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Start Date

2-3-2023 3:00 PM

Abstract

Online learning has become a staple in contemporary education, requiring new ways to display and promote experiences. Virtual labs can be used to give learners a way to enter a lab environment without the need for expensive equipment or materials. One example is to give students a “hands-on” experience using a sterilization process to preserve biological materials. Sterilization systems incorporate heat exchangers to bring product up to temperature and then cool product down quickly to prevent excess degradation of nutrients. Data generated from virtual labs will allow learners to use the system responses and build their understanding of how the system will respond to different operating conditions. A mathematical model of the system was developed using data from numerous sources regarding product physical and chemical properties and the engineering relationships of fluid flow, reaction kinetics, and heat transfer for plate heat-exchanger and holding tube systems. This data was integrated into standard and accepted engineering and kinetic models to predict the system responses. Currently the products include orange juice concentrate, milk, and a CMC solution. Learners will be able operate the virtual system as they would in a pilot plant and vary flow rate, area, flow channels, flow patterns, and steam and glycol temperatures and compositions. Because of the versatility of the virtual process, students can conduct virtual laboratory experiments that cover many undergraduate engineering topics. Future work will entail adding dynamic models to observe the time response of a system change with a statistical variability, along with more product selections.

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Mar 2nd, 3:00 PM

Design of a Virtual Lab for Plate Heat Exchanger Sterilization System

Online learning has become a staple in contemporary education, requiring new ways to display and promote experiences. Virtual labs can be used to give learners a way to enter a lab environment without the need for expensive equipment or materials. One example is to give students a “hands-on” experience using a sterilization process to preserve biological materials. Sterilization systems incorporate heat exchangers to bring product up to temperature and then cool product down quickly to prevent excess degradation of nutrients. Data generated from virtual labs will allow learners to use the system responses and build their understanding of how the system will respond to different operating conditions. A mathematical model of the system was developed using data from numerous sources regarding product physical and chemical properties and the engineering relationships of fluid flow, reaction kinetics, and heat transfer for plate heat-exchanger and holding tube systems. This data was integrated into standard and accepted engineering and kinetic models to predict the system responses. Currently the products include orange juice concentrate, milk, and a CMC solution. Learners will be able operate the virtual system as they would in a pilot plant and vary flow rate, area, flow channels, flow patterns, and steam and glycol temperatures and compositions. Because of the versatility of the virtual process, students can conduct virtual laboratory experiments that cover many undergraduate engineering topics. Future work will entail adding dynamic models to observe the time response of a system change with a statistical variability, along with more product selections.