Food é um termo muito genérico. Em geral, ele aparece junto a outro termo como Residue, Products, Healthy, Industry e outros. Como não está especificando qual tipo de alimento são analisados, eu escolhi um termo geral correspondendo a produtos alimentícios.

Dissolved Air Flotation Lab

The Dissolved Air Flotation Laboratory is used to investigate the effect of bubble size on the flotation of fine apatite particles. The laboratory is equipped with an acrylic column flotation which has moving parts for the height column variation. Three bubble generation systems in this column are available, they are: two saturators enable the column operation with dissolved air, a Venturi tube is externally attached to the column providing aeration with pulp recycling, and a sintered porous cone is internally attached to the column promoting dispersed air flotation. To measure the bubble's size, it is used a high-speed camera. The following equipment required for ore conditioning and column flotation tests are also available: pumps, agitators, pH meters, rotameters, glassware, among others. The current work focuses on operating the column with the internal aerator and the Venturi tube, as well as the addition of surface-active agent to enable the bubbles size variation, comparing the performance of apatite flotation. The studies are carried out in collaboration with Vale Fertilizantes, which supplies both phosphate rock and reagents for ore conditioning. Figure 1 shows the experimental and instrumentation apparatus.

Location: Federal University of Uberlândia, Santa Mônica Campus, Bloco 1Z-B, Room 103.

Coordinator: Marcos Antônio de Souza Barrozo

Fluidizing Lab

Chemical Engineering Research Laboratory at Av. Dr. Laerte Vieira Gonçalves, 2858, Room 19, Segismundo Pereira, Uberlândia/MG.

Coordinator: Carlos Henrique Ataíde

Computational Fluid Dynamics Lab 

The Computational Fluid Dynamics Laboratory carries out projects in collaboration with the Separation Processes area. The research focuses on the material dynamics studies combined with experimental results, using Computational Fluid Dynamics and Discrete Element Method (DEM) techniques. The current work is dedicated to investigating the fluid dynamics of rotary drums, focusing on grinding, drying, and granulation. Video 1 presents a fluid dynamics simulation result. Figure 1 shows the computational structure available and Figure 2 illustrates the rotary drum experimental apparatus.

Location: Federal University of Uberlândia, Santa Mônica Campus, Bloco 1Z-B, Room 101.

Granulation Process Lab

Chemical Engineering Research Laboratory at Federal University of Uberlândia, Santa Mônica Campus, Bloco 1Z-B, Room 105.

Coordinator: Cláudio Roberto Duarte

Hydrocycloning Operation Lab

Chemical Engineering Research Laboratory at Av. Dr. Laerte Vieira Gonçalves, 2858, Room 5, Segismundo Pereira, Uberlândia/MG.

Coordinator: Carlos Henrique Ataíde

Spouted Bed Lab

The Spouted-Bed Laboratory evaluates the drying process and the behavior of sand-biomass mixture in a spouted regime based on fluid dynamics; mechanical extraction; fast pyrolysis; and microwave drying tests. Figure 1 and Video 1 present the experimental apparatus description for the drying studies corresponding to the agro-industrial residue biomass and sand mixtures, associated with the fluid dynamics. The sand is an inert material used to ensure mixture homogeneity and increase the heat transfer coefficient. This same unit also carries out studies on the mechanical extraction of some compounds, which could be applied as colorants in the food industry. Figure 2 shows the complement required to the experimental apparatus presented in Figure 1, to promote the aforementioned study. Figure 3 illustrates a spouted bed reactor for fast pyrolysis of biomass (coconut shell and malt bagasse) and sand mixtures to produce biofuels. The microwave drying unit, presented in Figure 4, is used for dehydration studies of agro-industrial residues from fruit processing.

Location: Federal University of Uberlândia, Santa Mônica Campus, Bloco 1Z-B, Room 1110. 

Fixed-Bed Lab

The Fixed-Bed Laboratory provides the dehydration of agro-industrial residues and seeds (soy) studies considering thin and thick layers. The residues are derived from fruit pulp and juice production. They are dehydrated for use as food supplements rich in fiber and bioactive compounds. The seeds are dehydrated to better understand the process and its effects on the product quality. Studies are also carried out on the hydrothermal carbonization of agro-industrial residues (lignocellulosic biomass) and microalgae for solid, liquid, or gas renewable fuels production. The laboratory is equipped with a Fixed-Bed unit, which can be converted into a thin or thick layer (Figure 1); a Hydrothermal Carbonization unit (Figure 2); a fume hood and precision balance (Figure 3); an ultrasonic bath (Figure 4).

Hydrocyclones Research Lab

The Hydrocyclones Research Laboratory is equipped with an experimental apparatus to investigate the solid-liquid separation process, as shown in Figure 1. Hydrocyclones are equipment widely used in industrial processes and employ the principle of centrifugal force field. They can be applied for particle classification according to size or density, thickening, desliming, and removing oil droplets from liquids. Figure 2 schematically shows the experimental apparatus with a hydrocyclone, while Figure 3 presents two hydrocyclones and their characteristic dimensions.

