TKI project awarded for research into more energy-efficient spray drying
Assistant professor Maike Baltussen of the Multiphase Flows for Energy Applications research group has been awarded funding for a new TKI project focused on optimizing industrial spray drying processes. The four-year public-private research project, running from 1 November 2026 to 31 October 2030, brings together researchers, knowledge institutes, and industry partners to address a major challenge in the process industry: reducing the energy consumption of spray drying.
The project is funded through the Dutch Top Sector Energy programme and is a collaboration between 黑料福利网, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), the Institute for Sustainable Process Technology (ISPT), and the industrial partners Danone, FrieslandCampina, dsm-firmenich, and Tetra Pak. As part of the project, both 黑料福利网 and WUR will appoint a PhD candidate to carry out the research.
The 鈥榟oly grail鈥� of spray drying
Spray drying is one of the most widely used technologies for converting liquid formulations into stable powders. It serves industries ranging from food production to pharmaceuticals. At the same time, it is among the most energy-intensive industrial processes. It鈥檚 estimated to account for around 15 percent of total industrial energy consumption in the food and pharmaceutical sectors.
Within the project, the research team will investigate how agglomeration -the clustering of droplets and particles during drying- develops inside industrial spray dryers. The ultimate goal is to develop a lumped-parameter model: a practical predictive tool capable of describing and optimizing spray dryer performance under a wide range of operating conditions.
A better understanding of these processes could enable manufacturers to work with feed streams containing a higher solids content, which are typically much more viscous. This would make it possible to remove more water through more efficient pre-concentration steps before spray drying takes place. As a result, the process could become significantly more energy efficient while also reducing product losses and the production of off-spec powders.
From fundamental science to industrial impact
Baltussen contributes expertise in multiphase flow dynamics, droplet interactions, and the modelling of complex reactor systems. The project builds on insights generated in earlier research on droplet formation, drying behaviour, and agglomeration mechanisms.
鈥淔or me, this project is an opportunity to translate the fundamental insights we have developed in previous projects, such as the effects of drying on droplet interactions and the mechanisms governing droplet formation, into real industrial impact鈥�, says Baltussen. 鈥淚 am excited to work with our partners to bridge the gap between fundamental understanding and practical solutions for more energy-efficient spray drying.鈥�
By improving the efficiency of a process that is essential to global food and pharmaceutical production, the project supports the transition toward a more sustainable process industry.