Sensitivity Analysis of a CFD Modelling System for Airflow and Heat Transfer of Fresh Food Packaging: Inlet Air Flow Velocity and Inside-Package Configurations
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Linus U Opara
Cooling of fresh produce inside ventilated packaging is one of the important postharvest operations to maintain the coolchain of horticultural produce. In two recent articles, we described the development of CFD-based mathematical models for thermodynamic design of ventilated packaging systems and presented the results obtained from model testing based on fresh apples undergoing rapid cooling inside layered cartons, pallets of cartons, and bulk bins. In the current article, we present the results of a sensitivity analysis of the modeling system under refrigerated air cooling of apples inside a carton used in the horticultural industry. Sensitivity tests showed that inaccurate input value of the inlet air velocity within 10% would contribute to inaccuracy of about 0.5 ºK in the model predictions, which is within the measurement error of most temperature measuring devices used in the postharvest industry. Variations in vent areas on both front and back walls of the package within ±20% did not significantly alter the model predictions in the near-inlet region, but had noticeable effects at the package centre and near-outlet regions. Altering the position of vents did alter the heat transfer between air and packaged produce, presumably by changing the airflow distribution among the layers of produce inside the package. Sensitivity of the model to changes in the gap between the trays and package walls highlights the importance of gentle handling of packages to minimize lateral movement of trays and fruit prior to stacking for precooling and long-term cold storage.
©2011 Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Article
- Effect of Moisture Content on the Physical Properties of Fibered Flaxseed
- Sweet Bread Produced by the Lactic Acid Bacteria L. brevis and the Yeast S. cerevisiae
- Application of Desiccant Technology for Concentrating Liquid Foods - Experimental Investigation
- Adsorption Characteristics of Anthocyanins from Purple-fleshed Potato (Solanum tuberosum Jasim) Extract on Macroporous Resins
- A Non-Contact Computer Vision Based Analysis of Color in Foods
- Dynamic Effect in High Pressure Microbe Inactivation
- Study of the Influence of Product and Process Variables in the Salting and Post-salting Stages of PSE Thawed Hams
- Drying Behaviour and Energy Requirement for Dehydration of White Onion Slices
- Moisture Sorption Isotherms of Osmotically Dehydrated Sweet Pepper
- Sensitivity Analysis of a CFD Modelling System for Airflow and Heat Transfer of Fresh Food Packaging: Inlet Air Flow Velocity and Inside-Package Configurations
- Strength and Elastic Properties of Cassava Tuber
- Optimization of Carotenoid Production by Aspergillus Carbonarius in Submerged Fermentation Using a Response Surface Methodology
- Shorter Communication
- The Changes in the Lipid Composition of Mung Bean Seeds as Affected by Processing Methods
- Sorption Isotherms of Granny Smith Apples Hot-Air Dried and Texturized by "Controlled Sudden Decompression to the Vacuum"
- Physicochemical Properties of the Josapine Variety of Pineapple Fruit
- Texture Profile Analysis of Cooked Sun Dried Nuggets (Bori) Prepared with Different Levels of Moisture Content and Percent Air Incorporation in Its Batter
- Proximate Composition of the Apple Seed and Characterization of Its Oil
- Contrasting Temperature Profile Development in Three Domestic Pressure Canners Operated without Venting
- Critical Review
- Influence of Product-entrapped Air and Venting on Lethal Effect in Model Domestic Pressure Canner Studies
Articles in the same Issue
- Article
- Effect of Moisture Content on the Physical Properties of Fibered Flaxseed
- Sweet Bread Produced by the Lactic Acid Bacteria L. brevis and the Yeast S. cerevisiae
- Application of Desiccant Technology for Concentrating Liquid Foods - Experimental Investigation
- Adsorption Characteristics of Anthocyanins from Purple-fleshed Potato (Solanum tuberosum Jasim) Extract on Macroporous Resins
- A Non-Contact Computer Vision Based Analysis of Color in Foods
- Dynamic Effect in High Pressure Microbe Inactivation
- Study of the Influence of Product and Process Variables in the Salting and Post-salting Stages of PSE Thawed Hams
- Drying Behaviour and Energy Requirement for Dehydration of White Onion Slices
- Moisture Sorption Isotherms of Osmotically Dehydrated Sweet Pepper
- Sensitivity Analysis of a CFD Modelling System for Airflow and Heat Transfer of Fresh Food Packaging: Inlet Air Flow Velocity and Inside-Package Configurations
- Strength and Elastic Properties of Cassava Tuber
- Optimization of Carotenoid Production by Aspergillus Carbonarius in Submerged Fermentation Using a Response Surface Methodology
- Shorter Communication
- The Changes in the Lipid Composition of Mung Bean Seeds as Affected by Processing Methods
- Sorption Isotherms of Granny Smith Apples Hot-Air Dried and Texturized by "Controlled Sudden Decompression to the Vacuum"
- Physicochemical Properties of the Josapine Variety of Pineapple Fruit
- Texture Profile Analysis of Cooked Sun Dried Nuggets (Bori) Prepared with Different Levels of Moisture Content and Percent Air Incorporation in Its Batter
- Proximate Composition of the Apple Seed and Characterization of Its Oil
- Contrasting Temperature Profile Development in Three Domestic Pressure Canners Operated without Venting
- Critical Review
- Influence of Product-entrapped Air and Venting on Lethal Effect in Model Domestic Pressure Canner Studies
