Avaliação numérica do processo de separação de resíduos da kombucha utilizando membranas: uma análise em CFD

Abstract

Kombucha is an ancient drink that has been gaining notoriety for its numerous health benefits for the human body. It is obtained by fermenting teas through a conglomerate of yeasts and bacteria, known as SCOBY. As it comes from a microbiological fermentation process, kombucha has residues in its final stage of production, which changes the color aspect of the drink and its expiration date. Waste separation can be performed using microfiltration with semipermeable membranes in order to remove the particulate in suspension. The objective of the present research was to use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to simulate the separation of particulate matter suspended in the liquid. The simulations were developed using the Eulerian mathematical model and turbulence model RNG k-𝜀. The fermented solution has a density equal to 1.040 g/c𝑚3 and a content of particulate matter with a uniform diameter equal to 10 𝜇m. For the simulations, a feed speed of 0.5 m/s was considered. The results obtained for the pressure drop and velocity variation present good similarity with the data available in the literature, indicating little increasing variation of pressure inside the module, from 1.9821𝑒 + 05 Pa to 1.9823𝑒 + 05 Pa and velocity almost zero of the mixture during the process, since the particles are depositing on top of the membrane. Therefore, the flow dynamics was observed, the results obtained were satisfactory and the numerical evaluation of the separation process was successfully performed.