CFD Analysis and Airflow Optimization for Industrial Dehydrator System

Client: Commercial Dehydrators America

Project Overview

Commercial Dehydrators America approached us to investigate a critical airflow issue within their industrial dehydrator system. The dehydrator, consisting of 50 stacked drying trays, was experiencing non-uniform airflow at a design speed of 1 meter per second. Despite a seemingly adequate system layout, the airflow was disturbed, non-laminar, and inconsistent, leading to uneven drying performance, where some trays would complete the cycle while others remained partially moist.

Their key requirement was clear: achieve smooth, laminar airflow across all trays at 1 m/s to ensure uniform drying of products, regardless of tray position.

The Challenge

Achieving uniform airflow in industrial dehydrators is often more difficult than it appears. At low velocities like 1 m/s, airflow is particularly prone to separation, stagnation zones, or recirculation pockets, especially when internal geometry (such as tray spacing and duct routing) isn't optimized for directional control.

In this case, the design suffered from:

Poor velocity distribution between upper and lower trays
Disturbed streamlines causing eddy formation near corners and internal walls
Suboptimal fan placement and outlet orientation
Pressure imbalances that led to inconsistent flow rates across tray levels

These issues reduced the system's energy efficiency and, more importantly, led to non-uniform drying cycles, affecting product quality and production scheduling.

Our Solution

We initiated a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulation campaign to diagnose and correct the airflow issues. Using the provided CAD model of the drying chamber, a detailed mesh was generated focusing on airflow channels, tray spacings, and fan inlets/outlets.

Step 1: Baseline Simulation

Initial simulations confirmed that:

At 1 m/s target velocity, the flow was far from laminar.
Velocity contours showed hotspots and stagnation zones between specific tray regions.
X-velocity contours revealed non-uniform distribution along the axial direction.

This validated the client's concerns and gave us a roadmap for intervention.

Step 2: Design Optimization

Multiple design iterations were simulated to identify improvements:

Fan placements were re-evaluated and relocated for optimal inlet symmetry and circulation.
Internal ducting and flow guides were introduced to minimize pressure drop and direct airflow uniformly.
Flow straighteners were considered to reduce turbulence intensity near tray entries.
Outlet angles were adjusted to maintain axial momentum and prevent corner vortices.

These changes were all simulated in virtual prototypes using ANSYS Fluent, and contour maps for velocity, x-velocity, and pressure were carefully analyzed.

Step 3: Optimized Simulation

The final design showed dramatic improvement:

Laminar flow was established across all 50 trays at 1 m/s.
Velocity streamlines were clean, directional, and free from significant recirculation.
Pressure contours demonstrated balanced flow paths, ensuring every tray received consistent velocity and air mass.

The high-resolution velocity plots, particularly those at Max Ranged @ 1 m/s, clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of the revised layout.

Results & Benefits

The optimized design yielded measurable, simulation-backed results:

Uniform velocity field across all trays (within ±5% deviation)
Clear laminar flow streamlines ensuring minimal turbulence and energy loss
Balanced pressure distribution from inlet to outlet
Fully compliant with the 1 m/s target drying velocity

As a result, the system now ensures:

Consistent product drying times
Elimination of uneven moisture zones
Improved thermal efficiency
Enhanced energy savings due to streamlined flow

After review and approval of the CFD results, Commercial Dehydrators America adopted the final design for manufacturing. The improvements are expected to significantly enhance the performance and consistency of their industrial drying systems going forward.

Conclusion

This project showcased how advanced CFD analysis can dramatically improve real-world manufacturing performance by solving invisible problems—such as internal flow imbalance.

Through simulation and intelligent design iterations, we were able to transform a disturbed airflow system into a fully optimized laminar solution, ensuring each of the 50 trays received consistent airflow at the target velocity.

For Commercial Dehydrators America, the result was a smarter, more efficient system—backed by data, validated in simulation, and already deployed in production.

Testimonials

What Our Clients Says

I worked with Muhammad on a classic acoustic topic, trying to develop one project related to my bussiness. He rewied my work, that we shared, improved it, fixed bugs and errors and clearly explained his work. I apreciated the clarity of the workflow proposed and its implementation. He was available and present in spite of our time offset. Also, it was my first time

Serrena Allen

Founder & Co-Founder of Airvitalize

It was an absolute pleasure to work with Muhammad! He had excellent communication throughout the process, ensuring everything was clear and addressing any questions quickly. His understanding and flexibility made working together very easy. The work was delivered earlier than expected and of high quality. Would definitely recommend.

Elliot Tucker

Managing Member at Megachip Solutions LLC

Solvo Engineers did an excellent job on our CFD project for airflow optimization in a dust catcher device. They carefully analyzed the design, improved efficiency by addressing critical flow issues, and clearly explained every step of their process. Their expertise and responsiveness made collaboration very smooth and effective.