Ozone distribution for bulk produce decontamination

由于细菌污染而召回新鲜农产品的事件时有发生。每年，加拿大人都会因食用受污染的新鲜农产品而生病或死亡。2014年，美国一家苹果供应商发生李斯特菌污染事件，导致该国几名焦糖苹果消费者死亡，并对整个焦糖苹果行业产生了负面影响。新鲜农产品不能加热、干燥或腌制，常用的洗涤和氯基处理方法效果不够好。MoyerApple Products是北美领先的焦糖苹果生产商，总部位于安大略省比姆斯维尔，该公司开发了行业领先的使用紫外线、雾化过氧化氢和气态臭氧的消毒方法。基思·沃林纳之前在圭尔夫大学所做的工作已经证明，气态臭氧是一种有效、安全和实用的净化剂。莫耶斯实施并证明了一种基于臭氧的系统，该系统可以对散装装运箱中的苹果进行批量净化。人们认识到生鲜农产品行业对这项技术的需求，莫耶斯打算开发一项提供臭氧消毒系统的新业务。臭氧批量处理系统的商业化需要进一步优化莫耶斯使用的设计，这需要详细了解系统内的流动、臭氧分布和压力，并开发能够预测这些特性的工程设计模型。该项目将进行支持系统优化所需的实验和模型开发，然后Moyer将利用这些实验和模型将臭氧处理系统商业化，在安大略省创造就业机会，并改善整个北美的食品安全。

Recalls of fresh produce due to bacterial contamination occur regularly. Every year Canadians become ill or die from consumingcontaminated fresh produce. A 2014 occurrence of Listeria contamination at an American apple supplier killed several consumersof caramel apples in that country and negatively impacted the entire caramel apple industry. Fresh produce cannot be heated,dried or cured, and the commonly used methods of washing and chlorine-based treatments are not sufficiently effective. MoyerApple products is a leading North American producer of caramel apples based in Beamsville, Ontario, that has developedindustry-leading disinfection methods using ultraviolet light, atomized hydrogen peroxide and gaseous ozone. Prior work at theUniversity of Guelph by Keith Warriner has proven gaseous ozone to be an effective, safe and practical decontaminant. Moyershas implemented and proven an ozone-based system that bulk decontaminates apples in bulk shipping bins. There is arecognized need in the fresh produce industry for this technology and Moyers intends to develop a new business providing ozonedisinfection systems. Commercializing an ozone bulk treatment system requires further optimization of the design used at Moyers,which requires detailed understanding of flow, ozone distribution and pressures within the system, and the development ofengineering design models that can predict these characteristics. This project will conduct the experiments and modeldevelopment needed to support system optimization, which will then be utilized by Moyer to commercialize an ozone treatmentsystem, create jobs in Ontario and improve food safety throughout North America.