EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF CYLINDRICAL FOOD PRODUCT DURING FORCED CONVECTION COOLING

Abstract

The objective of this work is to study the transient heat transfer behavior during precooling of cylindrical food product at different air flow rates. Temperature measurement is carried out at the center of the specimen at different air flow rates (3.8, 4.0, 4.2 & 4.5 m/s). These temperature distributions are plotted with time. The terms of Fourier equation were evaluated and thermal diffusivity was plotted against the temperature variation during cooling of the cylindrical food product.Surface film conductance values is also calculated in present work, at different air flow rates. These values are effective values, which included the additional cooling effect due to moisture evaporation from the exposed product surface. Variation of Reynolds number and Nusselt number is also plotted with different air velocities and it is found that more favorable results of thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity is obtain at 3.8 m/s. Which ultimately saves energy and provide optimum cooling for the specimen at the given air velocity.