Designing and Manufacturing High Voltage Pulse Generator with Adjustable Pulse and Monitoring Current and Voltage: Food Processing Application

Authors: H. Mirzaee, A. Pourzaki

Abstract:

Using strength Pulse Electrical Field (PEF) in food industries is a non-thermal process that can deactivate microorganisms and increase penetration in plant and animals tissues without serious impact on food taste and quality. In this paper designing and fabricating of a PEF generator has been presented. Pulse generation methods have been surveyed and the best of them selected. The equipment by controller set can generate square pulse with adjustable parameters such as amplitude 1-5kV, frequency 0.1-10Hz, pulse width 10-100s, and duty cycle 0-100%. Setting the number of pulses, and presenting the output voltage and current waveforms on the oscilloscope screen are another advantages of this equipment. Finally, some food samples were tested that yielded the satisfactory results. PEF applying had considerable effects on potato, banana and purple cabbage. It caused increase Brix factor from 0.05 to 0.15 in potato solution. It is also so effective in extraction color material from purple cabbage. In the last experiment effects of PEF voltages on color extraction of saffron scum were surveyed (about 6% increasing yield).

Keywords: PEF, Capacitor, Switch, IGBT

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1083529

References:

[1] M. Guderjan, P. Elez-Martinez, D. Knorr, "Application of Pulsed Electric Fields at Oil Yields and Content of Functional Food Ingredients at the Production o Rapeseed Oil", Innovative food science and emerging technologies, No. 8, Apr. 2007, pp. 55-62.
[2] Q. Zhang , G.V. Barbosa, B.G. & Swanson, "Engineering aspects of pulsed electric field pasteurisation", Journal of Food Engineering, No. 25, 1995, pp.261 -281.
[3] V. Heinz, A. Angerbach, D. Knorr, "Membrane permeabilization in biological materials in response to pulsed electric fieldsÔÇö A highly efficient process for biotechnology", International Conference on Pulsed Power Applications, Gelsenkirchen, March 2001, B.03.1-B.03.7.
[4] Q. Qiu, S. Sharma, M. Jia, & Q.H. Zhang, "An integrated PEF Pilot plant for continuous non-thermal pasteurisation of fresh orange juice" Transactions on American Society of Agricultural Engineers, 41(4), 1998, pp.1069 -1074.
[5] T. Grahl, & H. Markl, "Killing micro-organisms by pulsed electric fields" Applied Microbiology Biotechnology, 45, 1996, pp. 148 -157.
[6] S.W.H. De Haan, B. Roodenburg, J. Morren, H. Prins, "Technology for preservation of food with Pulsed Electric fields (PEF)", Proceedings ofthe Africon 2002 Conference on Electrical Engineering, George (SA), October 2002.
[7] A. Pourzaki, H. Mirzaee, "Pulsed Electric Field Generators in food processing", 18th National Congress on Food Technology, 15-16 Oct. 2008, Mashhad-Iran.
[8] N. Mohan, T. N. Undeland, and W. P. Robbins, "Power Electronics; Converters and Design" New York, 1995, Wiley.
[9] M. P. J. Gaudreau, T. Hawkey, J. Petry, and M. A. Kempkes, "A solid state pulsed power system for food processing" 24th Pulses Power Plasma Science Conference, 2001, Las Vegas, USA.
[10] Kotnik, T., Pucihar, G., Rebersek, M., Miklavcic, D. and Mir, L. M. "Role of pulse shape in cell membrane electropermeabilization" Biochimica Biophysica Acta, 1614, 2003, 193-200.
[11] V. Chitta, S. Hong, & D.A. Torrey, "Series connection of IGBT-s with active voltage balancing" IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications, 35, 1999, 917 -923.
[12] A. Pourzaki, H. Mirzaee, "New High Voltage Pulse Generators", Recent Patents on Electric Engineering, Bentham Science Publishers Ltd, Vol. 2, No. 1, Jan 2009, 65-76.
[13] A. Angersbach, V. Heinz, and D. Knorr, "Effect of pulsed electric fields on cell membranes in real food systems" Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies, 1, 2000, 135-149.
[14] M. Fincan, F. De Vito, and P. Dejmek, "Pulsed electric field treatment for solid-liquid extraction of red beetroot pigment" Journal of Food Engineering 64, 2004, 381-388.
[15] M.N. Eshtiaghi, and D. Knorr, "High electric field pulse pretreatment: potential for sugar beet" processing Journal of Food Engineering 53 (2), 2002, 265-272.
[16] N. Menses, H. Jaeger, J. Moritz, D. Knorr, "Impact of Insulator Shape, Flow Rate and Electrical Parameters on Inactivation of E.coli Using a Continuous Co-linear System", Innovative food science and emerging technologies, No. 12, Jun. 2011, pp. 6-12.
[17] A. H. Bushnell, J. E. Dunn, R.W. Clark, and J. S. Pearlman, "High pulsed voltage systems for extending the shelf life of pumpable food production", 1993, U.S. Patent 5,235,905.
[18] K. Huang, J. Wang ,"Designs of Pulsed Electric Fields Treatment Chambers for Liquid Food Pasteurization Process: A Review", Journal of Food Engineering, June 2009, pp. 227-239.
[19] A. Angersbach, V.Heinz, and D.Knorr, "Evaluation of process induced dimensional changes in the membrane structure of biological cells using impedance measurement" Biotechnol Prog. 18, 2002, 597-603.