6-9T/H Sugar Beet Pulp Rotary Dryer in Brazil

The single-pass sugar beet pulp rotary dryer they were about to buy would work fine for beet pulp. But for corn germ, which is oilier and more heat-sensitive, it would be a disaster.

The longer retention time in a single-pass drum would scorch the germ, damaging oil quality.

When they came to us, they had one requirement: the dryer must handle both wet beet pulp (78% moisture) and wet corn germ (45% moisture from the ethanol plant next door) without significant modifications.

This required a three-pass design with a much shorter retention time for oil-bearing materials.

The sugar beet pulp rotary dryer in Brazil we designed for them has a variable-speed drive that allows the drum to spin faster for corn germ (reducing retention time) and slower for beet pulp (increasing drying).

It also has a lower maximum inlet temperature - capped at 380°C instead of the usual 500°C - to protect the corn germ's oil content.

The Specific Numbers That Drove Their Decision

Here is what the customer's spreadsheet looked like before they called us.

The math was simple. 

The challenge was the drying profile. Beet pulp needs gentle heat over a longer period.

Corn germ needs higher heat but much less time. If you treat corn germ like beet pulp, you burn it.

If you treat beet pulp like corn germ, you do not remove enough moisture.

The solution was a three-pass dryer with independently adjustable drum speed and a modulated burner that can change temperature on the fly.

Why the Previous Supplier Could Not Meet Their Need

The supplier they almost bought from offered a standard φ1.8*18 single-pass dryer.

That machine has a fixed retention time of about 25 minutes regardless of what material you put in it.

For beet pulp, 25 minutes at 420°C is perfect. For corn germ, 25 minutes at 420°C would turn the oil rancid and scorch the protein.

The supplier's solution was to run the corn germ at a lower temperature - but at lower temperature, the retention time would need to increase to achieve 8% moisture, which defeats the purpose.

The supplier could not offer variable speed because their drum was driven by a fixed-ratio gearbox.

Our machine uses a variable-frequency drive on a 37 kW motor.

Drum speed can be adjusted from 3 to 11 rpm while the dryer is running.

For beet pulp, they run at 4.5 rpm. For corn germ, they run at 9 rpm.

The burner controller has two preset temperature profiles that operators can select with a single switch.

The Equipment They Actually Bought

After three rounds of technical discussions and a site visit to another Brazilian customer running a similar setup in Goiás, they selected this configuration:

How They Prepare Each Material Differently

The customer built a small receiving area with two separate surge bins.

Wet beet pulp from their presses goes into Bin A. Wet corn germ from the ethanol plant goes into Bin B.

A reversible conveyor feeds either bin to the dryer.

When switching materials, the operator stops the dryer for about 20 minutes to let the drum cool slightly, then changes the speed setting and temperature profile.

The corn germ requires one additional step.

Before drying, it passes through a screw press to remove free water.

The ethanol plant delivers it at about 65% moisture. The press gets it down to 45% before it enters the dryer.

This mechanical dewatering step saves significant fuel.

The beet pulp requires no pre-treatment.

It goes directly from the sugar press to the dryer.

The Fuel Situation in Paraná

This customer has access to an unusual fuel source.

The region around their facility has dozens of sawmills processing Paraná pine.

These sawmills generate massive quantities of sawdust and wood shavings, which they currently pay to dispose of.

The customer built a partnership with three sawmills to take their wood waste for free.

The only cost is trucking, which is about R$ 180 per load.

The wood waste is inconsistent. Some loads are dry sawdust.

Others are wet shavings.

The burner system we designed has a humidity sensor on the fuel feed that adjusts the airflow automatically.

If the fuel is wet, the burner increases primary air to maintain temperature.

This feature was developed specifically for this project.

Customer Feedback: The Corn Germ Opportunity

Six months after commissioning, the customer's operations director sent us an email. Here is a direct quote:

"We have run two full beet seasons and one corn germ season with this dryer.

The switchover between materials takes about 30 minutes now that we have practiced.

The corn germ drying exceeded our expectations.

Our first batch tested at 7.8% moisture and the oil quality was excellent.

We sold the dried germ to a feed mill in Santa Catarina for R1,280perton,whichwasR1,280perton,whichwasR 80 above our estimate.

The only issue we had was dust from the corn germ.

We added a second cyclone, and now it is fine.

The sawdust fuel system works well.

We have not bought natural gas since we started using wood waste.

Our fuel cost is essentially zero except for trucking.

We are now looking at a second dryer for soybean hulls."

What Else This Dryer Can Do in Brazil

The customer has already identified three additional products for this machine.

1. First, soybean hulls from a nearby crushing plant - these dry even faster than corn germ and could be run between beet seasons.
2. Second, wet brewers' grains from a large brewery in Curitiba.
3. Third, citrus pulp from the juice industry in São Paulo state.

The same sugar beet pulp rotary dryer in Brazil can handle all of these because of the variable speed and temperature control.

The customer is now planning to build a dedicated receiving area for each off-season material.

Shipping to Brazil

The sugar beet pulp rotary dryer was shipped from Qingdao port to Santos Port, Brazil's busiest container port and the primary gateway for industrial equipment entering the country's southern industrial region.

The equipment cleared customs in Santos and traveled by truck to Paraná.