Abstract
Heat treatment of the indoor environment of flour mills is an alternative technique to chemical fumigation for controlling insect pests. The aim of this research was to assess temperature distribution inside a flour mill during a heat treatment for insect pest control by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling and simulation. The model was validated by using the average values of experimental data acquired during a heat treatment carried out in a flour mill, which is representative of the building materials and techniques used in the milling industry of South Italy. Simulations were carried out in steady-state conditions, and simulated data were validated by the average values of air and wall temperature measurements. Since the modelled temperature distribution in the mill fit the real one with a good accuracy (maximum error equal to 2.57 °C), the CFD model was considered reliable to simulate other operating conditions. Since it was observed that the internal surface temperatures of the mill were much lower than the value required for the success of the heat treatment, equal to 45 °C, the CFD model could be used for improving the effectiveness of heat treatments in the flour mill. Application of the proposed CFD model in the simulation of specific interventions could be aimed at improving both building performance and fan heaters’ localisatio,n in order to find the best configuration.
Highlights
Milling is the operation of grinding cereals to produce semolina or flour, which are used in the food industry for the production of bread, pasta, and other derivatives.One of the most important concerns in the milling phase is the proliferation of rodents and insect pests at different life stages, from eggs and larva until the adult form, within the processing environment [1]
The main objective of this study was defined based on the evidence derived from research studies reported in the literature, which showed the need for developing a model suitable to select the most appropriate strategy for treatment optimisation and minimisation of energy costs, which economically affect treatment execution and sustainability. This objective was achieved in this study by developing a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model, which gives a realistic representation of the inner conditions of the mill and, in general, of the thermal behaviour of the building
Air temperatures and air velocities in the indoor environment were recorded by using data-loggers and portable anemometers, and integrated by the measure of values related to the external environment
Summary
One of the most important concerns in the milling phase is the proliferation of rodents and insect pests at different life stages, from eggs and larva until the adult form, within the processing environment [1]. In 1987, after the Montreal Protocol prohibited the use of substances considered harmful for the ozone layer, methyl bromide was phased out and banned permanently by 2005 [3] Another condition that has manifested during the recent years and pushed towards the abandonment of chemical methods for pest control regarded the increased resistance of pests to insecticides and gaseous fumigants [4]
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