Vaisala’s process refractometers measure concentration in process liquids. The measurement technology, which is based on the refractive index of a liquid, is very accurate and reliable.
RI is a physical property of a liquid, proportional to the concentration, and can be described as the bending power of light at the surface of a liquid. RI is used within various dairy processes, delivering real-time data that can be utilised to deliver rapid insights for improved process control.
Why monitor?
Testing and monitoring in dairy processes is undertaken to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and product specifications. Samples are routinely taken for laboratory analysis, but continuous process monitoring offers a number of important advantages. For example, the collection of manual samples for laboratory analysis is a costly procedure and incurs a significant delay between sampling and the availability of a result. Consequently, any measurements outside of the acceptable values are likely to have travelled throughout the process before an alarm can be raised, resulting in significant product wastage. Nevertheless, laboratory testing enables the analysis of a wide variety of parameters, some of which may be required for regulatory reasons.
One of the main purposes of in-line monitoring is to ensure a consistent and reliable product. Once this has been achieved, it is possible to ensure that ongoing production complies with the appropriate specification, with automatic feedback control, and alarms issued when measurements approach warning levels. RI measurements offer significant opportunities for improvement, providing a better understanding of the conditions that give rise to alarms, so that these conditions can be pre-empted and avoided.
Inline refractometers are designed to improve product quality and process efficiency, while saving resources and increasing productivity.
Which measurement technology?
A number of options are available for in-line monitoring, however, some of these techniques are susceptible to interference from bubbles and suspended solids, and most of them (apart from RI) also suffer from drift. Importantly, Vaisala’s sanitary refractometers are able to continuously monitor Total Solids (TS) and Brix (dissolved solids) concentrations, and onsite verification is quick and easy to perform using standard refractive index liquids.
Why Vaisala?
Vaisala’s Polaris™ family of modular 5th generation process refractometers have been designed for reliability and tested in the harshest conditions. Connectivity options include mA, HART, and Modbus RTU, so they can be easily integrated into data management systems. The refractometer can be interfaced directly, or it can be connected to a Vaisala Indigo520 transmitter, which has both analog and digital output capability, as well as data storage and a graphical display.
With applicability to almost every dairy process, Vaisala’s Polaris™ refractometers can be implemented in a modular manner, which means that they can be applied to any size of dairy.
Real-time measurements enable real-time control which means that process control is optimized because each step of a process starts and stops at exactly the right moment, which prevents excessive energy use while eliminating the process management errors that cause product (and energy) wastage.
RI in the dairy industry
The dairy sector delivers a constantly evolving range of foods and beverages with consistently reliable taste and texture. Process managers therefore need to focus on key issues such as quality control, food safety, correct ingredient dosing, compliance with product specifications and the efficient use of raw materials, The measurements performed by Vaisala’s Polaris™ sanitary refractometers can be obtained at all stages of dairy processing; helping to inform the effective management of these processes.
In summary, in-line Brix and Total Solids measurements enable dairy fluid plant operators to optimise processes, lower costs, minimise waste, save energy and avoid downtime; improving sustainability and ensuring the production of consistent, high-quality products.
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