Nutritional Powder Spray Drying Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Milk-based powders produced by traditional wet-mix spray-drying processes face issues such as carbohydrate caking and fouling in the spray dryer, leading to reduced efficiency and homogeneity, while two-stage dry-mix processes result in less homogeneous products with slower dissolution.

Innovation Solution

A process where a liquid concentrate with reduced carbohydrate content is spray-dried, and the remaining carbohydrates are added as solid particles into the spray dryer, reducing fouling and enhancing product homogeneity and solubility.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If all ingredients including carbohydrates are mixed in liquid concentrate before spray-drying (wet-mix process), then the powder is homogeneous and dissolves rapidly, but carbohydrates cake in the spray-drier causing fouling and reduced productivity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehomogeneity of powderVSAvoidproduction efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The carbohydrate content is segmented into two parts: a reduced amount included in the liquid concentrate for spray-drying to maintain powder structure and dissolution properties, and the remainder added as solid particles after drying. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by preventing caking fouling while preserving homogeneity and solubility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Stability of the object's composition

If all ingredients including carbohydrates are mixed in liquid concentrate before spray-drying (wet-mix process), then the powder is homogeneous, but cleaning downtime increases due to caked carbohydrates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehomogeneity of powderVSAvoidcleaning downtime

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The excess carbohydrates that cause fouling are extracted from the liquid concentrate and added separately as solid particles after spray-drying. This taking out approach eliminates the caking problem that leads to cleaning downtime while the final product maintains homogeneity through controlled incorporation of the extracted carbohydrates.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Quantity of substance

If carbohydrates such as starch are added to liquid concentrate, then the final product contains required carbohydrate content, but the liquid concentrate becomes very viscous and cannot be easily sprayed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecarbohydrate contentVSAvoidsprayability of liquid concentrate

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

Different forms of carbohydrates are used in different stages: a reduced amount of carbohydrate is included in the liquid concentrate with properties suitable for spraying, while the remainder is added as solid particles in a separate stage. This local quality approach ensures the liquid concentrate remains sprayable while the final product achieves the required carbohydrate content.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Quantity of substance

If heat sensitive ingredients are added to liquid concentrate, then they are included in the final product, but they degrade during spray-drying requiring overdose

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat sensitive ingredient contentVSAvoiddegradation of heat sensitive ingredients

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Heat sensitive ingredients are added after the spray-drying process is complete, rather than being included in the liquid concentrate before drying. This preliminary action timing prevents exposure to high temperatures that cause degradation, eliminating the need for overdose while ensuring adequate final content.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach results in powders with improved structure, reduced fouling, increased production efficiency, and lower downtime, maintaining the benefits of wet-mix processes like rapid dissolution and homogeneity while minimizing the drawbacks of dry-mix processes.

Implementation Method 1

spraying the liquid concentrate into a spray-drier and incorporating the remainder of the carbohydrate content into the nutritional product

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 2

incorporating the remainder of the carbohydrate content into the nutritional product by blowing solid carbohydrate particles into the spray dryer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDry mixing:

Data Source

PatentUS7754264B2Process for preparing nutritional products

Publication Date: 2010.07.13 SOCIETE DES PRODUITS NESTLE SA

AI summary

A process for preparing a dehydrated carbohydrate-containing nutritional product comprises preparing a liquid concentrate with a reduced carbohydrate content, spraying the liquid concentrate into a spray-drier and incorporating the remainder of the carbohydrate content into the nutritional product by blowing solid carbohydrate particles into the spray dryer and removing the carbohydrate-containing nutritional product from the spray-drier. The process substantially reduces the problem of fouling of the spray dryer.