CALCULATION OF ENERGY COSTS OF FINE GRINDING OF VEGETABLE MATERIALS

Abstract

Currently, fruit and vegetable powders are widely used in functional foods and medicines. Obtaining plant powders is carried out by drying the source material and its subsequent grinding. At the first stage, a two-stage vacuum-pulse dryer is used, since it allows you to save more solids. When storing dried fruit and vegetable products under the necessary conditions, their initial useful properties are not lost until 6 months, and after this period up to 12 months are able to retain up to 50% of their properties. To study the drying processes, samples of the following plant products were used: «Swallow» pepper; tomato «Black Moor»; garlic «Jubilee»; apples of the varieties Antonovka vulgaris, Bogatyr, Zhigulevskoye, Lobo; pumpkin «Michurinsky». The article presents the results of drying pumpkins and the average results obtained by drying apples (samples were taken of the same mass and a slicing thickness of 5 ± 1 mm). Grinding was carried out using a two-stage disk-ball mill with vacuum removal of plant particles of a given degree of grinding. The authors proposed a methodology for calculating the energy costs of a process. Based on experimental studies, several factors have been obtained that contribute to reducing energy costs. The dependences are examined, according to which a qualitative comparison of grinding plants can be carried out, as well as to calculate and design equipment for effective grinding. A formula for calculating the efficiency coefficient is proposed, which allows one to analyze and select equipment for grinding dry plant materials of fine and ultrafine grinding. Based on the obtained values of the quality factor, the most suitable equipment for grinding dry plant materials is selected. Based on the results of the research, conclusions are drawn.