ENGINEERING FLUID MECHANICS June 9th , 2020

EFO1– GENERAL EQUATIONS Duration: 1h30

NAME: GROUP:

Chocolate coating (10 points)

We propose to study the fluid mechanics of the fabrication of a liquid chocolate coating on
top of a refrigerated surface. For the large scale production of chocolate-covered biscuits (see
left pictures), we may imagine using a wedge-shaped extruder projecting a rectangular jet of
liquid chocolate onto a cooling conveyor belt, which carries the biscuits (disregarded in this
exercise, see right sketch).
The liquid chocolate arrives in the extruder through an inlet of width wi , with a volume flow
rate Qi , velocity vi and temperature Ta . It exits the extruder through an outlet of width wo ,
forming a jet with velocity vo , pressure pa and temperature Ta at the orifice. This jet impinges
on a refrigerated conveyor belt, kept at temperature Tb and moving at a velocity V e~x in the
reference frame of the factory. This results in the deposition of a chocolate layer, moving at the
same velocity as the belt (i.e. there is no relative velocity between the chocolate coating and
the belt). Sufficiently far from the jet impact point, this layer has a uniform thickness h that is
supposed to be sufficiently thin so that pressure and temperature are uniform across a vertical
section and equal to pa and T , respectively. The conductive heat flux between the chocolate
coating and the cooling belt is denoted q̇b > 0 (energy per unit time and surface).
In the whole problem, the process is running in steady conditions and the influence of
gravity is disregarded (except in the last question). The flow of liquid chocolate is assumed
to be incompressible (with constant density ρ) but viscous. The chocolate is considered a
thermally perfect liquid, of heat capacity per unit mass c. The 1D approximation will be made
at the inlet and outlet surfaces of all control volumes. The air surrounding the system is at
atmospheric pressure pa and temperature Ta . The width of the system in the z-direction is
denoted L.
Qi, v i, T a

inlet wi

liquid chocolate

g extruder

outlet wo
p a, T a, v o

pa, T(x)
p a, T a p a, T a
h
y
0
x z
V V

cooling conveyor belt (Tb)

Important notices:

 All your results should be expressed as functions of the following data: wi , wo , L,

Qi , V , ρ, c, Ta , Tb , q̇b .

 Rigorous explanation and justification of your reasoning will be taken into account
when grading. Insufficiently argumented answers may result in partial credit loss.

1. Can Bernoulli’s equation be applied in this flow? Justify your answser. (1 point)

2. Find the velocity vo of the chocolate at the outlet of the extruder. (1.5 points)

3. Determine the thickness h of the chocolate layer deposited on the conveyor belt, suffi-
ciently far from the jet impact location. (1.5 points)

4. Assuming that the viscous stresses at the air/chocolate interfaces are negligible, give the
expression of the force exerted by the chocolate jet (and the surrounding atmosphere) on
the conveyor belt. (2.5 points)

5. Compute the distance xb (from the origin) at which the chocolate coating reaches the
temperature of the conveyor belt Tb < Ta . (2.5 points)

6. How would taking into account gravity affect the results of questions 4 and 5? (1 points)