Prepared by: Joshua B.

Bongon IV – BSABE 1
4. A spherical food product is packed in a 3-mm thick polypropylene plastic before being frozen in an air-blast
freezer. The initial product temperature is 10°C and the cold air - 40°C. The product has a 7 cm diameter with
density of 1000 kg/m3, the initial freezing temperature is -1.25°C, the thermal conductivity of the frozen product
is 1.2 W/(m-°K), and the latent heat of fusion is 250 kJ/kg. Compute the freezing time. (Convective heat transfer
coefficient, hc = 50 W/m2-°K

ρ f Lf 1 x p R ' a2
t F=
T f −T m
'
[P a +(
h kp
+
kf ) ]

Given:

Packaging material thickness; x p = 3 mm = 0.003m

Product diameter a = 7 cm = 0.07 m
Product density ρ f = 1000 kg/m3
Latent heat of fusion Lf = 250 kJ/kg
Initial product temperature T i = 10°C
Air temperature T m= - 40°C
Initial freezing temperature T f = -1.25°C
The thermal conductivity of the frozen product; k = 1.2 W/(m-°K)
Shape constants for spheres:
1
P' =
6
1
R' =
24
Convective heat-transfer coefficient hc = 50 W/m2-°K
Thermal Conductivity of Polypropylene = 0.1-0.22 W/(m-°K)
Required:
Freezing time; tF
Solution

ρ f Lf 1 x p R ' a2
t F=
T f −T m
'
(
[P a +
h kp
+ )
kf
]

(1000 kg /m3 )(250 kJ /kg) 1 1 0.003m (1 /24 )(0.07 m)2

tF=
−1.25 ° C−(−40 ° C) 6 [ (
( 0.07 m ) + +
)
50 W /(m 2−° K ) 0.2 W /(m−° K) 1.2 W /( m−° K ) ]
(250000 kJ /m3 ) 7 m 2−° K 49 m3 −° K
tF=
7
271.9 K −(233.15 K ) 600 [ (
m
200 W
+ )
288000 W ]
(250000 kJ / m3) m 3−° K
tF=
38.75 K (
5.7847 x 10−4
W )
 (250000000 J /m 3) m 3−° K
tF=
38.75 K (5.7847 x 10−4
J /s )
t F =3732.06 sec

t F =3732.06 sec ( 36001 hrsec )

t F =1.037 hr