Team 17: Clean Coffee -...
Transcript of Team 17: Clean Coffee -...
Team 17: Clean Coffee
Vortx Kleanair Systems sells an environmentally friendly cyclonic
separator for treating coffee roasting exhaust as an alternative to using
an afterburner. The cyclone uses centrifugal force and water spray to
cool the exhaust and separate out the smoke. Since Vortx did not have
an engineering analysis of the system, they provided Team 17 with the
task to analyze, scale, and optimize their separator for use with larger
sized coffee roasters. Vortx currently makes a system to handle 450 cfm
of exhaust but wishes to scale up to handle 800 cfm.
Team 17 from left to right: Erik Karlson (ME), Paul Bootsma (ME),
Kirk Brink (ME), and Christopher Greaves (ME).
Small scale testing was preformed on
a one kilogram fluid bed roaster and
small cyclone separator. The tests
help give a visual understanding of
the full scale behavior. These tests
also provided a basis of knowledge in
coffee roasting to help approach the
project.
To develop new upscaled dimensions for larger exhaust flow rates, it
was necessary to relate product geometry to separation behavior. This
was accomplished with an analytical model, developed using the
Muschelknautz method. This system of equations allowed for the rapid
evaluation of various possible geometries. By isolating key independent
variables, it was then possible to optimize for cost, pressure, and
separated particle size using numerical methods. These results were
then combined with practical concerns to create a final solution.
PROJECT INTRODUCTION
MODELING METHOD
TEAM 17
SMALL SCALE TESTING
FINAL DESIGN
SUSTAINABILITY ANALYSIS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Team 17 would like to thank Prof. Renard Tubergen (Faculty Advisor),
Ron Kleist (Client), Tyler Greenway (Coffee Roasting Expert), and Skyler
Rich (Team Photographer) for their help on this project.
An analysis of the potential environmental impact of the EcoFilter was
executed to develop a quantitative understanding of the system from a
sustainability perspective. By removing the need for an afterburner, the
system avoids combustion of additional natural gas, reducing overall
emissions. Through this study, the reduction in emissions was
determined to be one-third pound of CO2 for a ten pound batch of
coffee beans. This may not seem significant, but it is a way for specialty
roasters to show their commitment to the environment and reduce
operating costs at the same time.
The final design consists of increasing the outlet radius of the 450 cfm
model by 40%. This provides a similar separated particle size between
both models as well as a small increase in price. The pressure loss is
larger but still within reasonable allowances. By keeping most
dimensions the same, manufacturing will be highly efficient as most
parts will be interchangeable between models.
2018: TEAM 17
R 0
Rx 40%
S 0
H 0
Hc 0
Rd 0