Question

Identify the equipment in the image: 

• A. Homogeniser
• B. Clarifier
• C. Batch pasteurizer
• D. HTST pasteurizer

Hint:

Look for the key feature: a stack of conical discs inside a spinning bowl. This is the hallmark of a centrifugal separator, used for clarification and cream separation in the dairy industry.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Analyze the visual characteristics of the equipment shown. The image displays a device with a large bowl containing a stack of conical discs, a characteristic design of a centrifugal separator. This design is engineered to separate substances with different densities using high-speed rotation.
Step 2: Relate the design to its function and the given options. This equipment uses centrifugal force to separate components of a liquid. In the dairy industry, it is used for two main purposes: separating cream (fat) from skim milk and removing solid impurities (sediment, somatic cells) from raw milk.

Homogeniser: This is a high-pressure pump that forces milk through small passages to break down fat globules. It looks very different from the image.
Clarifier: A clarifier is a type of centrifugal separator specifically designed to remove solid particles from a liquid. The equipment shown is a classic example of a milk clarifier (which can also function as a cream separator). This is a correct identification.
Pasteurizers (Batch or HTST): These are heat exchangers (large vats or systems of plates) used to heat milk to kill pathogens. They do not have the centrifugal bowl design shown. \end{itemize} The equipment is a centrifugal separator, which functions as a clarifier. Thus, Clarifier is the best description among the choices.