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Dry Peeling of Tomato by Infrared Radiative Heating: Part II. Model Validation and Sensitivity Analysis

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Abstract

In an accompanying study, a predictive mathematical model was developed to simulate heat transfer in a tomato undergoing double sided infrared (IR) heating in a dry-peeling process. The aims of the present study were to validate the developed model using experimental data and to investigate different engineering parameters that most strongly influence the rate and uniformity of IR heating. The mode was verified by comparison of the predicted temperature profiles with experimental data for tomatoes with three dimensions. Uniformity of temperature distribution at tomato surface was quantified by surface-averaged temperatures and a derived temperature uniformity index. The predicted temperatures agreed well with experimental data (r 2 > 0.9). Simulation results illustrated that IR heating induced a dramatic temperature increase on the tomato surface, which extended to 0.6 mm beneath (>90 °C) during a 60-s heating period, whereas interior temperature at the tomato center remained low (<30 °C). Sensitivity analysis suggested that strategies to enhance IR heating rate and uniformity can be implemented through varying emissive power, adjusting the distance between emitters, and presorting tomatoes according to size. The validated model provides an effective design tool for better understanding the complex IR radiation heating in developing the innovative IR dry-peeling process.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Xuan Li & Zhongli Pan

  2. Processed Food Research Unit, Western Regional Research Center, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Albany, CA, 94710, USA

    Zhongli Pan

Authors
  1. Xuan Li
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  2. Zhongli Pan
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Correspondence to Zhongli Pan.

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Li, X., Pan, Z. Dry Peeling of Tomato by Infrared Radiative Heating: Part II. Model Validation and Sensitivity Analysis. Food Bioprocess Technol 7, 2005–2013 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-013-1188-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-013-1188-3

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