RHEOMETRIC MONITORING OF THE FORMATION OF MILK-PROTEIN BLOBS

This paper presents the results of the theoretical and experimental studies of newly designed devices, namely, the VRSh-1 ball rheometer and the Sgustok-1S dual-range rotary viscometer, for the continuous automatic monitoring of structure formation processes in milk-protein blobs. Each type of rheometers is studied to substantiate and select their geometric and kinematic parameters and the shape of measuring elements. It has been shown that the mechanical actions on the structure of milk-protein blobs during the rheometric monitoring of their formation must be minimal to obtain reliable data on their readiness. It has been proven that the monitoring of the formation of blobs by the method of the low-amplitude dynamic oscillations of a ball does not necessitate the measurement of the phase shift of its oscillations, and the total force of the resistance of a strengthening clot to the displacements of a ball inside it should be selected as a control parameter, which is in direct proportion to the amplitude of linear displacements of a ball in a viscoelastic medium (blob). Such a solution simplifies the design of a rheometer and makes it possible to obtain a similar rheogram, which precisely and reliably describes the coagulation of a milk mixture. The possibility of switching the rigidity ranges of force indicators without stopping the electrical drive, the design of which prevents a formed blob from dynamic impacts, thus providing the precision of monitoring and the preservation of the structure of a blob, has been designed for the method a cylinder rotating in a formed blob. The algorithm of the computer approximation of rheometric monitoring results for the formation of milk-protein blobs with the possibility of correcting its consistence at the terminal stage of coagulation is described.