there, it is conveyed via the inlet screw conveyor (2) into the pressure vessel (3).

The main fan (4), located at the bottom of the SteamDryer, generates the lift required to fluidize the product and to propel it across the perforated fluid bed sheets (5) toward the outlet screw conveyor (7). After a retention time of approximately 2–5 minutes, the product is fully dried and discharged via the outlet rotary valve (8), serving as the final pressure boundary to the non-pressurized system.

In the conical section of the pressure vessel, the reduced steam velocity allows lighter product particles suspended in the steam to fall onto the inclined plates (6), where they slide forward and continue toward the outlet rotary valve for discharge.

The moisture released from the product is carried as steam through the upper cylindrical section into the main cyclone (9), where fine dust particles entrained in the steam are effectively separated. The collected dust is directed back into the outlet conveyor via an ejector and discharge pipe (10).

Majority of the steam is recirculated within the system. It is drawn through the superheater (11), where it is reheated by a continuous supply of superheated steam supplied at higher pressure through the steam supply line (12) to the primary side of the heat exchanger.

An impure steam fraction exits the dryer at the top through pipe outlet (14) and is routed to the new 1A evaporator, where its thermal energy is efficiently recovered.
Non condensable gasses are extracted before the steam is transferred to the first stage evaporator where its energy is further utilized.

The supply steam condensates in the heat exchanger and exits through the condensate outlet (13). It is then directed to a flash tank, where a clean steam fraction is generated and subsequently sent to the first stage evaporator for further thermal utilization.

The overall capacities of the SteamDryer are presented in the “Dryer Capacities” section below.

Suitable Materials

Pressed Sugar
Beet Pulp

Agricultural by Product from Sugar Production

More than 90% energy savings with steam drying

Efficient moisture removal
under pressurised conditions

Steam dried beet pulp used as high-fibre animal feed

Distillers Grains

Agricultural by Product from Ethanol Production

More than 90% energy savings with steam drying

Efficient moisture removal
under pressurised conditions

Steam dried distillers grains used for high-protein animal feed

Wood Chips

Industrial
Bio-material

More than 90% energy savings with steam drying

Efficient moisture removal under pressurised conditions

Steam dried wood chips for increased power production

Other Materials

Final suitability depends on material properties, particle size, and process conditions.

EnerDry provides material testing and process validation upon request.

SteamDryer Capacities and Sizes

EnerDry offers five standard sizes which covers a capacity range of 5-71 t/h water evaporation. This is the water evaporated from the product itself.

The capacity curves are illustrated as a function of steam supply pressure.

SteamDryer Integration

The EnerDry SteamDryer can be installed to dry a wide range of products and operate with different energy concepts:

Beet Sugar Factory
Ethanol Factory
Wood Chips Fired Power Plant
Electrification with MVR

With more than 40 years of steam drying experience, EnerDry has completed more than 20 SteamDryer installations worldwide. The SteamDryer fits very well into, for example, a sugar plant, where the steam evaporated from the product is effectively utilized in the evaporation process.

Beet Sugar Factory

Sugar beet pulp is the most common application to date. The simplified diagram illustrates the typical integration of a SteamDryer into a sugar factory.

Superheated steam, typically supplied at pressures between 20 and 28 bara, is delivered to the SteamDryer. Most of the thermal energy supplied is recovered within the system, as the generated steam is directed to the new 1A evaporator. This steam originates from moisture evaporated directly from the product.

The clean steam produced in evaporator 1A is then utilized in the factory’s original first-stage evaporator, referred to here as 1B. Operating in parallel, the two evaporators ensure efficient separation of the generated condensates. The high-purity condensate originating from the SteamDryer can be reused as boiler feedwater, contributing to improved energy efficiency and reduced water consumption.

Ethanol Factory

Distillers grains (DG) is a by-product from the ethanol production. Dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) is wet DG that has been dried with the concentrated thin stillage to 10–12% moisture. The simplified diagram illustrates how a SteamDryer could be integrated into an ethanol production.

Superheated steam, typically supplied at pressures between 20 and 28 bara, is delivered to the SteamDryer. Most of the thermal energy supplied is recovered within the system, as the generated steam is directed back to the distillation tower. This steam originates from moisture evaporated directly from the product.

Wood Chip Fired Power Plant

Wood chips can be used for power production. The overall efficiency of such a power production can be improved by drying the wet wood chips. The simplified diagram illustrates how a SteamDryer could be integrated into power production by use of wood chips.

Superheated steam, typically supplied at pressures between 20 and 28 bara, is delivered to the SteamDryer. Most of the thermal energy supplied is recovered within the system, as the generated steam is directed to the evaporator. This steam originates from moisture evaporated directly from the product. The clean steam produced in the evaporator is then utilized to heat the feed water.

Mechanical Vapor Recompression

When supply steam is not available or when the produced steam cannot be utilized elsewhere in the plant, the EnerDry SteamDryer can be operated using a Mechanical Vapor Recompression (MVR) system.

In this configuration, the steam generated from the wet product is used as an energy source in a clean steam generator (evaporator). Low-pressure clean steam is produced and subsequently compressed to a higher pressure level before being reused as the heating medium for the SteamDryer.

This integrated drying concept enables highly efficient operation without direct steam supply and with virtually no emissions, except for condensate originating from the wet product.

Depending on process conditions and plant configuration, the system typically achieves a Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 5 to 7.

Follow a manual added link

Example Operator Interface (HMI)

The SteamDryer can be operated in near fully automatic mode, enabling operation by a single person.
This is done from a customized control screen for real-time monitoring and operation of the SteamDryer. Each system is individually configured according to plant layout, process integration, and customer requirements. The example shows a representative HMI display from a typical installation.

EnerDry A/S
Kongevejen 157
2830 Virum, Denmark

Phone: +45 45 26 04 40
Email: info@enerdry.dk


EnerDry A/S
Kongevejen 157
2830 Virum, Denmark

+45 45 26 04 40

info@enerdry.dk

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