The Control Loop of Whey Concentration
Whey permeate must be pre-concentrated from 6.0% total solids (TS) up to 60% TS using multi-effect falling film evaporators before spray drying. If TS concentration exceeds 62%, lactose crystallizes in the pipe, causing severe evaporator blockages. If TS drops below 55%, the spray dryer gas cost increases dramatically. Continuous inline density control is essential.
Spectroscopic TS Monitoring
A whey processing facility mounted a USTECH ProLine2550 flow cell sensor on the output loop of the final evaporator effect. The system correlates total solids using NIR absorption. The density output signal automatically controls the product draw-off valve and evaporator vacuum level.
References
- "Concentration and Evaporation Control of Dairy Permeates Using Spectroscopic Density Metrics," Journal of Membrane Science & Technology, 2024.