An On-Line Inverse Method for Estimation of Thermal Parameters Which Are Responsible to Predicting Temperature History in Food Heating/Freezing

Most of the published methods for estimating temperature history during heating/cooling/freezing solid food require data on thermal properties of the product and any relevant heat transfer coefficients. However, there are some difficulties of obtaining thermal data for use in industrial heating/cooling/freezing of food. In this paper the development of a new procedure for estimating the temperature history is briefly reviewed, a procedure which does not require the knowledge of thermal data of the food being heated/frozen. This procedure collects a series of time/temperature data at a point in the food in the early stages of heating/freezing, analyzes these data to predict the thermal parameters which are responsible for heat conduction, and predicts the time/temperature relationship for the remainder of the heating/cooling/freezing phases.