News Here you can find current info, event notes and other news.

Here you can find current info, event notes and other news.

(May 2021) In the article “Analysis of Nonideal Shape Evolution during Potash Alum Crystallization Using Microcomputed Tomography and Three-Dimensional Image Analysis” (10.1021/acs.cgd.0c01644) we explain how the shape of crystal populations (10 000 crystals in total) can be analyzed using micro-computer tomography. We describe how the shape of crystals evolves even though all growth rates remain unchanged.

In the article entitled "Predicting the behavior of granules of complex shapes using coarse-grained particles and artificial neural networks", complex particle shapes are investigated experimentally. With the help of neural networks, the equivalent static and dynamical behavior is replicated in numerical simulations using simplified (coarse-grained) shapes.

Miss Deborah Kracheletz, graduate in Food Technology and Biotechnology, received the price of the mayor of the city of Freising for the best Master’s Thesis in the field Life Science Engineering in the academic year 2019/20.

You will get to the online award by mayor Tobias Eschenbacher via the following link:

Best Master’s Theses in the academic year 2019/2020 - Award winners honored by T. Eschenbacher - YouTube

Miss Kracheletz dealt in her thesis titled „Simulation of molecular diffusion in a single particle and a packed bed on the example of espresso extraction and chocolate conching – A comparison of different approaches”, supervised by Verena Pannusch and Philip Schmid, with species mass transport processes in coffee and cocoa particles.

We warmly congratulate Miss Kracheletz and wish her all the best for the future.

In the article entitled "Optimizing the Axial Resistance Profile of Submerged Hollow Fiber Membranes," the method of optimal control is used to predict the resistance profile of  hollow fiber membranes which guarantees a constant transmembrane flux.

We are happy and thankful for the recognition of our efforts in high quality teaching.

A simple and efficient algorithm for tracking shape evolution of small-molecule organic crystals during molecular simulations is described. No information except the unit cell parameters is needed beforehand, making it feasible to automatically detect not only existing but also new forming crystal faces and edges, which is valuable for prediction of growth and dissolution kinetics. Paper

We congratulate our colleague Mathias Hilmer, who has been awarded the prize of the “Weihenstephaner Milchwirtschaftler, Bio- und Lebensmitteltechnologen e.V.”  for outstanding scientific work for his master's thesis entitled: "Development of a freeze-drying stage for µ-CT measurements". The prize was awarded during the association's digital autumn conference on October 15, 2020.

This study presents a new method for identifying and quantifying factors influencing coating uniformity of hot-melt coated particles. The proposed method facilitates the determination of coating-thickness distribution and non-covered surface proportion based on micro-computed tomography measurements.

We are pleased to receive this year's award for the best digital teaching from the student council for brewing, food technology and bioprocess engineering. The award ceremony took place on a small scale at the chair.

On September, 10^th, 2020, Heiko Briesen gave an online keynote lecture with the title “Crystallization processes in four dimensions – Tracking full crystal shape information over time”in the webinar Series 2020 of the Working Party on Crystallization EFCE

Morphological and physiological characterization of filamentous Lentzea aerocolonigenes: Comparison of biopellets by microscopy and flow cytometry

This article shows a new conceptional design of an experimental setup for in situ visualization of the lyophilization process using neutron radiography and computed tomography and its validation. The setup is designed for the neutron imaging beam line ANTARES at FRM II, considering all the requirements for this method. Neutrons are ideally suited to detect water in a sample because of the high neutron attenuation of hydrogen, whereas other materials like aluminum have a low absorption of neutrons resulting in an image where the drying fronts in bulk materials are observable. Consisting of a freeze-drying cell and a sample-stick, the setup is basically inspired by a common freeze-drying unit. The cell is axial symmetrical to allow computed tomography measurements. The developed sample stick connects the vacuum cell with the measurement devices and the vacuum pump. Experiments were performed at FRM II, showing that the setup is functional. In addition, the experiments discovered some possibilities for improvements, which can be used in further measurements.  Paper

In this study, the swelling behavior of roasted coffee particles in water and particularly its impact on particle diameter is examined by applying laser?diffraction analysis and microscopy. Several potential influencing factors are investigated: initial particle size, roasting degree, and temperature. Additionally, the time dependency of swelling and particle shape is evaluated at two different temperatures.

