Ultrasound in Food Engineering

Course Description

COURSE CONTENT

Lectures

1. Definition of acoustics, acoustic areas and separately abouth ultrasound. Innovativity of non-thermal technologies in production and in general food processing. Basic principles of innovative non-thermal technologies in food processing. The role of ultrasound as a new innovative food processing technology.- 4 hours
2. Definitions of ultrasonic parameters. Basic parts of ultrasonic setup. Basic principles and mechanisms of ultrasound as food processing technology. Influence of different ultrasound parameters (frequency, cycle, amplitude) on food processing. Output parameters and its values during and after ultrasound treatment (temperature, intensity, power, amplitude). 4 hours.
3. Raw materials (food) suitable for ultrasonic treatment.
4. Application of ultrasound in processing of nus-products and waste materials from the food industry. 2 hours
5. Use of ultrasound as extraction technique of bioactive compounds. 2 hours
6. Application of ultrasound as drying technique in food industry (pre-processing and complete processing). 2 hours.
7. Application of ultrasound in inactivation of microorganisms (independently and in combination with other innovative technologies - high hydrostatic pressures, pulsating electrical fields). 2 hours
8. Application of ultrasound in homogenization and emulsification. 2 hours.
9. Ultrasonic cleansing. 2 hours
10. Application of airborn high-intensity ultrasound in the food industry (defoaming, cutting, sieving). 2 hours.
11. Low intensity ultrasound in the food industry (non destructive ultrasound). Principles of work, various lineup. Mechanism of influence on sampleaction. Input and output parameters. 3 hours
12. Aplication of  low intensity ultrasound in food industry (Determination of undesirable foreign bodies; Determination of liquid column level; Determination of flow rate in pipelines). 3 hours

Exercises

1. Geometry of different ultrasonic setups with directly immersed sonotrode (power generators, transducers, probes, volume of samples). Ultrasonic bath geometry (volumes, number of probes, multi-frequency mode) - 3 hours
2. Samples selections (raw materials) for treatment with ultrasonic setup with directly immersed sonotrodes. Determination of particle size distribution of the treated sample before and after processing. - 3 hours
3. Samples selections (raw materials) for treatment with multi-frequency ultrasonic bath. Determine particle size distribution of the treated sample before and after processing. - 2 hours
4. Selection of samples (raw material) for sieving. Conventional sieving. Sieving assisted by ultrasound. Determine particle size distribution of the treated sample before and after processing. - 2 hours

Seminars

1. Calculations of the input and output parameters for the ultrasound. Calculate energy consumption by ultrasound processing. Comparison with conventional technologies. Material and energy balance. 2 hours
2. Preparation of seminar work for the selected ultrasound application in food engineering - 18 hours.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• independently use ultrasonic equipment in various applications of food engineering
• explain mechanical effects of the cavitation mechanism in liquid systems
• define ultrasound settings for certain applications
• describe the knowledge acquired by practical work in laboratory conditions during work on high intensity ultrasound devices
• investigate the application of high intensity ultrasound in food engineering for drying, extraction, homogenisation, purification, sieving, extrusion and inactivation of microorganisms
• apply ultrasound as an non destrucive analytical method
• define energy savings by applying ultrasound compared to classical technologies
• describe use of Ultrasound in Food Engineering as an environmentally acceptable method