FEATURE FILTRATION & SEPARATION
ULTRASONICS HELP BOOST FOOD POWDER PRODUCTION
With the rise in the popularity of powdered food products presenting production challenges, Stephen Harding, MD of Gough Engineering, shows how it is possible to maximise throughput and efficiency in powder production applications
F
rom protein shake powders to products such as Soylent and Huel that promise
a nutritionally balanced and easily consumable meal, powdered food has become popular in recent years. These products are often marketed as quick nutritional fixes for busy individuals or those seeking a healthier lifestyle and, for many people, they are the future of food. In the sports nutrition market, a 2016 study from food analyst Mintel found that one in ten Brits consumed protein powder — with 24% of participants interested in adding the powder to their regular meals to boost protein intake. Even big brands have begun launching protein-enriched powder forms of their products, such as Mars’ protein powder versions of Mars, Snickers and Bounty introduced in 2017. Likewise, the demand
for powdered meals is growing. In 2015, powdered meal-replacement manufacturer Huel sold out of its product three times within the first month. This focus on time saving and efficiency
mirrors the general feeling of many powder manufacturers. For process and production engineers in these industries, the main aim is to maximise the flow of product and improve throughput to keep businesses ahead of market demand. Yet powdered food is introducing food
plant maintenance engineers to the challenges that have long existed in the pharmaceutical and plastics industry — namely that of screen blinding. Food powder production plants will include a sieve or screen of some description to ensure that the granules making up powders are of a suitable size.
Ultrasonic screening systems use high
frequency vibrations that rapidly shake the powder during the screening process, allowing any granule blockages to be eased through the mesh in the screen or sieve
Depending on the specifics of the product being manufactured, these granule sizes will vary from 0.2mm to 4.0mm and this will be reflected in the mesh used to screen these products. However, powders — particularly food products such as powdered milk — commonly clump together, which leads to blockages in the mesh. While maintenance engineers may not immediately notice if one or two holes are clogged, the problem gets worse as the powder inevitably creates more blockages. This results in a dip in throughput and process efficiency, as well as disruption while engineers remove and clean the mesh.
Fortunately, plant managers and production engineers do not need to rethink their process to address this issue. By investing in an ultrasonic screening system for powders, such as those offered by Gough Engineering, engineers can disrupt the mesh enough to improve flow. Ultrasonic screening systems use high frequency vibrations that rapidly shake the powder during the screening process, allowing any granule blockages to be eased through the mesh in the screen or sieve. These systems operate at various frequencies, Gough Engineering equipment operates at up to 20,000hz and can be retrofitted into existing systems. The consumer trend for powdered foods
is unlikely to die down any time soon. By investing in the right equipment now, food manufacturers will be able to effectively prepare for what could be the future of food.
Gough Engineering
www.goughengineering.com
MODULAR PURIFICATION SYSTEM MINIMISES INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE TIME
When Thames Water was looking for a system to remove impurities from anaerobic digester gases, it needed a system that would meet the stringent clean up requirements and achieve zero plant shut down when carrying out routine vessel maintenance. The solution came in the form of a bespoke Activated Carbon Vessel System that was designed and supplied by ThermTech. One of the processes used to produce safe drinking water involves anaerobic digestion, the by-product of which is biogas. The biogas can be used as a
valuable source of fuel, provided it is “sweetened” by removal of the trace amount of contaminants it contains. Activated carbon granules or pellets are used for the removal of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) in biogas streams generated from various sources such as landfills, anaerobic digesters or, as in this application, municipal wastewater treatment plants. A granular form of activated carbon, a material containing highly porous carbon particles, is stored in specially designed vessels. When a biogas stream is passed through the vessel, H2S and other impurities such as siloxanes are removed. ThermTech was approached by CC Jensen, a project management contractor to the water industry, to provide a more complex activated carbon system than previously supplied. The system would comprise three activated carbon vessels. The supporting structure including a complete skid unit was supplied, for ease of assembly on-site. The end client, Thames Water, specified a need to select any combination of gas flow routes to any, or all, of the
vessels, and for each vessel to have the facility to be independently disconnected and taken off-line for purging and maintenance while the plant continues operation. In this application, standard activated carbon vessels with a volume of 4m3
met the purification and gas flow capacity
requirements set out by Thames Water. A modular style design was agreed upon to simplify both site installation and planned maintenance when the plant is operational. Because H2S gas is poisonous, flammable and corrosive, and in this instance, pressurised, all pipe work, process valves and supporting structure were constructed from 316 stainless steel. The modular construction of the filtration plant allowed full factory acceptance testing (FAT) to be achieved before the
equipment was delivered to site. The layout also minimised the installation and commissioning time, which helped to ensure the wider project was delivered on time and offered optimum performance from the smallest available footprint. ThermTech
www.thermtech.co.uk
10 SEPTEMBER 2017 | PROCESS & CONTROL
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