Sasikumaran Nandakumar

Gr 12D

THE PHYSICS PRINCIPLES BEHIND

CONFECTIONARY
The rate of flow of a fluid through a pipe is inversely proportional to the viscosity of
the fluid. Physics principles like this are used to assess the chocolates and biscuits
raw materials quality and condition.

In the manufacture of chocolates especially in aerated

products, such as Aero bar, the flow properties of the
chocolate will affect the size of the air bubbles.

Factors affecting flow rate of

liquid
The high solid content makes the chocolate
flow in a non-Newtonian manner. This
means the viscosity of the fluid varies
according to the shear rate.
The rate of flow of liquid chocolate through pipes in the manufacture of sweets
will vary depending on the exact recipe used to produce it. Greater the amount of
sugar may mean greater viscosity, and thus slower flow through the pipes.
In laminar flow, the chocolate molecules within fluid follow well-defined paths.
The viscosity is dependent upon temperature but largely independent of pressure
and surface roughness. Since viscosity varies greatly with temperature, its
necessary to carry out several measurements.
If the shear rate becomes very high however, the movement of the molecules
within the fluid becomes more random the flow becomes turbulent. This should
never be allowed to happen within a chocolate pipeline as it can cause damage to
the system. The shear stress down a pipe is proportional to its diameter, so larger
pipes should be installed if any turbulence occurs.

Measuring flow rates

The measuring of flow rates is vital in the confectionery industry to maintain
consistency and thickness of the product. The most preferable method is to use a
light-gate flowmeter.
 Sasikumaran Nandakumar
Gr 12D
The light-gate flowmeter
The light-gate consists of a source of
light. When the beam is interrupted, the
change of illumination triggers an
electronic timer, which is stopped when
the illumination is restored.
Here, a rotating propeller blade, driven
by the flowing liquid, repeatedly
interrupts the illumination. The meter registers the frequency of interruptions. To be
useful, such a meter first has to be calibrated using known flow rates.

Controlling the flow

Mostly this is achieved using valves and pumps, but molten chocolate is an electro-
rheological fluid, that is, one in which electric fields affect its viscous properties. The
stronger the electric field, the more viscous the fluid. Thus, an electric field can be
produced by a pair of conducting plates to control the fluids flow rate.

Testing of products
Texture analysers are electronical testing
machines that use a force sensor to record
the force necessary in order to penetrate
into a sample. This is used to determine the
fragility, hardness, elasticity, adhesiveness,
and chewability of foods such as chocolate
and toffees. Bite firmness tests using Warner-Bratzler
shear cell and Ottawa cell
Bite behaviour tests use equipment that
simulates the bite into foods and thus
provides information about the bite behaviour as well as the crispiness and firmness
of biscuits.

References:
Butlin, Chris. Salters Horners advanced physics: AS level: Student book. Vol. 1,
Heinemann, 2000.
DLG-Expert report, Instrumental sensory testing in the food industry Part 2:
Mechanical texture analysis of foods, 2015.