Location: Federal University of Uberlândia, Santa Mônica Campus, Bloco 1Z-B, Room 104.

Coordinator: Marcos Antonio de Souza Barrozo

Parallel Processing Lab

The Parallel Processing Laboratory develops projects in collaboration with the Separation Processes area. The research focuses on the material dynamics studies combined with experimental results, using Computational Fluid Dynamics and Discrete Element Method (DEM) techniques. The current work is dedicated to 0investigating the fluid dynamics of rotary drums, focusing on grinding, drying, and granulation. Video 1 presents a fluid dynamics simulation result. Figure 1 shows the computational structure available for research development. Figure 2 illustrates the rotary drum experimental unit used to obtain the experimental results.

Location: Federal University of Uberlândia, Santa Mônica Campus, Bloco 1Z-B, Room 104.

Drying Process Lab

Drying processes are extremely important in food storage and preservation, preventing microorganism’s proliferation and reducing the degradation if these materials were stored with high humidity. The Drying Process Laboratory is responsible to investigate the drying processes and, currently, is equipped with a Roto-Aerated Dryer assisted or not by infrared lamps (see Figures 1 and 2), and a Rotary Dryer with different configurations and systems (see Figure 3). The Roto-Aerated Dryer was developed in the Drying Process Laboratory at FEQUI/UFU, by modifying the conventional rotary dryer to improve the fluid-particle contact, provided by a new aerated system, increasing the heat and mass transfer coefficients, and reducing the energy consumption. Other separation processes such as oven-drying and sieving are also carried out in this laboratory.

Location: Federal University of Uberlândia, Santa Mônica Campus, Bloco 1Z-B, Room 101.

Solid-fluid Separation Process Lab

Chemical Engineering Research Laboratory at Federal University of Uberlândia, Santa Mônica Campus, Bloco 5K

Coordinator: Carlos Henrique Ataíde

Separation and Renewable Energy Lab

The Separation and Renewable Energy Laboratory includes the solar energy applications considering Unit Operations and Transport Phenomena. In the laboratory, it is studied pyrolysis using a parabolic solar concentrator, residue decarbonation using Fresnel lenses, aqueous electrolysis using photovoltaic panels, biomass drying, and the pasteurization process.

Location: Federal University of Uberlândia, Santa Mônica Campus, Bloco 1Z-B, Room 109.

Solid-Gas Separation Process Lab

The filtration process is one of the most common methods for a solid-gas separation due to its high collection efficiency, low operational cost, and low sensitivity to the variation of the operational conditions. During the gas filtration process, particles accumulate in the filter surface forming a porous layer called filter cake. The filter cake formation leads to greater resistance to gas flow, increasing the pressure drop and the operating costs. The filter cake must be removed by cleaning processes when the pressure drop is relatively high, to reduce the resistance to gas flow and the costs. The Solid-Gas Separation Process Laboratory evaluates the effects of the operational variables such as pressure drop, filtration velocity, and cleaning velocity, on the filter cake formation and removal considering different filter materials. The research in this laboratory is developed by the following professors: João Jorge Ribeiro Damasceno (Coordinator) and Fábio de Oliveira Arouca.

Location: Chemical Engineering Research Laboratory at Av. Dr. Laerte Vieira Gonçalves, 2858, Segismundo Pereira, Uberlândia/MG.

Solid-Liquid Separation Process Lab

Several industry sectors, as drilling wells and oil exploration, are interested in particle sedimentation studies in non-Newtonian fluids. The sedimentation analysis of the particulate materials in batch tests is the starting point to design and evaluate the continuous settlers. The Solid-Liquid Separation Process Laboratory investigates the batch and continuous settlers to the solid-liquid separation process. The main research’s focus in this laboratory is to better understand the mechanisms associated with this phenomenon. The research in this laboratory is developed by the following professors: João Jorge Ribeiro Damasceno (Coordinator) and Fábio de Oliveira Arouca.

Location: Chemical Engineering Research Laboratory at Av. Dr. Laerte Vieira Gonçalves, 2858, Room 2, Segismundo Pereira, Uberlândia/MG.

Nanoaerosol Technology Lab

The Nanoaerosol Technology Laboratory is equipped with facilities for nanoparticles production, counting, and separation from several materials. The Differential Mobility Analyzer (DMA) is the main equipment in this laboratory. This equipment consists of a device to classify polydisperse aerosol nanoparticles based on their electrical mobility, generating monodisperse nanoaerosol. The monodisperse nanoaerosol generation has great importance in the calibration of high-precision equipment, standardization tests for high-efficiency filters, among others.

Location: Chemical Engineering Research Laboratory at Av. Dr. Laerte Vieira Gonçalves, 2858, Segismundo Pereira, Uberlândia/MG.

Coordinator: Fábio de Oliveira Arouca.