AGE 411:

FOOD and PROCESS

ENGINEERING

LUANAR

Lecturer: Wellam Kamthunzi

Agricultural Engineering Department
Introduction
• Welcome to 4th Year of the Engineering
program
• Food and Process Engineering is a very
important course
• The Food Industry is very weak in Malawi.
• It can only grow if Engineers become
active.
• Food Engineers can only become active if
they perform their role.
 What is the role of Food Engineers?
Objective of Food Engineering
• One of the primary objectives of the food
industry is to transform, by a series of
operations, raw agricultural materials into
foods suitable for consumption.
• Many different types of equipment and
several stages are used to perform these
transformations.
• The efficient calculation and design of each
stage — called unit or basic operation — is
one of the main purposes of food
engineering.
Aim of the Course

• To equip students with advanced

knowledge and skill for the analysis
and design of operations, processes
and systems in Food Engineering
Course Outcomes
By the end of the course students should be able to:
 Describe the significance of food and process engineering.
 Explain the functional processes and unit operations for a
typical food processing plant.
 Apply engineering principles in the selection and application of
appropriate engineering technologies for the food industry.
 Combine engineering principles, food science and economics
in the design and analysis of equipment and machinery for the
food industry.
 Combine engineering principles and economics in the design of
a food processing plant.
 Provide leadership in the promotion of the food industry through
the establishment of food processing plants.
o Assess the technical, economic, financial, social, environmental and
legal requirements for a food industry.
Topics
Introduction to food and process engineering
Engineering principles and concepts in Food engineering:
 SI Units and Dimensional analysis
 Properties and characteristics of food and biological materials
 Mass and energy balances
 Fluid mechanics and hydraulics
 Heat and mass transfer

Technologies for food processing, preservation, storage

and handling.
Analysis and design of unit operations, processes,
equipment and machinery for food processing
Design, set up and management of a food processing
plant.
Textbooks

• Albert Ibarz, and Gustavo V. Barbosa-

Cánovas. 2003. Unit Operations in Food
Engineering. CRC Press. New York
• Geankoplis, C. J. 1993. Transport
Processes and Unit Operations. 3rd ed. P.
T. R. Prentice Hall. Englewood Cliffs. New
Jersey. USA.
• Earle, R. L. 1983. Earle. Unit Operations in
Food Processing. The web edition.
Available at
http://www.nzifst.org.nz/unitoperations
Assessment
• Coursework (40%)
• Problem Sets
• Laboratory Reports
• Food Processing Project

• Exams (60%)
• Mid-semester Exam ( 30%)
• End of Course Exam (70%)
Grading System

• Letter Grade
• As (80 – 100%)
• Bs (70 – 79%)
• Cs (60 – 69%)
• Ds (50 – 59%)
• F (less than 50%)
Mode of Delivery

• Class Lectures, Tutorials and Lab.

Practicals
o PowerPoint slides
o Problem solving during tutorials
o Hands-on practical work during lab hours
o Class Discussions
o Tests and Quizzes
Prerequisites

• AGE 321: Processing and Storage

Technology
• Heat and Mass Transfer
• Communication Skills
• Open mind
Class Regulations

• Class and Lab attendance is mandatory

• Do not come late for classes
• All assignments are due in a week’s time.
• No electronic devices are allowed in
class.
• All cell phones must be on silent mode
Office Hours

• Check lecturer’s timetable for free

periods
• No appointment needed except on
special cases
End of Course Project

• You are expected to earn credit

through the design of an equipment for
processing of a food product.
Food Process Engineering Project

• Produce a concept note for an

equipment for food processing
• Concept note should provide the design
specifications and detailed drawings.
• Fabrication of the equipment will require
workshop fabrication skills.
• Testing of the equipment will involve
data collection.
The Engineering Design Process
NASA's definition of the
Engineering Design Process
• The Engineering Design Process is a
series of steps that engineers use to
guide them as they solve problems.
• Engineers must ask a question,
imagine a solution, plan a design,
create that model, experiment and test
that model, then take time to improve
the original.
Definition of Engineering Design Process - By the
Accreditation Board of Engineering and
Technology (ABET)
• Engineering design is the process of devising a
system, component, or process to meet desired
needs.
• It is a decision- making process (often iterative),
in which the basic science and mathematics
and engineering sciences are applied to convert
resources optimally to meet a stated objective.
• Among the fundamental elements of the design
process are the establishment of objectives and
criteria, synthesis, analysis, construction,
testing and evaluation.
Essential components in Engineering Design

• The engineering design component of a curriculum

must include most of the following features:
development of student creativity, use of open-
ended problems, development and use of modern
design theory and methodology, formulation of
design problem statements and specification,
consideration of alternative solutions, feasibility
considerations, production processes, concurrent
engineering design, and detailed system
description.
• Further it is essential to include a variety of realistic
constraints, such as economic factors, safety,
reliability, aesthetics, ethics and social impact."
Engineering Design Steps

• State/define problem – problem analysis;

formulate specifications
• Generate ideas – brainstorm; research
• Select most viable idea – technical, social,
economics, environment
• Build prototype
• Test the prototype – does it meet the
specifications
• Improve/refine the design
• Communicate the results
Juice press
Apple peeler/corer
RAM-32 oil expression machine
Hydraulic press