A Particulate Mass Flux Sensor for the Food Process Industry

Currently, the vast majority of food products are made using batch processing. However, in most manufacturing operations, continuous processing methods provide for higher efficiency as well as greater quality in the finished product. This paradigm is not yet present in the food industry due to one primary reason. Processed food products need to have the correct amount of ingredients mixed together, and there are no sensors available that can provide valid online estimates of the mass flux of these ingredients. This project is aimed at developing and validating a particulate mass flux sensor for the food industry. It is anticipated that at the end of the project, a validated mass flux sensor will be available so that the food industry can move towards continuous processing for some of their processed products.