allowing the cage to come more easily and
more quickly into position. And its rigidity
makes it more structurally sound. GEA has
also made the fixing system for each cage obsolete,
thereby eliminating the need for loose
bolts, nuts and brackets which were difficult
and time consuming for engineers to handle
during routine maintenance. The shorter filtration
bags are exposed to less turbulence making
them less prone to mechanical wear and
thereby extending their operational life by up
to 50 percent.
More resilient dedusting
system to better maintain
pressure loss
GEA has also looked closely at the design of its
dedusting system, essentially comprising super
sonic nozzles and rapid diaphragm valves.
The system ensures the powder that builds up
on the bags is pulsed down into the bottom
of the filter. Using CFD techniques combined
with full-scale testing, has allowed GEA to
make precise adjustments to the profile of the
super-sonic nozzles and their position, and to
the design of the diaphragm valve. This, combined
with the shorter bags and the novel inlet
system (see below), ensures that the powder
on the bags is carefully controlled and never
exceeds the desired level. As a result, the need
for frequent cleaning, which would otherwise
seriously affect production schedules, is drastically
reduced and the pressure loss through
the bags can be maintained indefinitely. Improved
dedusting capability was already made
available in more recent SANICIP models and
with these additional updates, is now fitted as
standard on the SANICIP II.
Adaptive layout featuring
novel inlet solution
GEA made another important change by
redesigning the inlet from the spray dryer,
which is now vertical instead of horizontal.
This facilitates a much more even distribution
of air within the filter, reduces the footprint
required and allows for a more adaptive plant
layout. Moreover, this adaptive layout may
in some instances allow for lower building
heights, thereby lowering capital investment,
which can be substantial, particularly in areas
with high civil costs, such as in earthquakeprone
zones.
Operational benefits
Stig Møller Andersen, Product Manager for
GEA in Copenhagen states: “We listened
carefully to our customers’ concerns and
systematically addressed them in the new
SANICIP II. The result is a bag filtration system
that effectively supports the spray dryer
while providing a wide range of operational
benefits for the user.”
Taken together, the optimization of the
SANICIP II, compared with previous models,
delivers a range of benefits for food and dairy
powder processors. The most significant is the
ability to control pressure loss across the filter
bags thereby extending production times
and reducing the need for CIP cycles. The inlet
Technology/IT ¦ IDM
ductwork is simple and compact allowing the
filter to be placed closer to the dryer, and the
shorter filtration bags experience less turbulence
so are less prone to mechanical wear.
These modifications extend the operational
life of the bag from 12 to 18 months or 12
CIP cycles – whichever comes first – providing
a substantial savings on maintenance costs
and improved uptime. The reduced number
of CIP cycles, and lower costs for spare parts
leads to an optimized total cost of ownership
(TCO). gea.com
/www.trepko.com
/gea.com
