Temperature analysis of the water supply system of a dairy company by means of a simulation model

This paper builds upon the study by Marchini et al. (2014, International Journal of Food Engineering, pp. 557–571) and represents the second part of a research project whose general aim was to analyse and optimize, through simulation, the water distribution system of a dairy company. In the first paper, the authors focused on finding opportunities for recycling water in the distribution system of the targeted company, i.e. a dairy company located near Parma (Italy) and manufacturing Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and butter. In this work, we go ahead by analysing the thermal properties (such as, primarily, the temperature) of the water used inside the distribution system and of that discharged. To this purpose, we add the relevant thermal equations to the MS ExcelTM simulation model developed in the first study. The resulting model is able to derive the temperature trend of water inside all the tanks of the distribution system. Situations where the temperature of the water used for rinsing is higher than the maximum allowed value of approx. 25°C are also highlighted and suggestions for improvement are proposed.