Spray-drying is an essential step in the tile manufacturing process, using hot air to turn liquid into a dry powder that is then pressed into tiles. The spray dryer at Dal-Tile’s Dickson, Tennessee, plant is the first in the world to be powered by microturbine engines, which makes for greater energy efficiency as microturbines automatically adjust generated power to match a facility’s load.
The microturbines are part of a combined heat and power (CHP) system that uses a combination of natural gas and electricity. Dickson plant teams worked on planning and process testing of the CHP for more than 18 months, and implemented the system in late 2019. “I’m very proud of what the teams have accomplished,” says Kyle Bartz, Director of Energy for the Dickson plant. “Because of the success of this system, our new goal is to implement similar systems in any new facility construction in the future.”
