Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products

For Food Processing Applications

A Project Report Submitted to
The National Institute of Engineering, Mysuru
(An Autonomous Institute under VTU)

In partial fulfillment for the award of degree of

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING
in
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Submitted by
Abhishek V Nayak 4NI18ME005
Chirag N 4NI18ME021
Pavan Bhaskar 4NI18ME079
Rahul H 4NI18ME096

Under the guidance of

Dr. Sathisha H M
Assistant Professor
Dept of Mechanical Engineering
The National Institute of Engineering
Mysuru – 570008

Department of Mechanical Engineering

The National Institute of Engineering
Mysuru – 570008
2021-2022
 Department of Mechanical Engineering
The National Institute of Engineering, Mysuru
(An Autonomous Institute under VTU)
Manandavadi Road, Mysuru – 570008

Certificate

This is to certify that the Project Work titled Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food
Products for Food Processing Applications is a bonafide work carried out by Abhishek
V Nayak bearing the USN: 4NI18ME005, Chirag N bearing the USN: 4NI18ME021
Pavan Bhaskar bearing the USN: 4NI18ME079, Rahul H bearing the USN:
4NI18ME096 towards partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of degree
Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering by The National Institute of
Engineering, during the year 2021-2022. This report has been approved in partial fulfillment
for the award of the said degree as per academic regulations of The National Institute of
Engineering (An Autonomous Institute under VTU)

Dr. Sathisha H M Dr. B Suresha

Assistant Professor Professor and Head
Dept of Mechanical Engineering Dept of Mechanical Engineering
The National Institute of Engineering The National Institute of Engineering
Mysore – 570008 Mysore – 570008

Principal
The National Institute of Engineering
Mysuru - 570008

External Examiners: Signature with date

1.

2.

ii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The success and outcome of this report required guidance and assistance from many people
and we are extremely privileged to have got this all along the completion of our project. All
that we have done is only due to such supervision and assistance and we would not forget to
thank them.

First, we are grateful to our institution, National Institute of Engineering, Mysuru, for
providing with us the foundation to shape our career.

We respect and thank Dr. Sathisha H M, this report would not have been possible without
his help and the valuable time that he has given us amidst his busy schedule for his guidance
during this report.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Suresha B (Head of the Department)
for their encouragements.

We would also like to express our social thanks to all the staff members of the Department
of Mechanical Engineering, NIE for their invaluable guidance.

Additionally, we would like to thank PES University, Bangalore for providing the software
licences required to carry out this project.

Last but not the least, we would like to thank our friends who have encouraged and supported
us in our work.

Abhishek V Nayak
Chirag N
Pavan Bhaskar
Rahul H

iii
 ABSTRACT

Food processing are methods used to turn fresh food into value added food products.
Processing of food is done to make food more edible, palatable, safe and importantly to
preserve and increase its shelf life.

Drying is one of the easiest and oldest methods of food processing. It increases the
shelf life and enables storage of food under ambient environment. It is a complex process
involving a combination of heat and mass transfer as well as physical property changes and
shrinkage of the food material. Studying this process using mathematical modelling will help
understand the drying mechanism. It will aid in the comprehension and optimization of the
kinetics of this process.

The aim of this project is to investigate the process of drying of banana slices by
developing a transient model with simultaneous heat and mass transfer processes. The
Multiphysics model involves coupled Fourier's and Fick's laws as well as varying thermal
and physical properties of the material during the drying process. The moisture and
temperature distributions inside the food substance can be predicted using this model. The
effect of varying the drying air conditions was also investigated in this project. The
modifications to be made to simulate a different food processing method are also studied by
taking as example the processes of microwave heating of chicken patty and puffing of rice.

iv
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ................................................................................................... iii

ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................... iv
1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1
2. LITERATURE SURVEY.................................................................................................. 2
3. OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT ..................................................................................... 3
4. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................ 4
4.1. Drying of Banana slice ............................................................................................................ 4
4.1.1. Governing equations ........................................................................................................ 5
4.1.2. Initial and Boundary Conditions ...................................................................................... 5
4.1.3. Input Parameters ............................................................................................................... 6
4.1.4. Study Details .................................................................................................................... 7
4.2. Microwave Heating of Chicken Patty ..................................................................................... 9
4.2.1. Governing equations ........................................................................................................ 9
4.2.2. Initial and Boundary Conditions .......................................................................................... 9
4.2.3. Study Details .................................................................................................................. 10
4.3. Puffing of Rice ...................................................................................................................... 10
5. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS ................................................................................... 13
5.1. Drying of Banana Slice Model .............................................................................................. 13
5.1.1. Validation ....................................................................................................................... 13
5.1.2. Temperature and Moisture Ratio Variation with time ................................................... 14
5.1.3. Temperature and Moisture Distributions ....................................................................... 15
5.1.4. Parametric Analysis........................................................................................................ 17
5.2. Microwave Heating of Chicken Patty ................................................................................... 18
5.3. Puffing of Rice ...................................................................................................................... 20
5. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................... 21
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................... 22

