3–5 T/H Beet Pulp Drying Equipment in Ukraine

The resulting installation combined a 20 m rotary drum, variable-speed feeding, a semi-mobile skid arrangement and alternative heating options. It gave the sugar processor a way to recover value from wet pulp without replacing equipment that was still working.

Project Overview and Equipment Scope

The project was a dryer replacement, not a complete sugar processing plant installation. The existing extraction and pressing sections continued to supply wet pulp, while the new drying system handled moisture removal before the material reached the bagging section.

Why the Replacement Dryer Needed a Different Design

The previous dryer had been installed on a substantial concrete foundation and was difficult to relocate. Reconstructing the same arrangement would have restored drying capacity but left the company with little flexibility if the site needed to change in the future.

The replacement system therefore used a semi-mobile layout. The drum, support rollers and drive assembly were mounted on a steel skid secured to the concrete pad with bolts. The cyclone and exhaust fan occupied a separate skid, while the control panel was installed in a portable enclosure.

• The main skid can be disconnected from its foundation and prepared for lifting.
• The exhaust equipment can be detached and transported separately.
• The control enclosure can be disconnected without dismantling the entire control system.
• The modular arrangement reduces the amount of fixed civil work required for a future relocation.

The customer did not intend to move the dryer during normal operation. The value of the design was the option to dismantle and transport the equipment if circumstances required it. Based on the project arrangement, the customer planned for the complete system to be disconnected, loaded and relocated using four trucks within approximately 10 days, subject to transport permits, lifting arrangements and site access.

Handling Beet Pulp with Variable Moisture Content

The feed material presented a second challenge. The processor received pulp from normal sugar beet batches as well as frozen-and-thawed beets and beets affected by rot. These materials did not behave identically during feeding and drying.

Before finalizing the configuration, samples from three beet batches were tested. The results showed that damaged-beet pulp could have a much wider moisture range than normal material and was more prone to clumping.

To accommodate this variation, the feed screw was designed with a larger inlet opening and a heavier-duty construction. Its variable-speed drive also provided a wider adjustment range, allowing operators to reduce the feed rate when wet pulp became more difficult to handle.

This matters because the dryer must remove water at a rate consistent with its available heat-transfer and evaporation capacity. Feeding more wet pulp than the dryer can process does not necessarily increase finished output. It can instead raise final moisture, destabilize operation or require the line to be slowed down.

Rotary Dryer Configuration and Operating Parameters

The selected Φ1.8 × 20 m single-pass rotary dryer was configured around the customer's need to process both normal and damaged beet pulp. Its operating settings could be adjusted to balance throughput, residence time and drying conditions.

The temperature values above describe the specified operating range, not a requirement to run every batch at the maximum setting. The appropriate temperature profile depends on feed moisture, throughput, the installed heat source and the desired product condition. The final operating procedure should also distinguish hot-gas inlet temperature from actual material temperature at discharge.

How Operators Adjust the Dryer for Difficult Material

During the first harvest season, the operations team found that feed adjustment was particularly important when processing pulp from damaged beets.

1. Check the incoming pulp for moisture variation, clumping and changes in texture.
2. Reduce the feed screw speed when the material is wetter or more difficult to distribute evenly.
3. Adjust drum speed according to the required residence time and observed drying performance.
4. Monitor the discharge moisture and temperature rather than relying on the inlet setting alone.
5. Make gradual adjustments to feeding and heat input until the product meets the target moisture without scorching.

In the customer's reported operating example, the feed screw was run at approximately 40% of its normal speed when processing difficult pulp, while the drum speed was reduced from 5 rpm to 3 rpm. This gave the material more time in the dryer without increasing the temperature setting.

These settings are specific to the tested material and operating conditions. They should not be treated as universal settings for all beet pulp dryers. Changes in drum speed, feed rate and heat input need to be coordinated because each affects the drying balance.

Matching Feed Rate to Water Evaporation Capacity

Incoming moisture is one of the main factors determining the actual capacity of beet pulp drying equipment. A dryer processing pulp at 84% moisture has a greater water-removal burden per tonne of wet feed than one processing material at 76% moisture.

The following simplified moisture balance illustrates the relationship between incoming material and the target of 12% final moisture.

These figures are calculated from the incoming and final moisture contents on a wet basis. They are theoretical water-removal requirements, not measured performance figures for the installed machine. Actual drying capacity also depends on heat transfer, exhaust conditions, feed distribution and operating stability.

For this project, the practical feed rate was therefore treated as variable rather than fixed. Normal pulp could be processed at a higher rate than particularly wet, sticky batches. The operating team used the feed screw adjustment to keep the material load within the dryer’s working range.

Three Heating Options for Greater Fuel Flexibility

Before the dryer was destroyed, the plant had relied on natural gas. For the replacement project, the customer wanted to retain gas firing while gaining the option to use diesel or locally available biomass if fuel prices or supply conditions changed.

The final configuration used two separate heating arrangements rather than expecting one burner to handle every fuel type.

Sunflower husks were selected because the customer could source them from an oilseed processing plant approximately 40 km away. The material was available at low cost, with trucking representing the principal procurement expense reported by the customer.

