title: Design of low-frequency ultrasonic sensors for the analysis of the draining stage of cheese production.
abstract: This work presents a new ultrasonic system with a transmission mode in the 100-200 kHz frequency range. The system, composed of ultrasonic point sources, is used to monitor the mechanical properties of cheese during the early phases of production. First, our specialized sensor system is presented, and then the results obtained with the system model are compared to the results of actual experiments using the system to monitor the evolution of the medium during draining. The results of a rheological compliance test and shock pulse ultrasonic amplitude measurements agree and correspond quite accurately to the mechanical properties of the evolving physical state of the medium. This method could be used in the future to study the effect on the final cheese quality of the process parameters that interfere with cheese grain consolidation during the draining process.
authors.affiliation: IEMN, UMR CNRS 8520, DOAE, Université de Valenciennes, 59313 Valenciennes Cedex 09, France. gnassar@univ-valenciennes.fr <gnassar@univ-valenciennes.fr>
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nassar
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Sabra
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lefebvre
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toubal
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nongaillard
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Noel
mesh_terms: D002611:Cheese / Q000032:analysis* / Q000145:classification*; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005504:Food Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D005511:Food Handling / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D014159:Transducers; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation*