CFD investigation of suspension-based pigs in chocolate processing plants

Research output: Contribution to book/Conference proceedings/Anthology/ReportConference contributionContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

In chocolate processing facilities, water-based cleaning fluids are unsuitable due to the risk of salmonella and other microorganisms. Common plastic cleaning pigs pose contamination risks and have specific design requirements. Research is now focusing on using highly concentrated sugar-in-oil suspensions as flexible cleaning pigs. The rheology of these suspensions is complex, allowing for various compositions. This study presents a simulative pre-design of these pigs using the volume-of-fluid method, targeting challenging components like L-bow pipes and continuous expansions. Simulations systematically varied the rheological properties of the pig-suspension. Strong shear-thinning behavior emerged as crucial for creating cohesive pigs with effective cleaning capabilities. No correlation with yield stress was found when the pig was flowable. The tested parameter combinations did not achieve satisfactory contour adaptivity for pigs during continuous expansion. However, the right rheological composition significantly enhanced cleaning results in both scenarios examined.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationFouling and Cleaning in Food Processing 2025
Place of PublicationDresden
PublisherFraunhofer Institut für Verfahrenstechnik und Verpackung IVV
Number of pages10
Publication statusPublished - 13 Jun 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-5214-399X/work/211003248
ORCID /0000-0002-1914-8473/work/211003688

Keywords