Analysis of the flow field in a high-pressure homogenizer

Numerous theories have been developed describing the drop break-up in a high-pressure homogenizer (HPH), but they are generally based on quite rudimentary descriptions of the flow fields. As the flow in a real HPH is very extreme, with gaps of 10–100 μm and velocities of hundreds of m/s, it is pract...

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Published inExperimental thermal and fluid science Vol. 32; no. 2; pp. 345 - 354
Main Authors Innings, Fredrik, Trägårdh, Christian
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.11.2007
Elsevier Science
Subjects
Acrylic resins
Annan teknik
Biological and medical sciences
Computational fluid dynamics
Descriptions
Emulsion
Engineering and Technology
Fluid flow
Fluid Mechanics
Food Engineering
Food industries
Food Processing
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
General aspects
Homogenization
Homogenizers
Hydromechanics
Livsmedelsteknik
Milk and cheese industries. Ice creams
Other Engineering and Technologies
Scale-down
Scale-up
Teknik
Turbulence
Turbulent flow
Walls
Turbulence
Emulsion
Fluid Mechanics
Food Processing
Hydromechanics
Homogenization
Scale-down
Scale-up
Energy spectrum
Turbulent flow
Experimental study
Droplet
High pressure
Test facility
Dairy industry
Turbulence structure
Milk
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Summary:Numerous theories have been developed describing the drop break-up in a high-pressure homogenizer (HPH), but they are generally based on quite rudimentary descriptions of the flow fields. As the flow in a real HPH is very extreme, with gaps of 10–100 μm and velocities of hundreds of m/s, it is practically impossible to measure the velocity fields. In this study, a scale model of an HPH made of acrylic plastic has been developed making measurements possible. Great care was taken to keep the relevant dimensionless numbers constant during the scale-up. The flow field at the gap entrance shows a steady acceleration and total turbulence suppression, in the gap the flow field is flat with thin boundary layers, and at the exit a turbulent jet is formed. The jet was found to be very unsteady, and in very similar flow situations could either be attached to the walls or continue straight ahead after the gap.
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ISSN:0894-1777
1879-2286
1879-2286
DOI:10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2007.04.007