Operability and Flexibility of a Milk Production Line

The operability and flexibility of an existing milk treatment process are investigated through flowsheet modelling and simulation method. From the flowsheet simulation, a process operating region is determined using incoming milk flow viscosity and heat exchanger pressure drop as characteristic parameters. The operability and flexibility of the nominal operating points are evaluated with a minimization of the process pasteurization and cooling temperatures through vertex enumeration method. The milk treatment process simulation and process analysis provide a quantitative analysis method for the development of a flexible process in dairy industrial applications. The established process operability and flexibility analysis framework and flowsheet simulation can be adapted to other liquid food productions.