Functional analysis of the technological complex for curd whey concentration by moisture freezing

Abstract The assessment of the accuracy and stability of the technological system functioning for continuous concentration of curd whey by moisture freezing was carried out in the work. Systematic and random components of production errors were identified in the course of experiments. A set of measures aimed at their partial or complete elimination due to the controllability of technological flows within the existing tolerance fields for the quality indicators of finished products was proposed by the authors. Evaluation of the functioning of the existing technological stream of curd whey concentration showed that the probability of the conditioned products yield for all investigated subsystems decreases over the studied time period from 95 ... 98% to 72%. Taking into account the analysis of the functioning accuracy and stability diagrams, it was revealed that the maximum production error increases from 0.1 to 0.3 in the subsystem for curd whey concentration. The progressive error in the whey concentration subsystem is due to the fact that the accuracy and stability of its functioning are significantly influenced by random changes in the temperature regime of the whey entering the freezing unit after the preliminary membrane concentration. Additional elements that provide the supply of a molten ice solution for whey cooling after pasteurization, the supply of a molten ice solution for curd whey preliminary cooling before moisture freezing, curd whey cooling before moisture freezing, cooling the refrigerating machine condenser were proposed to be introduced into the technological scheme structure to improve the nature of the operation. This made it possible to stabilize the whey parameters supplied for moisture freezing. A new scheme of the technological line for the concentration of curd whey by freezing was proposed according to the performed analysis of the functioning accuracy and stability.