Paper

Two methods to study the primary freeze?drying behavior of bulky solids are presented, namely, lyomicroscopy and neutron imaging. The applicability of both methods to visualize the evolution of the sublimation front is tested for maltodextrin particles with different sizes and solid concentrations. Exemplary results for both methods are reported and the applicability of both methods to study freeze?drying behavior of bulk solids is described. To estimate the impact of particle size and bed height for the freeze?drying of bulky solids, a modified Biot number is introduced to estimate the optimum particle size for a given bed height and formulation. The applicability of the two methods with regard to the modified Biot numbers is discussed. Link

Researchers of the chair of process systems engineering, in cooperation with the Otto von Guericke University, investigate the freeze-drying process by using neutrons. Link

Parameter Estimation for Incompressible Cake Filtration: Advantages of a Modified Fitting Method

Using 3D printed particles to investigate fundamental particle and packing properties. Particle shape matters – Using 3D printed particles to investigate fundamental particle and packing properties

Designing optimally-graded depth filter media using a novel multiscale method

From three-dimensional morphology to effective diffusivity in filamentous fungal pellets.
Joint publication with TU Berlin.
Title: From three-dimensional morphology to effective diffusivity in filamentous fungal pellets

System Process Engineering - A Philosophical Concept Analysis

Open access full text available at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cite.201800220

Impedance spectroscopy as a process analytical technology (PAT) tool for online monitoring of sucrose crystallization.
Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2019.02.005

Effect of particle-wall interaction on triboelectric separation of fine particles in a turbulent flow
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921883119300482?via%3Dihub

Cooperation Partner:

• TU Berlin, Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Applied and Molecular Microbiology
• TU Munich, Chair of Technical Microbiology

Title: An X-ray microtomography-based method for detailed analysis of the three-dimensional morphology of fungal pellets

Analysis of two common algorithms to compute self-diffusion coefficients in infinite dilution from molecular dynamics simulations and application to n-alkanes (C1 to C35) in water in Fluid Phase Equilibria

We congratulate our colleague Moritz Kindlein, who was honored at this year's annual meeting of the ProcessNet Subject  Division Food Technology. The annual meeting took place at the Nestle Research Center in Lausanne. He achieved third place with the presentation "Modeling the refining of chocolate and related molecular mechanisms with impact on rheology".

"Enhancing the X-ray contrast of polymeric biochromatography particles for three-dimensional imaging"
Journal of Chromatography A
Link: www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021967318316017

[Translate to English:] www.youtube.com/watch

Modeling the Separation of Microorganisms in Bioprocesses by Flotation

Population Balance Modeling and Opinion Dynamics - A Mutually Beneficial Liaison?
(DOI: 10.3390/pr6090164)

"Decreasing Filter Cake Resistance Using Packing Structures"
 (DOI: 10.1002/ceat.201800254)

"Increasing Wort Flow by Flocculation of Fine Particle Fractions"
 (DOI: 10.23763/BrSc18-09bandelt)

Oral presentations:
Stefan Schmideder, Christoph Kirse, Julia Hofinger, Sascha Rollié, and Heiko Briesen: "Modeling the separation of microorganisms in bioprocesses by flotation"

Michael Kuhn, Christoph Kirse, and Heiko Briesen: "Population balance modeling and opinion dynamics –a mutually beneficial liaison?"

Christoph Kirse and Heiko Briesen: "Fixed pivot technique for solving a  bivariate model of enzymatic depolymerization of branched starch"

Posters:
Tijana Kovacevic and Heiko Briesen: "A new, area - preserving model of crystal growth and aggregation"

Stefan Schmideder, Tiaan Friedrich, Tijana Kovacevic, Lars Barthel, Philipp Kunz, Vera Meyer, Rudibert King and Heiko Briesen: "Growth of filamentous microorganisms: PBM and experimental determination of rate equations"