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 LIST OF FIGURES

Fig 1. Schematic view showing simultaneous heat and mass transfer in drying process ..... 4
Fig 2. Banana Slice 3D Geometry ......................................................................................... 5
Fig 4. Schematic view showing simultaneous heat and mass transfer in heating process .... 9
Fig 5. Puffing of rice – model summary ............................................................................. 11
Fig. 6. Moisture profile obtained from simulation and experimental data .......................... 13
Fig. 7. Material Temperature variation with drying time .................................................... 14
Fig. 8. Moisture Ratio variation with drying time............................................................... 15
Fig. 9. Temperature Distribution after 600 minutes of drying ............................................ 16
Fig. 10. Moisture (dry basis) distribution after 600 minutes of drying ............................... 16
Fig. 11. Moisture Ratio profile for different drying air temperatures ................................. 17
Fig. 12. Moisture Ratio profile for different drying air velocities ...................................... 18
Fig. 13. Moisture distribution after 900s of heating ............................................................ 19
Fig. 14. Temperature distribution after 900s of heating ...................................................... 19
Fig. 15. Temperature at center of patty vs Heating time ..................................................... 20

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 LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Input Parameters for Drying of Banana Slice.......................................................... 8

Table 2. Input Parameters of Microwave Heating of Chicken Patty Process...................... 24
Table 3. Input Parameters of Puffing of Rice Process ......................................................... 25

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

1. INTRODUCTION
Food processing are the methods used to transform raw food into value added
products. It involves transforming food of one form into other forms. Essentially, food
processing involves preserving, creating or manipulating food structures. Processing makes
food more edible, palatable and safe. It also preserves the food and allows for storage in an
ambient environment [2].

Drying is one of the oldest techniques used for preserving food products. It is a
complex process involving simultaneous heat and mass transfer processes with varying
thermal and physical properties. It is a multidisciplinary area because it requires optimal
combination of heat and mass transfer, and material science. The objective of drying is to
supply heat, remove moisture and produce a dried product of desired quality [3]. Hence,
approach of improving energy efficiency and quality of dried product in drying process are
important concerns of food drying. Nowadays, drying is extensively used on a large scale to
produce more desirable foods that can be distributed and enjoyed by people globally.

Microwave heating of chicken patty is the process of cooking chicken patty. It is a

very similar process to drying of banana slices. Hot air is used to increase the temperature
of the material and removes moisture from it. Puffing is another widely used food processing
technique. It involves subjecting the food to very high temperatures resulting in “flash off”
of liquid water to vapor. This sudden evaporation leads to pressure generation within the
materials causing them to puff. Puffed rice is also a common food in many countries. There
is growing consumer interests towards puffed foods and snacks as they are healthy, low in
fat, and bear quite a resemblance to the crispy texture of fried foods. Puffing of food
materials involves mass, momentum and energy transport along with large volumetric
expansion of a porous, thermoplastic material.

The main objective of this work is to develop a Multiphysics model for the drying
of banana slice and investigate the effects of the drying air conditions on the drying process
As an extension of this work, the modifications to the model required for it to simulate other
food processing methods are studied.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, NIE, Mysuru 1

Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

2. LITERATURE SURVEY
Modelling is essential to understand the mechanism and optimize the drying process to
improve energy efficiency of the process and product quality. Many empirical and
fundamental models have been developed for the process of drying of banana slices.
Empirical models such as the Page and Newton equations [1] are simple to use and are
frequently applied to depict the drying curves. However, these models cannot be used to
predict or visualize the temperature and moisture distributions inside the food material. This
is because they do not represent the actual physics involved in the drying process. [2]

C Kumar et al. [3] presented a report on Multiphysics Modelling of convective

drying of food materials. The effect of different drying air temperature and drying air
velocity for banana slices has been investigated in this model using FEM. Temperature and
water content distributions as function of position and time were predicted using the model.
It was observed that the temperature gradient is negligible because of small thickness of the
material and moisture content was higher at the center. They also developed a first principle
– based model of heat and mass transfer for a convection meat cooking process.

