Cheese Draining Column Sump Flushing with Recycled Whey
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Solution Overview
Problem
In cheese production, the use of high-quality flushing water to remove curd particles from the sump dilutes the whey, incurs additional costs, and risks contamination, while alternative methods like using whey from elsewhere can lead to foaming and quality issues.
Innovation Solution
Connecting at least one whey discharge pipe of the draining section directly to the sump to supply fresh whey as a flushing liquid, minimizing the need for external flushing water and using the whey's natural flow to collect curd residues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-quality flushing water is used to remove curd particles from the sump, then the sump is cleaned effectively, but the whey is diluted and additional costs are incurred
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses its own whey output to flush the sump, making the process self-sufficient. The whey discharge pipe connects directly to the sump, allowing the system to clean itself without external water intervention, thereby maintaining whey concentration while achieving effective cleaning
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of discarding whey to the environment, it is recovered and reused as flushing liquid. The whey that would otherwise be wasted is redirected to the sump for flushing purposes, eliminating the need for external water and preventing whey dilution
2Reliability
If flushing water is used to clean the sump, then curd particles are removed, but contamination risk increases and additional water treatment is required
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses its own whey output to flush the sump, making the process self-sufficient. The whey discharge pipe connects directly to the sump, allowing the system to clean itself without external water intervention, thereby maintaining whey concentration while achieving effective cleaning
Solution Approach 2:
Whey acts as an intermediary flushing medium between the draining section and the sump. Instead of introducing external water that could contaminate the system, whey serves as a safe intermediary that cleans the sump without bringing in external contaminants
3Reliability
If whey from elsewhere is used for flushing, then the sump can be cleaned, but foaming occurs and quality issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses its own whey output to flush the sump, making the process self-sufficient. The whey discharge pipe connects directly to the sump, allowing the system to clean itself without external water intervention, thereby maintaining whey concentration while achieving effective cleaning
Solution Approach 2:
The whey is used for flushing immediately after it is discharged from the draining section, before it can accumulate curd particles or undergo significant quality changes. This preliminary use of fresh whey prevents foaming and quality degradation that would occur with stored or transported whey
4Loss of energy
If the sump is not flushed, then water and energy are saved, but curd particles accumulate and microorganisms outgrow
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses its own whey output to flush the sump, making the process self-sufficient. The whey discharge pipe connects directly to the sump, allowing the system to clean itself without external water intervention, thereby maintaining whey concentration while achieving effective cleaning
Solution Approach 2:
The whey flushing occurs continuously as whey is discharged from the draining section, maintaining constant cleaning action in the sump. This continuous flushing prevents curd particle accumulation and microorganism growth without requiring intermittent water-based cleaning cycles
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces the frequency of flushing, maintains whey quality, prevents contamination, and eliminates the need for additional water treatment, while ensuring continuous sump cleaning and preventing foam formation.
Implementation Method 1
the curd is compressed under the influence of the column's own weight and through the hydraulic action of the whey stream flowing through the curd bed
Implementation Method 2
The curd column hence moves stepwise in downward direction through a vertical hollow tube. The curd is thereby compressed under the influence of the column's own weight
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
AI summary
An apparatus for making cheese, comprising at least one vertical tubular draining column (2), for receiving cheese curd, which in operation forms a curd column in the draining column, and which draining column is placed on a sump (3) with a dosing device therein and has at least one perforated section (5), which, together with a jacket (6) surrounding the respective section (a, b, c) for operatively collecting whey egressing from the curd column, forms a draining section, wherein each draining section is provided with at least one whey discharge pipe (8, 9, 10), and wherein at least one whey discharge pipe of a draining section is connected with the sump for operatively supplying fresh whey to the sump, which fresh whey is used as flushing liquid for the sump.