Authors:
A. V. MANKOV, postgraduate student,
L. A. MINUKHIN, doctor of technical sciences, professor,
Ural State Agrarian University (42 K. Libknehta str., 620075, Ekaterinburg).
Abstract. Various methods for concentrating technological food solutions based on the use of single-hull and multi-hull evaporators, as well as membrane technology, are considered. It is shown that for concentration conditions thermolabile solutions (berry and fruit juices and extracts) the most promising is the use of vacuum single-hull evaporators with a heat pump and with the complete regeneration of the heat of the concentrated solution (product) and the condensate of the evaporated solvent (water). A schematic diagram of such an installation and a method for the complete regeneration of thermal energy for this method are proposed. The results of numerical studies on the determination and comparative estimation of the specific energy consumption for concentration are presented. At the same time, the specific energy consumption for the concentration of solutions was determined as the ratio of the power (thermal or electrical) expended for evaporation to the mass flow of evaporated water. As a result of numerical analysis, it is shown that the proposed method of concentration and the known membrane concentration technology are the most economical methods of carrying out the process. It is also shown that the traditional method of multi-body evaporation can have comparable energy efficiency only with a large number of installation housings, which is technologically incompatible with the problems of concentrating thermolabile technological food solutions. The obtained results are the basis for the development of a pilot plant for concentrating thermolabile and other process solutions in a single-hull evaporator with a heat pump.
Keywords: evaporator, heat pump, secondary stream, heating stream, technological solution, concentration, vacuum pump, multi-body plants, membrane devices.
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