Getting the right recipe for heating food products

Heat is fundamental to the food and drink industry, which is the fourth highest industrial energy user in the UK, with a total demand of 37 TWh a year, of which up to 60 per cent is attributed to heat, including ovens, boilers, sterilisers, driers, etc.

Recapturing and reusing heat from existing sources (such as surplus heat from cooling operations or spare boiler capacity) can be an effective way of increasing capacity without the need for major new heating or energy infrastructure. Depending on the application, HRS Heat Exchangers’ equipment can recover as much as 50 per cent of previously wasted heat, which can then be used for water, space or process heating, waste treatment or other thermal applications.

Heat exchangers are an effective and efficient solution, and more likely to enable heat regeneration than other systems. The choice of heat exchanger will depend on many different factors, such as the nature of the process to be carried out (pasteurisation, sterilisation, dehydration, etc.); the viscosity of the food or drink being processed; and whether it contains particles or pieces, etc.

Corrugated tube heat exchangers, like the HRS MI and MR Series, are available in various configurations so that delicate materials such as cream can be processed without damage. The corrugated design minimises fouling in the heat exchanger, which increases the thermal efficiency and prolongs operational periods between cleaning.

For some materials, such as curd production in the dairy sector, increased turbulence can be beneficial. Alternatively, where low pressures are required, scraped surface heat exchangers, like the HRS Unicus Series, keep things flowing smoothly while handling the product gently: one way to overcome the pizza sauce example above. Using the right type of heat exchanger can also help to reduce product losses caused by materials remaining in equipment at batch changeovers or when cleaning is required. Some scraped surface heat exchangers, such as the HRS R Series, can be configured to run in reverse, effectively removing product from the heat exchanger without damaging it or affecting its quality.

All heat exchangers are not alike, but these differences mean that there is undoubtedly a heat exchanger solution that fits your food processing needs.

By Matt Hale, International Sales and Marketing Director, HRS Heat Exchangers

Tel: 01923 232 335
www.hrs-heatexchangers.com