Why is fluid flow important in the food industry?
Answers
In a food processing plant, it is common to transport food from one operation to another using a wide range of product handling equipment. For liquid foods, various types of pumps are used, whereas, solid foods are often handled using conveyors. To design a pumping system, the first step is to know the properties of the foods such as density and viscosity. The pumping system is designed based on the continuity equation. To characterize the flow of a fluid, a dimensionless number, Reynolds number, is used. Experimentally derived correlations are used depending on the flow conditions. Friction between the fluid and the surrounding walls of the pipe or duct must be accounted for in the design calculations. Bernoulli equation is derived using force balance on a fluid element. This equation is useful in determining the power requirements in pumping fluids