GB477224A - Improvements in and relating to drying of whey - Google Patents

Abstract

477,224. Preserving whey ; dried whey preparations. TRIGGS, W. W. (Kraft-Phenix Cheese Corporation) Aug. 28, 1936, No. 23618. [Class 49] [Also in Group XIII] A continuous method of drying whey comprises mixing a substantial quantity of dry whey powder obtained from a previous opera. tion of the method with a quantity of whey which has been reduced by evaporation to a moist semi-solid mass and heating such mixture accompanied by agitation to obtain a dry non-hygroscopic whey powder containing hydrated crystalline alpha lactose, part of which is mixed with fresh moist whey for the continuation of the process, the remainder being withdrawn. In the arrangement shown, moist whey is fed from a hopper 12 to a mixing device 13 which also receives dry whey from a chamber 17. The material is fed by blades 16 to a conduit 18 leading to a shredder mill 19 adapted to form a fine mixture. An outlet 20 leads to a tunnel 21 through which warm air is blown by a fan 23, conveying the material to a cyclone concentrator 24. Here the material is separated from the air which is withdrawn through a pipe 26, the material discharging to a tunnel 28. Through this tunnel air heated by a heater 10 flows, conveying the material to a cyclone concentrator 22, the warm air being forced by fan 23 through the tunnel 21, while the material drops into a conduit 30 provided with a cold air intake 31. A fan 32 forces the material through conduit 33 to a concentrator 34 from which the air is drawn along conduit 35 while the dried whey falls to the bottom of the concentrator. Some of it is drawn off and bagged at 37 while the rest is returned through chamber 17 to the mixer 13. The conduit 20 may be connected to the pipe 28 instead of to the pipe 21.