Propriedades reológicas da vinhaça concentrada e análise comparativa no estudo da perda de carga

Abstract

Vinasse or vinasse is a liquid by-product obtained during the process that transforms sugarcane into ethanol. Vinasse has become an essential tool in the sugar and alcohol sector, due to its potential as a biofertilizer, as it has nutrients needed by the soil. Although the use of this industrial waste is quite common in sugar and alcohol plants, information about its rheological properties and the flow characteristics of this fluid are still scarce in the literature. In this context, this work aims to evaluate the rheological characteristics of the concentrated vinasse, as well as to carry out a comparative analysis of the head loss when the fluid is pumped with vinasse and with water, since such an analysis is of paramount importance for the design of pumping systems. The results showed that the concentrated vinasse showed a pseudoplastic behavior, however, this fluid did not show signs of dependence over time, that is, the presence of thixotropy was not verified. The results referring to the head loss of the concentrated vinasse were substantially higher when compared with the water values. However, this difference was reduced with the increase in the flow velocity, considering the characteristic of pseudoplasticity of the vinasse and the consequent reduction in the apparent viscosity with the increase in the fluid flow velocity.