Tubular Heat Exchangers for the Food Industry in Latin America
SACOME continues to strengthen its business relationships with an important distributor of equipment for the Food Industry in Latin America, with a recent order for 5 tubular heat exchangers of our Sanitary Line, our S-TFM-I model. The heat exchangers are destined to the expansion of one of the largest factories producing dairy products in Central America. These tubular heat exchangers are installed in the cleaning system of the plant, its function being the heating of CIP solution (Clean in Place).
The Sinner’s Circle
In order to carry out a complete cleaning of the system, four factors must be taken into account that combine with each other, the so-called Sinner’s Circle:
- Mechanical action. That is, the velocity of the cleaning fluid through the heat exchanger.
- Chemical action. Choice of the appropriate CIP solution.
- Temperature. It’s key to ensure an effective cleaning.
- Time. Duration and frequency of the cleaning process.
The Technical Department of SACOME was in close cooperation with the user’s engineering team to optimize the cleaning cycle of the plant. Our technicians were at the customer’s service with their wide experience in the design and operation of these cleaning systems, since we have numerous successful references in which, in addition to supplying the dairy product pasteurization system, SACOME has designed and installed the cleaning system, as well as the automation, regulation and control package for the entire plant.
Alkaline CIP Solution
For this project, our client opted for an alkaline CIP solution, which acts by dissolving the proteins and has a bactericidal function. The used agent was soda (NaOH) at 0.5% concentration.
The general process is as following:
- Initial rinsing. A controlled amount of water, coming from the final rinse, is used to push the product, keeping it at a certain temperature.
- First dosage of CIP. The preparation of the detergent (CIP solution) is carried out automatically with the filling, dosed at the parameterized concentration and heated to the set temperature.
- First recirculation of CIP. The CIP solution is recirculated maintaining its temperature. It’s during this phase when effective cleaning takes place.
- Intermediate rinse. According to the customer’s specifications, drinking water is used for this process.
- Emptying. The CIP solution is returned to the deposit.
- Dosage and recirculation of sanitizer. The client included this phase in which the selected sanitizer has the function of reducing the number of bacteria and pathogens.
- Final rinse. This is the most critical process; the equipment must be perfectly rinsed and the process variable must be managed for the report.
The importance of rheology in the design of food plants
The importance of rheology in the design of any processing plant is crucial since the sizing of many of the elements composing it is very dependent on this “resistance”, also taking special relevance with food products: heat exchangers, pipes, valves, pumps, mixers, etc.
How to design a heat exchanger
To design a heat exchanger it is necessary to have certain data, such as the process flow rate, the temperature and the physical properties of products.
Hairpin heat exchangers
Hairpin heat exchangers have a more efficient and economical design compared to a multiple pass heat exchanger when the process requires a temperature crossing between the cold and hot fluid.