Análise da viabilidade técnica e do potencial econômico da implementação de tanque pulmão como estratégia operacional no processo de secagem de leite em pó

Abstract

Powdered milk production involves integrated evaporation and drying operations, in which shutdowns for Clean-in-Place (CIP) procedures of the evaporators can significantly affect the operational, energy, and production efficiency of the industrial plant. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the technical feasibility and economic potential of implementing a buffer tank as an operational strategy to maintain the supply of concentrated milk to the spray drying tower during evaporator CIP periods. The study was characterized as applied research with a quantitative and descriptive approach, based on data collected during a supervised internship at a dairy processing plant located in the Londrina region, Paraná, Brazil. Two operational scenarios were compared: the current scenario, characterized by the simultaneous interruption of the concentration and drying stages during cleaning cycles, and the proposed scenario, based on the implementation of a buffer tank to achieve operational decoupling between the two process units. The results demonstrated that a buffer tank with a storage capacity of 38.64 m³ provides 5.40 hours of operational autonomy, exceeding the average evaporator CIP duration of 4.50 hours. The proposed strategy enables the extension of the spray drying tower's operational schedule from 24 to 72 consecutive hours, significantly reducing the frequency of equipment start-ups and shutdowns. From a production perspective, the results indicate the potential monthly recovery of approximately 297,000 kg of whole milk powder and 252,000 kg of skim milk powder. The application of the Reliability Key Performance Indicator (KPI) revealed an increase from 81.25% in the current scenario to 93.75% in the proposed scenario, representing a gain of 12.50 percentage points and providing greater operational robustness to the spray drying process. Furthermore, the proposed strategy has the potential to reduce losses associated with utility consumption during non-productive periods while improving the overall process efficiency. The findings indicate that implementing a buffer tank is a technically and economically viable alternative for increasing productivity and enhancing energy utilization in powdered milk production.