Processors are always looking for ways to increase the quality and efficiency of their operations, and one of the key challenges for food processing facilities is to maximize processing capacity and productivity while achieving sustainability goals. JBT Sterideal Ohmic can help processors meet their sustainability targets by increasing processing capacity with longer runtime, maximizing resources like water, energy and time, and the ability to use power from alternative energy sources.
What is Ohmic Heating?
Sometimes called “Joule Heating”, ohmic heating overcomes typical problems of conventional heat exchangers by passing an electric current through the product. The electrical energy is transformed into heat energy near instantaneously, therefore increasing product temperature very quickly. Instead of heating the product by conducting heat through the pipe walls, the heat is generated within the product itself. As a result, a product undergoes minimal structural damage and better retains its nutritional and sensory properties. Ohmic heating volumetrically heats the entire mass of the food material and therefore there is a homogeneous treatment of the product. When dealing with liquid foods containing large particles, there is no overheating of the liquid due to the low heat transfer rate by conduction to the center of particles as in conventional heat exchangers
Extend Your Production Runs
The JBT Sterideal Ohmic is a reliable and sustainable solution that can help you increase your productivity. It has a longer runtime, allowing you to add approximately 20-30% productivity per day over traditional heat exchangers. The unique design reduces the risk of fouling product, reducing cleanings and chemicals needed due to reduced fouled product.
Business case – $300,000 Savings with Longer Production Run
Let’s look at a real world example. JBT recently worked with a customer that produces whole liquid eggs. Before Ohmic was installed, production run time was only 6 hours. Once Ohmic was installed, the customer was able to achieve a 16 hour production run, which is over 2.5 times more than before! Not only did the customer achieve almost 15% longer productions runs which allowed for more tons of product per year, but it also reduced production cost by cutting energy, water, and cleaning chemical usage, which resulted in an annual difference of over US$300,000.
“With Ohmic” vs “Without Ohmic”
| Without Ohmic | With Ohmic | |
| Production Time | 6 | 16 |
| Tons of Product/Year | 80,640 | 92,160 |
| Production Cost/Year | $926,707 | $594,017 |
| Production Cost/Ton | $11.5 | $6.4 |
Less Fouling Equals More Productivity
Now, you do not have to worry about fouling product! This means that you will not have to clean your equipment as frequently and reduce the use of cleaning products. This also reduces maintenance costs and increases efficiency which leads to a more profitable business for you. All too susceptible to coagulation with traditional pasteurization, the JBT Sterideal® Ohmic system application in liquid eggs can eliminate unwanted cooked egg can clog up tubes and piping, effectively – and frequently – shutting down processing lines for hours at a time as cleaning takes place. This reduces the number of cleanings needed, reducing the usage of water and cleaning chemicals.
Reduce Water Consumption
JBT Sterideal Ohmic uses electricity, therefore no steam or water is used during the heating process. Instead, Ohmic heating applies high voltage to the product flowing inside a tube unit. The liquid food reacts as electric resistance and generates heat through the Joule effect. The heating process is typically much faster than conventional processes, usually around 10 times faster. With this method, water is now only used during the cooling process. Not only will the Ohmic reduce water usage through the electric heating process, but also will reduce the water needed during the cleaning process. With less fouling product, the need to clean the system, reducing the water consumption through less frequent cleaning that will be required.
Power with the Sun
The JBT Sterideal Ohmic heat treatment system can be powered by renewable energy instead of traditional boilers. This allows you to power the Ohmic with renewables or alternative power such as solar, wind, or hydro. This is a great step towards more sustainable operation, as it reduces the carbon footprint of your manufacturing facility and makes it more environmentally friendly.
Extend Shelf Life
This system also brings a longer shelf life to your final product. The longer shelf life means you can store it at room temperature and not worry about it losing its effectiveness. This is due to a better temperature control which can allow running at a higher temperature without overheating. Higher product temperatures are available with Ohmic because there is no risk of fouling for the absence of “hot wall” in the heat exchanger, because there is no “heat exchanger”. This also results in fewer waste products expiring in storage or on store shelves!
Make the Step Towards a Sustainable Future with Ohmic
JBT’s purpose is to help our customers succeed in the marketplace by giving them solutions to make better use of the world’s precious resources. Optimizing the use of natural resources means doing business responsibly and wisely. We help our customers achieve both through automation, electrification, and efficiency. Whether it’s maximizing food yield in equipment like the Sterideal Ohmic, JBT is engineering solutions today that are moving our world toward a more sustainable tomorrow. Learn More about the JBT Sterideal Ohmic.