Summary

Slurry of starch is dried in a thin layer upon a rotating drum. The dried starch receives specific properties, such as cold solubility in water. The rotating drum is a hollow cylinder, heated by steam from the inside. The water evaporates out off the slurry and is removed together with the ventilated air.
By reducing the airflow for ventilation, energy is conserved and heat is recovered for preheating the fresh ventilation air. By this, the drum dryers of Cerestar may contribute to the conservation of energy with 376.000 Nm³ pro year. On top of that, the project offers the possibility to improve the efficiency of the air conditioning unit. By doing so another 245.000 kWh pro year on electricity could be conserved, as well as € 11.500 on maintenance of the air filters. The total advantage adds up to
€ 67.500 pro year. The investment has been estimated at € 102.000 and the payback period at 1.5 year.
The study project has been executed in 1999 and 2000 for an amount of € 37.000. Half of this amount has been subsidized. Cerestar is planning the constructive execution.