Special Series Part 2 Purification and Concentration

Part 2 : Purification & Concentration

During the Phase I raw material pretreatment stage, our multi-stage spray and bubble washing system, intelligent sorting , and integrated crushing-preheating unit have achieved efficient and hygienic pretreatment at 20-40 T/h capacity. This established a solid foundation for purification and concentration processes.

I. Precision-Engineered Solutions for 20T/H Apple & 10T/H Cherry Processing  

1. Ultrafiltration System: Dual-Mode Clarification Technology  

  Positioned after belt-press filtration (dual-press, 90% yield) and enzymatic de-pectinization, our ultrafiltration (UF) system is engineered for hybrid apple-cherry operations. The skid features swappable PVDF/PES composite membranes operating in two distinct modes:  

  - Apple Juice Mode: Prioritizes optical clarity with >99.9% turbidity removal and ≥95% transmittance.  

  - Cherry Juice Mode: Combines UF with downstream adsorption for 80% pigment reduction (A520nm).  

  Operating at ≤45°C to preserve thermosensitive compounds, the cross-flow design with pulsed backflush achieves ≥98.5% juice recovery – significantly reducing sugar loss from pressing.  

  Performance Metrics (Continuous Operation):  

  - Throughput: 18T/h clarified apple juice (from 20T/h raw apples) | 8T/h raw cherry juice (from 10T/h cherries)  

  - Stability: Membrane flux retention >90% (72h for apple) | >85% (48h for cherry)  

  - Quality: Aroma retention ≥92% (apple) | ≥88% (cherry)  

2.  Falling-Film Evaporator: Energy-Intelligent Concentration  

  This system concentrates apple juice to 70°Brix (2.8T/h output) and cherry juice to 65°Brix (1.1T/h output), integrating directly with aseptic filling. Its design leverages:  

  - Temperature-Zoned Evaporation: A cascading 65°C → 60°C → 52°C → 45°C → 40°C profile minimizes thermal damage.  

  - Steam Efficiency: At 0.22kg steam/kg water evaporated – 81% lower than single-effect systems – total line consumption stays ≤8T/h (8bar).  

  - Aroma Recovery: Dual-stage distillation on Effects 1-2 captures ≥85% apple / ≥80% cherry volatiles for concentrate enhancement.  

  - Anti-Fouling Protection: Nano-coated distribution heads prevent scaling in high-viscosity cherry juice.  

  Concentrate Quality Validation:  

  - Vitamin Retention: ≥86% VC (apple) | ≥82% VC (cherry)  

  - Color Consistency: ΔE ≤1.5 (apple) | ≤2.0 (cherry) vs. raw juice  

3. Unified Automation Platform  

  Distributed PLC stations enable autonomous control of UF, decoloration, and evaporation processes, while a central HMI provides system-wide oversight. The adaptive energy algorithm dynamically adjusts operating parameters based on incoming Brix levels (11.5-15°), cutting per-ton energy use by 35%. Integrated CIP reduces daily cleaning cycles by 40%.  

II. Integrated Design & Sustainability Performance  

The purification-concentration module occupies ≤1,200m2 – just one-third of pretreatment footprint – ensuring seamless integration with upstream pressing and downstream filling. Comparative energy data demonstrates significant efficiencies:  

III. Next Phase Preview: Aseptic Filling & Closed-Loop Utilities  

Phase III will demonstrate how IDEA’s aseptic cold-filling technology achieves:  

- ±0.5% filling accuracy for 70°Brix apple & 65°Brix cherry concentrates  

- <0.5ppm residual oxygen content  

- ≥24-month shelf life  

Simultaneously, our resource-recycling utilities sustain high-efficiency operations:  

- Chilled Water Loop: -5°C circulation for UF temperature control  

- Water Treatment: 200 m3/day RO+EDI pure water generation  

- Steam Recovery: 90% condensate reuse  

- Compressed Air: 15 Nm3/h oil-free supply  

Discover how IDEA transforms juice processing into a zero-waste operation in our final installment.