It is still in an experimental phase but has already received great interest at the International CAE Conference (Vicenza, 28-29 October). Our R&D department, in partnership with FMB Eng.In.E. – academic spin-off of the University of Parma – has studied a new method for the dimensioning and balancing of suction systems. Many advantages both in the design and about sanitation matters.

What Does It Consist Of?

Nowadays the increasing demands of systems and machines capable of meeting the increasingly requirements concerning the food safety and sanitation matters, require constant innovation from suppliers. The Research & Development department of Ocrim, in collaboration with its partner company FMB Eng.In.E., an academic spin-off of the University of Parma, has been strongly oriented towards the optimization of suction and pneumatic transport systems since proper functioning of the milling plant depends on them. This research falls within a wider project related to food safety matter, which began first with the introduction of stainless steel and then continued with antimicrobial sieves.

In the milling industry the correct sizing of the suction systems is of primary importance for many reasons:

  • Avoid dust spillage from machines and from transport systems of wheat and its products;
  • Separate the dust and other lighter impurities from the wheat;
  • Separate the grinding products by density difference (purifiers);
  • Contain the moisture content in the grinding products and in the machines and reduce the formation of mold.
The results of the fluid dynamic calculation

Presented at the International CAE Conference (Vicenza, October 28-29) and carried out in collaboration with our partner FMB Eng.In.E, one of our latest R&D activities concerns a new method, still at experimental stage, for dimensioning and balancing of the suction systems in the milling industry thanks to the integrated use of CFD (computational fluid dynamics) one-dimensional and three-dimensional. This combination allows to accurately characterize every single component of the plant (purifiers, roller mills, cyclones, separators etc.) using Ansys Fluent technology – a precise and accurate 3D simulation – and to provide all information to Flownex – a one-dimensional simulation dedicated to study of complex networks and systems – to accurately reproduce the behaviour of the system. Since the initial phase, the new method allows to position the design objective not only on the dimensioning but also on the balancing of the suction line, to have the correct flow rates on all the branches and avoid branches excessively aspirated or dead branches on the exhaust manifolds.

The reliability of the new method has been validated thanks to an accurate measurement and experimentation tests performed inside the University of Parma, on a pilot suction system, with its bag-type filter, realized a few years ago by Ocrim.Th e benefits of this new simulation approach make the design more effective and intuitive, the most clean and balanced plant ensuring an optimal level of sanitation.

The Innovation Passes Through R&D

FMB Eng.In.E. is a company that deals with research and development from the plant and process point of view. Founded in 2014 as a spin-off of the University of Parma, for Ocrim it represents an integrated research platform able to combine in-depth theoretical knowledge of simulation, modelling and visualization of industrial processes, with the advantages of the academic world, such as the availability of high skilled people, laboratories and equipment at the cutting edge of technology. Ocrim and FMB Eng.In.E boast a close long-lasting collaboration carrying out various projects of equipment design and, in general, of plant. A strategic partnership that confirms Ocrim commitment to invest constantly in Research & Development.