Constant Rate Expressing of Juice from Biological Tissue Enhanced by Pulsed Electric Field

Abstract

Pulsed electric field (PEF) is an innovative technology, which can be successfully combined with solid/liquid expressing of juice from biological materials. The fresh juicy plants contain the juice in closed cells. The application of PEF ensures the electropermeabilization of cellular membranes, which facilitates the expulsion of liquid from the interior of cells. This article describes the influence of PEF on the kinetics of juice extraction from the layer of sugar beet particles expressed at a constant rate. Experimental study was carried out using a laboratory filter-press cell connected to a PEF treatment system. The PEF was applied by two different modes: as a pretreatment operation before pressing and as a treatment during pressing. The application of PEF to nonpressurized cake leads to increase of energy consumption and higher applied voltage. The PEF treatment of excessively pressurized cakes enhances the juice yield; however, the expressing of juice is significantly delayed. The best result is obtained when the sugar beet tissue is treated with PEF at 1.5–5 bars. The influence of PEF parameters on the juice yield was also studied. The intensity of PEF was varied from 0 to 1000 V/cm and the number of pulses was varied between 0 and 1000. It was established that the optimal parameters of PEF after the cake pressurization at 5 bar were in the next range: intensity of PEF E = 500 V/cm and duration of PEF application 0.03–0.05 s.