Lower moisture content of the milk powder courses low profitability due to the reduction in bulk weight. Also lower the quality standards of the Milk Powder. Expected/Standard moisture content of the Highland milk powder is 3%. But the newly build milk plant produces milk powder, which has current moisture content under 2.5%. (trail experiments) The experiment is being conducted to find out the most suitable temperature ratio in spray drier inlet air temperature and the inlet air temperature of the fluid bed in MILCO-Highland Milk Factory.

1. Identification of Suitable Spray Dryer and Fluid
Bed Dryer Inlet Temperatures for Standard Milk
Powder in MILCO (Highland) Milk Factory
Ambewela
U.W.L.M.Kumarasiri
AS 1126
EU/IS/2011/AG/81
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
(Fourth year Second Semester Research – 2017)
Research title:

2. Introduction
 MILCO-Highland Spray Drying Milk Factory is located in Ambewela - Sri Lanka.
 This institution was established in 1956 as “The National Milk Board” under the
purview of the Ministry of Agriculture.
 From 2000 onward MILCO (Pvt) Ltd company taken by government and currently
it has 4 milk processing factories located in Colombo, Ambewela, Digana and
Polonnaruwa.
 Ambewela factory produces Instant full cream milk powder and butter from
collecting fresh milk by well managed milk collecting channels and farmer milk
collecting societies. (DAIRY PROCESSING AND LABORATORY TESTS : Jayawardana 2003)

3.  In 2013 under the fund provided by Denmark government, A project has
been started to upgrade the butter production plant and specially the
milk powder plant.
 Expected capacity of the Milk Powder Plant is up to 400 000 L.( fresh
milk)
(MILK POWDER TECHNOLOGY:-
Vagn Westergaard Denmark)
Milk Powder Processing

4. Spray Dryer
 Spray drier receives concentrated milk (50% TS) from homogenizer.
 Concentrated milk is injected from nozzles to the middle of the spray dryer and
with the help of heated air, milk is dried to produce small sizes of milk powder
with in the distance of 5cm from the nozzle. (MILK POWDER TECHNOLOGY:- Vagn
Westergaard ,Denmark)
 Factors such as flow rate, initial moisture content, drier condition and inlet
temperatures affect the final moisture content, Scotch particles and the bulk
density of the final product. (EFFECTS OF DRYING TECHNIQUES ON MILK POWDERS QUALITY
AND MICROSTRUCTURE: Mar.ijana CariC and Mlloslav Kalab)
 Hot air is provided to the top of the Spray Dryer and also into the fluid bed.

5. Spray dryer and Fluid Bed Dryer
 Hot air is provided to the top of the Spray Dryer and also to the fluid bed.
 Fluid bed provides the further reduction in moisture content of the milk
powder and the conveying media in the process from spray drier to package.
(MILK POWDER TECHNOLOGY:- Vagn Westergaard ,Denmark)

6. Problem statement
 Lower moisture content of the milk powder courses low profitability due to the
reduction in bulk weight. Also lower the quality standards of the Milk Powder.
 Expected/Standard moisture content of the Highland milk powder is 3%. But the
newly build milk plant produces milk powder, which has current moisture
content under 2.5%. (trail experiments)
 The experiment is being conducted to find out the most suitable temperature
ratio in spray drier inlet air temperature and the inlet air temperature of the
fluid bed in MILCO-Highland Milk Factory.

7. Objectives
 To find out the most suitable ratio of both spray drier inlet air temperature and
fluid bed inlet air temperature for achieving standard bulk density, scotch
particles and fat level.
 To find out the most suitable ratio of both spray drier inlet air temperature and
fluid bed inlet air temperature for achieving the moisture content closer to 3%.
 Standard moisture level :- 3.0% (maximum)
 Standard bulk density :- 0.56 Kg/m3
 Standard scotch particle's grade :- A
 Standard fat level :- 26.0 % (minimum)

8. Methodology
 Moisture meter
 Scotch particles meter
 Measuring cylinder
 Electric balance
 Centrifuge machine
 Gerber tubes
 Sulphuric acid (Specific gravity: 1.82)
 Amyl alcohol (Specific gravity: 0.82-0.83)
 SAS Software (Data analyse)
 Materials needed :

9. Methodology
 Milk flow rate, Milk Total Solids, and outlet air temperature of fluid bed will be
kept constant value.
 Possible temperature rangers will be selected on both inlet air temperature of
Spray Dryer and the inlet air temperature of the Fluid bed.
 Condition will be provided and milk powder samples will be taken from bottom
of the Spay drier and both inlet and outlet of the Fluid bed.
 Trial experiment

10. Methodology
SIT 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181
FIT 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80
SIT :- Spray dryer inlet temperature
FIT :- Fluid bed inlet temperature
 Each time approximately 50g samples will be taken.
 For each sample following parameters will be tested.
 Moisture
 Fat
 Scotch particles
 Bulk Density

11. Methodology
 Five Treatments will be selected by considering the bulk density, Scotch particles
and fat content values taken from the trail experiment.
 Selected treatments (temperature ratios) will be provided to the system and again
milk powder samples will be taken.
 For each sample following tests will be done.
 Moisture test
 Scotch particles test
 Bulk density test
 Fat test
 Best temperature ratio will be selected as the moisture content of the milk powder
reaches nearest to the 3.0%

12. Data collection
 For the trail experiment data will be collected for a whole month daily with
different combinations of temperatures.
 After selecting the suitable temperature ratios, again data will be collected
daily and laboratory tests will be done immediately after taking the samples.

13. Activity
June July August September October
4th
week
1st
week
2nd
week
3rd
week
4th
week
1st
week
2nd
week
3rd
week
4th
week
1st
week
2nd
week
3rd
week
4th
week
1st
week
2nd
week
Permission Approval
Trail experiment
Proposal presentation
Data analyse &
selection of trt
Data collection
Data analysis
Thesis writing &
submission
Time Frame

14. Reference
 Effects of Drying Techniques on Milk Powders Quality and Microstructure: Marijana Caric;
Miloslav Kalab
 The impact of process equip~~enton mi lk powder properties. rBn. rBJry Ind. Worldwide 5. 25-27.
 The influence of spray dryer operation variables on milk powder quality ; Wasan Al-Temimi
 Hansen , S. D. and Hansen , P. S., (1994) . Spray dried whole milk powder forthe manufacture .
Scandhavien dairy Internation
 Knipschildt , M. E., (1994) . Recent developments in spray drying of milk .APV Anhydro A/S . ,
Denmark .
 Parakash , O. ; Goyal , G. K. and Joginder , S., (1994) . Physico-Chemical Properties of Spray and
Role dried whole milk powder made from goatmilk . Indian J. Animal Sci. , 60 (3) : 369 – 372