Vane pumps are specific types of positive displacement pumps. The primary operating principle is the use of the back and forth movement of rectangular-shaped vanes in a slot to move fluids. A simple vane pump consists of a circular rotor rotating in a sizable annular cavity. Vane pumps are used in several applications where you need to create a vacuum. Vane pumps handle thin and low viscosity fluids such as water and petrol. High viscosity liquids tend to hinder the vanes from moving smoothly inside the slots. Since vane pumps can handle a wide range of viscosities, they are widely used in loading terminals, solvents, fuel transport vehicles, alcohol, and soft drinks. By creating a vacuum, vane pumps are beneficial in the processing of heat and oxygen-sensitive materials. As such, they are prevalent in the food industry. Read on to discover the role of vane pumps in food manufacturing and processing.
- Poultry. In the poultry industry, you need a vane pump or a water ring pump for the vacuum evisceration process. The water ring pump creates the ideal vacuum of around 100 to 150 mbar absolute. You will require a receiver tank to act as a vacuum tank. The water ring pump draws microbiologically contaminated water. As such, you have to regularly drain the seal water in the pump to create a heavy load to the water purification plant.
- UHT Treatment. Vane pump plays a significant role in the treatment of UHT milk. The process begins by exposing pre-heated milk of 750 C to culinary steam of about 5 mbar. This step allows the milk to reach a temperature of about 1450C within a few seconds. At the end of the process, the milk flows to a high-temperature holding tube. With the help of a vane pump, the product I then moved to a vacuum chamber. Both the temperature and pressure are then lowered to remove added water through a process called flash cooling. After the flash cooling, the product then flows to the aseptic filter. You can also use the same process for other foods such as sauce, pasta, and cream. Water ring vacuum pumps are the most used vacuum sources in this operation.
- Deaeration of liquid foods. Beverage companies use beverage mixers or carbonators to prepare their products. The beverage mixer combines both the deaeration of water with the blending and carbonation of beverages. The deaeration of water happens under 50 mbar vacuum absolute to remove dissolved air and oxygen. Drinks require a reduced amount of oxygen to increase their quality and prolong their shelf life. A water ring or dry pump is used during this process.
- Deodorization of Vegetable Oil. The deodorization stage is essential during the processing of vegetable oils. This process eliminates unwanted compounds such as free fatty acids and elements that may affect the final product's flavor, color, and stability. However, you must de-aerate vegetable oils under vacuum before the deodorization process to prevent oxidation. Then, the oil is heated and moved to the deodorization column, where it is subjected to a distillation process. The vacuum unit consists of three phases. The first stage, the steam ejector step and finally a water ring pump.
- Bottling Beer and Soft Drinks. Vane pumps play a critical role in the bottling of beers, soft drinks, mineral, and sparkling water. Each empty bottle goes through a rotary rinser to clean it with dry, compressed, and sterile air. A vacuum is then applied to remove all the dirt particles. The bottle then moves to a rotary filler, where the vacuum is filled in to extract ambient air and inert gases. The beer or soft drink is then filled, pushing the carbon dioxide from the bottle. The full bottle goes through a headspace vacuum, which reduces the amount of air in the headspace. The cap is then placed. Experts do not recommend the use of dry vacuum pumps since they can carbonize with the liquid.
- Freezing. Freeze-drying is crucial in prolonging the shelf-life of food and maintaining the necessary nutrients. First, a vacuum of about 40 mbar is applied to avoid the formation of a thick ice layer. Finally, the absolute vacuum is gradually reduced using a dry vacuum pump.
Vane pumps are essential through the various steps of manufacturing and processing foods. The pumps reduce the time taken during these processes and maintain the quality of food. Provac.com provides a wide variety of vane pumps that can help you during the manufacturing and processing of food.
