JUSTIFICATION OF POWER PARAMETERS OF THE PROCESS OF SEMI-FLUIDISATION FREEZING OF FRUIT AND BERRY PRODUCTS

Abstract

The existing semi-fluidisation devices are described by high-energy consumption during operation, heavy metal structure, and complexity of the drive mechanism. Therefore, the search for effective heat exchange schemes in low-temperature processing of fruit and vegetable products, provided that its damage and energy consumption for the process are minimised, constitutes the relevance of this study. The purpose of this study was to determine and substantiate the amplitude-frequency and power mode parameters of the vibration wave driving organ of the semi-fluidisation machine for freezing fruit and berry products, the regularities of changes in the main characteristics of low-frequency vibrations in the process under study. To perform these tasks, an experimental model of a semi-fluidisation machine with a vibration wave driving organ was developed and a set of special devices was manufactured in the form of a microcontroller system that provides measurement and automatic adjustment of the main parameters of the process under study. Intensification of heat exchange in the process of fluidisation freezing in the conditions of a pseudo-suspended state of products is described by a high heat transfer coefficient, which can exceed typical convective processes by several orders of magnitude; an increase in the active heat exchange surface up to 100% is observed; the contact surface with the energy carrier increases proportionally, which leads to a decrease in the active temperature difference; there is a 2-3 times decrease in internal friction in the mass of products and, accordingly, the technological resistance in the mass of loading is reduced, which is a potential for increasing the technical and economic characteristics of the low-temperature processing under study. The practical value of this study can be attributed to the application of vibro-slush freezing of the proposed structure with a vibration-wave product driver and a spatial elastic system for levelling out parasitic vibrations, which allows simplifying the structure, reducing power loads and, accordingly, energy costs