Citrus Plant and Process Ventilation

Plant Ventilation, by definition, is the change of air within a manufacturing plant utilizing unducted ventilators. It is accomplished by bringing outside air in and exhausting it back outdoors. The degree of air change is based on how many exchanges of air per minute are required to provide an ambient temperature within the plant close to or equal to outside shade conditions. Air changes, within citrus plant operations, will vary in requirement depending on heat load, moisture content, number of workers and the degree of hazardous or noxious fumes. The following outlines various air changes often required in different areas of citrus plant operations. Paper published with permission.

High Pressure Pasteurization of Citrus Juices

High hydrostatic pressures affect chemical reactions and phase changes of matter, denaturing proteins, solidifying lipids and disrupting biological membranes. The consequences of this in food systems has importance in killing spoilage microbes without the need for heat. Some applications of high pressure treatment to the processing of citrus juices are included herein. Effective pressures for pasteurization of yeasts and yeast ascospores in citrus juice fall in the range of 43,000–72,000 psi. The corresponding Dp (time for 1 log cycle reduction) values for inactivation of ascospores were 10 min at 43,000 psi or 8 sec at 72,000 psi. Pressure treatments of orange and grapefruit juices to by-pass thermal processing for pectinesterase (PE) inactivation were in the range of 72,000–130,000 psi. Dp values for orange PE inactivation at 72,000 and 87,000 psi were 83.3 minutes and 2.4 minutes, respectively. Pressures ≥87,000 psi caused instantaneous inactivation of the heat labile form, but did not inactivate the heat stable form of PE. Heat labile grapefruit PE was also more sensitive than orange to pressure. Orange juice pressurized at 100,000 psi for 1 minute had no cloud loss for >50 days. Paper published with permission.

Simulation Modeling: Risk Free Evaluation of Performance Alternatives

Computer simulation is not a new technology; it has been used extensively by military, academic, and industrial organizations since the 1950’s for everything from critical strategic planning to validation of black hole and expanding universe theories. Early projects were hampered by excessive cost, cumbersome hardware, and complex programming but recent advances in personal computer power and application software have provided a basis for rapid advancement of simulation as a powerful, cost effective, risk free tool that can be used to analyze and improve any operating system. Computer simulation modeling is now used throughout the world as a primary decision making tool by all major automotive manufactures, can makers, financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and food processors. The Florida citrus industry is faced with a continuous challenge to cut operating costs while improving quality and service, and we are asked to meet the challenge on a severely limited budget with utmost speed. We know changes must be made, and we even have a good idea what they are, but we are not sure which changes should be made first, or if they will really work as well as we think. We also know that trial and error methods of testing changes can be financially risky and disruptive to the existing process. A wrong decision to proceed with trial and error testing can have extreme consequences for both the decision-maker and the business, and many excellent ideas are never implemented due to a justified “fear of failure”. Simulation allows many ideas to be tested in a greatly compressed time frame without committing capital, wasting time, or disrupting the process. Simulation promotes creative thinking and provides credible data for informed decision-making at all levels of an operation that cannot be obtained by any other method. Paper published with permission.

When It Rains on the Citrus Industry: Regulatory Stormwater Agencies and Their Requirements

When it rains, most people just think of the inconvenience of getting wet. But what happens to the rain after it falls? How does the stormwater affect your neighbors, natural resources or public safety? These are questions that regulatory agencies must ask for determining compliance of your system with regulatory stormwater permit conditions. Paper published with permission.

Pumps in Industry: Theory and Application

A basic review of hydraulics will serve us well as a starting point for discussing the unique applications of the Citrus industry. To begin this review, certain pertinent terms will be defined to help build a foundation of understanding. This review is not meant to be taken as a complete dissertation on the subject but to be held as a useful reference. The majority of the following information has been paraphrased from Worthington Pump’s technical symposium. Paper published with permission.

Pumped Peel: Five Years Later

It was five years ago at this conference that Carlos Odio presented a paper on pumped peel systems in Brazil. This was the first time many of us had heard of the concept. Paper published with permission.