Modelling extrusion cooking

A one-dimensional computer model of extrusion cooking has been developed. This model can simulate and predict extruder behaviour (such as pressure, temperature, fill factor, residence time distribution and shaft power) under various operating conditions (such as feed rate, screw speed, feed temperature/moisture and barrel temperature). With a very fast and efficient solution algorithm, this model runs fast on a PC, taking only a fraction of a second to a few seconds. In addition, with a graphic user interface, this model is user friendly, and can be used as a tool for designing, optimizing and control of extruder operating conditions. Some results of numerical simulation will be presented.