Modelagem, simulação e análise de uma nova geometria de homogeneizador utilizando dinâmica de multicorpos e movimento simulado por partículas.

Abstract

Fruit processing for juice and pulp has grown widely over the years. The products obtained have various purposes such as juices having some specification such as color, acidity, vitamin C, pH, lactic acid, sodium content, pulp content, brix (solid in suspension), stabilizers, preservatives, etc. These specifications depend on some aspects such as addition of inputs such as ascorbic acid, sodium metabisulfite sodium benzoate as well as juices themselves with different specifications (blending). After mixing these inputs or raw materials, depending on the tank where it is stored, a mechanical force is required for homogenization and release of the product for storage followed by liberation. This mechanical force is commonly provided by stirrers, which are commonly reeds that rotate towards the main axis of the tank shape, but there are exceptions. Depending on the geometry and distribution of these stirrers, we have the possibility of poor homogenization of the inputs and raw materials, so that there may be a long waiting time for product release for further processing, possible equipment obstruction, rework, increased lead time, spent on stocking, and others. The present project shows a possible solution to this problem, modeling a geometry more suitable for the product homogenization process, modeling in a Computer Aided Design (CAD) software a different shape of stirrer, dynamically simulating while dynamically fluid in the software RECURDYNTM, which deals with multibody dynamics and PARTICLEWORKSTM, which deals with fluid-dynamical computational simulation coming from particle systems, respectively, showing the behavior of particles created by the second software around the new homogenizer model, thus causing the previously mentioned problems can be remedied. Based on the results obtained, we were able to characterize the unconventional geometry using the particle-simulated dynamic fluid in conjunction with the multi-body dynamics by assessing the obtained dynamic fluid, the number of power and pumping when compared to the literature.