Selection of vacuum pumps for cheese drying

The objective of the study is to develop a methodology for selecting a specific vacuum pump from the manufacturer’s catalogue that would maintain the required parameters during cheese drying. The object of the study is the operation of domestically produced vacuum rotary vane pumps. The following were studied for the vacuum chamber: changes in individual parameters, such as air pressure and density, the effect of the initial product mass and the performance of vacuum rotary vane pumps on pressure. At the initial product mass M0 = 0.8 kg, the pressure increases insignificantly, the maximum value is 3.7 kPa; at M0 = 1.5 kg, the maximum pressure increases to 6.4 kPa; at M0 = 1.8 kg - up to 9.0 kPa; at M0 = 2.0 kg - up to 12.7 kPa. It was found that at M0 ≤ 0.8 kg, the drying conditions do not change compared to the control test data. Subsequently, with an increase in the initial product mass, the pressure in the vacuum chamber increases. The problem of selecting the performance of a vacuum vane-rotor pump that ensures drying of 12 kg of product under given conditions is considered. The paper presents a method for calculating the performance of a vacuum pump, providing the necessary parameters for drying cheeses and selecting a specific pump. With an increase in the total volume of the pumped space, the duration of the preliminary drying stage increases. Vacuum drying methods use the latest technologies that minimize damage caused by biochemical changes that reduce nutritional value during the drying process. The described method can be used in developing a technology for drying various food products, designing appropriate pumping systems.