Static mixers and mixer heat-exchangers are very much suitable for use in the food industry. Additional surface treatment and special connections, like milk couplings and try-clamps can be added to meet the requirements of the process. Common Food applications include:
Static mixers are used for a wide range of applications in the food industry. The CSE-W® helical shaped mixer has been employed successfully for many years to mix low-viscosity fluids. High-viscosity mixing tasks with high viscosity ratios are increasingly solved with CSE-X® mixers, which offer a significantly better mixing efficiency.
The most diverse mixer geometries are employed to achieve a homogeneous mixture, depending on the application and the flow regime. The choice of geometry is determined by the Reynolds number and the properties of the fluids to be mixed. Two basic mixer types are used in the food processing industry. The CSE-W mixer (top) is ideal for low viscosity applications or as a heat exchanger. CSE-X mixers are more popular for complex mixing tasks involving high viscosity ratios or for gasification with FSBR reactors.
The Fluitec Mixer Heat-Exchanger type CSE-XR® is consequently designed for the heat exchange at laminar flow conditions. It is used as a standard device for processing of sweets, of chocolate or in the dairy Industry. Beside of the very high heat transfer performance if processing liquids of higher viscosities, its success is based on the lack of any dead spots and its reliability for CIP-cleaning (Cleaning In Place). Products in the food industry are mostly of very complex composition, thus making theoretical assumptions of the physical properties very doubtful.