CASE STUDY · INDUSTRIAL SPRAY DRYING
Heat pump energy.
Integrated into the process.
Working with leading OEMs and spray drying plant manufacturers, Anytherm has successfully delivered pioneering pilot and integration projects involving high-temperature heat pumps – in operating production plants.
As a process air technology partner, we develop and supply the heat exchangers and process air equipment required for these applications.
PROJECTS AT A GLANCE
APPLICATION
Industrial spray drying
ANYTHERM SCOPE
Heat exchangers and process air equipment
The integration challenge
High-temperature heat pumps open up new possibilities for energy-efficient drying processes, including CO₂-neutral heat provision when powered by an appropriately CO₂-neutral energy supply. What matters is how the heat they provide is integrated into the existing plant and transferred to the process air.
Industrial spray drying requires large volumes of process air at high temperatures. High-temperature heat pumps offer the potential to substantially reduce fossil fuel consumption and increasingly electrify drying processes.
Retrofitting existing plants presents demanding engineering challenges: the heat must be transferred to the process air reliably and efficiently, with the lowest practicable pressure loss.
From the heat source to the process air
Our collaboration covers thermal design and the integration of process air equipment into the overall plant concept. These projects involved the development and supply of specially designed water-to-air heat exchangers and process air systems, ranging from compact high-temperature heat exchanger modules to large, multistage air preheating units.
Elevated temperatures and relatively small temperature differences between the heating medium and process air place particular demands on the design. Four factors need to work together:
- Heat transfer: sufficiently large heat transfer surfaces matched to the operating conditions.
- Pressure loss: air-side design that takes fan energy consumption into account.
- Integration: adaptation to the available space and the plant interfaces.
- Operating flexibility: coordination with different operating conditions and the requirements of the drying process.
Joint engineering with OEM partners
Anytherm worked closely with the OEM teams from the concept and engineering stages. This included co-developing hot-water piping routes suited to the operating pressures and temperatures, and hydraulic circuit arrangements at the interface between the heat source, heat exchangers and process air equipment. Heat transfer and installation requirements could therefore inform the plant concept early in its development.
The technical collaboration also addressed the recovery of flash-steam and condensate heat. Options evaluated during concept development included heat exchangers transferring this energy to a separate water stream. Start-up and standby operation, together with pressure and temperature control, were also considered. Anytherm thus connects the development of the integration concept with the detailed design and supply of the process air equipment.
IN INDUSTRIAL PRACTICE
Two configurations. One integration goal.
Process air equipment supplied by Anytherm for completed heat pump spray drying projects. The CAD equipment models illustrate different configurations for transferring heat to process air.
01 · SCANDINAVIA
Compact design, demanding heat transfer
Supplied for a pioneering high-temperature heat pump pilot project: a compact Anytherm water-to-air heat exchanger module for an operating spray drying plant.
The compact configuration combines the required heat transfer area with the installation and interface requirements of the OEM plant concept.
02 · CENTRAL EUROPE
Multistage process air preheating
Supplied for an innovative heat pump spray drying project: a large, multistage Anytherm water-to-air preheating unit.
Several heat exchanger stages transfer heating-water energy to large process air flows. Thermal design considers both heat transfer and air-side pressure loss.
FROM ENGINEERING TO REAL EQUIPMENT
From design to dispatch
The compact heat exchanger module for the Scandinavian pilot project — at the workshop and during dispatch.
Process air equipment delivered
From the thermal concept and equipment design to the module ready for dispatch, Anytherm develops and supplies the process air equipment for integration into the overall plant concept.
WHY ANYTHERM
Why Anytherm for these integration projects?
Integrating a high-temperature heat pump requires the energy concept, heat transfer and equipment integration to work together. Anytherm brings three capabilities to this interface:
Thermal engineering and equipment supply
We bring heat transfer, hydraulic circuit arrangements and installation requirements together during joint OEM engineering. The findings feed directly into the design and supply of our heat exchangers and process air equipment.
Process air technology and energy consulting
Our in-house energy consulting team assesses heat sources, temperature levels and process demand together. These insights can feed directly into the design of the process air equipment.
Experience from delivered OEM projects
Collaboration with leading spray drying plant manufacturers and implementation in operating production plants provide a practical foundation for further integration projects.
This gives OEMs and plant operators a partner who supports the interface between the heat pump and the drying process, from energy assessment to the process air equipment supplied.
Your next step towards heat pump integration
Planning to integrate a high-temperature heat pump or improve the energy efficiency of your drying plant? Talk to our engineers about your plant concept.
Heat Exchange | Heat Recovery | Energy Efficiency
Because Any Therm Matters!