Concept for an Electronic System for Control of the Drying Process in a Spray Dryer

One of the key objectives in drying processes is to ensure the quality of the drying material. This study presents the development of a concept of an electronic system for controlling a spray dryer, that is based on the energy and mass balance of the process. Initially the criteria for controlling the drying material parameters are defined, aimed at preventing the denaturation of the drying material. Next the study presents the algorithm of the electronic system, summarizing the decision-making process. The key input and output data flows are summarized with a block diagram. The study also presents the structure of an electronic system for controlling the drying process in spray dryer. It consists of three microcontrollers that communicate wirelessly. They collect raw data using three types of sensors and control the process with the use of four types of actuators. The algorithmic background of the proposed electronic system allows to ensure the required quality of the drying material, using the energy and mass balance of the drying process.