Societe Des Produits Nestle S.a.

Nestec S.a.

Christian Schmied

Peter Erdmann

Martin Nydegger

Dale Richard Sanders

Michael Stranzinger

Gerhard Walthert

Peter Fankhauser

Peter Frankhauser

Nina Laubacher

The present invention relates to a method of continuously determining the shear viscosity (&#x3b7;) of a product paste to be delivered to a spray nozzle for spray-drying applications wherein the continuous determination of the shear viscosity (&#x3b7;) of the product paste is carried out in a bypass to the product paste stream to the spray nozzle.

Method of continuously measuring the shear viscosity of a product paste

The invention provides for an spray nozzle apparatus () for a spray drying apparatus comprising a nozzle provided with at least one nozzle orifice () for outputting spray droplets of a product to be dried and a least one inlet orifice () for transferring said product into a nozzle chamber (), including an apparatus for adjusting the size of outputted droplets inline during the spray drying process.

Spray nozzle apparatus for spray-drying applications

A method of controlling the spray droplet size of a spray nozzle apparatus, in particular for the manufacturing of food powders, delivered to the spray nozzle comprises the following steps: a) providing a paste of a product to be sprayed by a spray nozzle; b) continuously determining the shear viscosity (&#x3b7;) of the product paste delivered to the spray nozzle; c) determining the mass flow rate (Qrn) of the product paste delivered to the spray nozzle; d) determining the static pressure (P) of the product paste delivered to the spray nozzle; e) determining the density (p) of the product paste delivered to the spray nozzle; f) delivering the data obtained in steps b) to e) to a control device comprising a computer and a memory; g) calculating control data for adjusting the spray nozzle on the basis of the data obtained in steps b) to e) and on nozzle geometry parameters stored in the memory; h) sending the control data as control signals to a control means of the spray nozzle and adjusting the spray nozzle accordingly.

Method of controlling the spray droplet size of a spray nozzle apparatus for spray-drying applications, spray drying apparatus and nozzle therefore

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Auburn Hills, MI, United States of America

Christian Schmied