The biomass furnace used a vibrating grate and screw feeding system. This arrangement was separate from the gas-and-diesel burner because solid biomass requires different fuel handling and combustion equipment.

The customer initially regarded biomass as a backup option. During operation, however, sunflower husks proved sufficiently economical and reliable for the furnace to become the primary heat source. The customer reported that switching between gas firing and biomass operation took approximately 30 minutes under its operating arrangement.

Fuel flexibility does not remove the need to assess fuel quality. The first biomass commissioning required an adjustment because the delivered sunflower husks were finer than the material used in the initial test and tended to fall through the grate. A finer mesh screen was fabricated locally and installed above the grate, after which the furnace operated satisfactorily.

Manufacturing, Shipping and Installation Before Harvest

The plant needed its new dryer operating before the September harvest. Manufacturing, shipping, customs clearance and installation therefore had to fit within a limited window.

The 20 m drum was transported in two sections. The skids, support rollers, drive assembly, biomass furnace and control panel were shipped using suitable open-top containers and flat racks. The route passed through the Port of Gdańsk in Poland before the equipment continued by truck to the Vinnytsia region.

Customs clearance took longer than initially expected because additional documentation was required for equipment entering Ukraine through Poland. The shipment nevertheless reached the customer in early August, leaving time for installation and commissioning before the planned harvest start.

The installation team coordinated with local contractors to level and secure the skids. The mechanical installation was completed in the planned period, while commissioning of the biomass furnace required the additional grate adjustment described above.

Layout, Utilities and Operating Requirements

Replacing only the dryer reduced the amount of new infrastructure required, but the rotary drum and its auxiliary systems still needed adequate space and access for operation and maintenance.

The footprint and staffing figures are preliminary planning allowances, not measured as-built project data. The final civil layout should be based on the approved equipment drawings, fuel system arrangement, local safety requirements and access for transport vehicles.

Results After One Harvest Season

Following one full harvest season, the customer reported that the dryer had processed approximately 8,000 tonnes of wet pulp, including around 2,000 tonnes from damaged beets. The more difficult material required lower feeding rates, but the operations team reported achieving a final moisture content of approximately 12% for the damaged pulp.

The plant also reported that its fuel expenditure for the season was approximately 40% of the estimated cost of running the dryer on natural gas. This was the customer's reported comparison under its own fuel procurement and operating conditions, not a guaranteed saving for other installations.

The project delivered several practical benefits:

• Restored drying capacity without replacing the surviving sugar extraction and pressing equipment.
• Improved control over feeding when pulp moisture and texture varied between batches.
• Reduced dependence on a single heating fuel by adding a separate biomass furnace.
• Created a semi-mobile equipment arrangement that can be dismantled if relocation becomes necessary.
• Enabled the processor to resume producing dried pulp for its downstream bagging and sales operations.

Customer Feedback After the First Season

The dryer arrived later than we hoped but still in time for harvest. The installation team worked with our local contractors to secure the skids, and the biomass furnace required an additional adjustment because the sunflower husks we received were finer than the test material.

We processed approximately 8,000 tonnes of wet pulp during the season, including about 2,000 tonnes from damaged beets. The damaged pulp required slower feeding, but we consistently dried it to around 12% moisture.

Our fuel cost for the season was approximately 40% of what it would have been using natural gas. The ability to switch between fuel sources is valuable. We have already recommended this dryer to two other sugar processors in the region who are still operating without drying capacity.

We have not needed to use the mobility feature, and we hope we never need to. But knowing it is available gives us greater confidence in the investment.

Other Materials the Plant Plans to Process

Because the dryer can accommodate adjustments to feeding and drum operation, the customer has identified several potential applications beyond sugar beet pulp. These remain planned or prospective uses and would require testing before commercial production begins.

1. Wet corn gluten feed from a neighboring ethanol facility restarting production.
2. Wet distillers' grains from the same facility.
3. Carrot pulp and beetroot pulp from a vegetable processing operation in the Vinnytsia region.

Each material has its own moisture content, fiber characteristics and drying behavior. Before changing products, the processor should verify the required feed rate, target moisture, thermal conditions, material handling method and cleaning requirements. A successful beet pulp trial does not automatically establish the same throughput for every other wet byproduct.

Beet Pulp Drying Equipment in Ukraine for Targeted Plant Reconstruction

This project shows how a sugar processor can restore an essential production stage without rebuilding an entire factory. The customer retained its working extraction and pressing equipment, replaced the missing dryer, and added flexibility to address variable beet pulp moisture, fuel availability and potential relocation requirements.

The key engineering considerations were not limited to the drum dimensions or motor power. They also included the relationship between incoming moisture and evaporation capacity, the feeding behavior of damaged pulp, the separation of gaseous-fuel and biomass combustion systems, and the practical requirements of installation and transport.

For sugar processors evaluating beet pulp drying equipment in Ukraine, the appropriate configuration depends on wet pulp throughput, incoming moisture range, final product requirements, available fuel sources and the condition of existing upstream and downstream equipment.

RICHI Machinery supplies rotary drying systems and related material-handling equipment for agricultural and industrial byproducts. Share your wet pulp moisture range, target output, available fuels and existing equipment configuration to assess a drying solution that fits your actual operating conditions.