Esmaeel Seyedabadi et al. [4] presented a similar report on the topic using the
Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian approach. The model developed and verified in this study
enables the prediction of temperature and moisture concentration inside the banana samples
under different drying conditions. They developed a model which can easily be extended for
other agricultural products with a cylindrical shape. Feng,.

Rosa fabiana et al. [5] presented a report on Mathematical modelling of drying

process of unripe bananas. They developed a mathematical model describing simultaneous
heat and mass transfer processes initially with the thermophysical properties constant during
the drying of food products with high moisture, a simple one – dimensional model of heat
and mass transfer that assume unripe banana as a homogenous structure. The temperature
and moisture distribution of the unripe bananas was predicted. Their report revealed that,
with the use of the diffusion process alone, the movement of moisture can simulate the
drying process.

In general, the drying process can be studied by solving two main partial differential
equations – Fourier law and Fick’s second law, which express the heat and mass transfer
phenomena during drying respectively. Solving these equations using both analytical and

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

numerical approaches is possible. But the problem complexity is quite high as these
equations are nonlinear and conjugated to each other. This is because the thermophysical
properties of the product are dependent on both the temperature and the moisture content.
Incorporating the shrinkage in the drying models makes them even more complex. Hence,
analytical methods are avoided [6].

A patty is a flattened, usually round, serving of food material, or meat alternatives.

Many modern food products are precooked so that they can be quickly re-heated, such as in
a microwave oven, to increase consumer convenience. One among many of those precooked
foods are meat patties. H Chen et al. [7] have developed a model for the microwave heating
of chicken patties.

Puffing of biomaterials includes the transportation of mass, momentum, and energy,

as well as a large volumetric expansion of the material. The development of fundamentals-
based models that can describe heat and moisture transport, rapid evaporation, and large
deformations can assist in understanding and optimising puffing processes. Gulati and Datta
[8] have developed a model for couple multiphase transport, large deformation and phase
transition during rice puffing. They have solved the model using COMSOL Multiphysics.

3. OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT

The main objectives of this project are as follows:

• To develop a model for drying of banana slices using COMSOL Multiphysics

• To investigate the effect of drying air conditions on the drying process

• To modify the model to extend it to other food processing applications

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

4. METHODOLOGY
The overall methodology of the project is described here. The transient model for drying of
banana slices with coupled heat and mass transfer equations was developed using COMSOL
Multiphysics. The model was validated using experimental data. The required plots and
contours were plotted Parametric analysis was done to investigate the effect of drying air
conditions. The processes of microwave heating of chicken patty and puffing of rice were
studied. The modifications to be made to the model to simulate these processes were
investigated.

4.1. Drying of Banana slice

Drying of banana slices involves the following heat transfer and mass transfer
phenomena: Convective heat transfer between the banana surface and the drying air;
Conductive heat transfer inside the banana; Diffusion of moisture from the inner layers to
the outer surface; and Evaporation of diffused water from the outer surface of the banana.
The schematic view of this process is illustrated in Fig. 1.

Heat Convection Water Evaporation

Axisymmetric Line

Moisture Heat
Diffusion Conduction Heat
Moisture Diffusion Convection

Heat Conduction
Banana Slice Domain

Fig 1. Schematic view showing simultaneous heat and mass transfer in drying process

The banana slice is considered as a cylindrical geometry as shown in Fig 2. They are
considered to have 36 mm diameter and 4 mm thickness. 2D axisymmetric geometry was
considered for modelling because of symmetry as shown in Fig 3.

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

In developing the model, the following assumption are considered:

• No chemical reaction takes place during drying

• The initial distribution of moisture content and temperature of the banana are
uniform
• Air-drying conditions are considered constant during process

Axis of Symmetry

Γ2

Γ1 Γ3

Γ4

Fig 2. Banana Slice 3D Geometry Fig 3. Simplified 2D Axisymmetric Domain

4.1.1. Governing equations

The governing equation for heat transfer for a cylindrical banana sample can be derived from
Fourier’s law. It is given by:
𝜕𝑐
𝜌𝑐𝑝 + 𝜌𝑐𝑝 𝒖. 𝛻𝑇 = 𝛻. (𝑘𝛻𝑇) + 𝑄 (1)
𝜕𝑡

The moisture transfer occurs only by diffusion. Hence, it is governed by Fick’s law for mass
transfer, given by:
𝜕𝑐
+ 𝛻. (−𝐷𝛻𝑐) + 𝒖. 𝛻𝑐 = 𝑅 (2)
𝜕𝑡

4.1.2. Initial and Boundary Conditions

The initial and boundary conditions for the governing equations are described below.
Initial Conditions:
𝑇0 = 25℃, 𝑀0 = 4𝑘𝑔/𝑘𝑔 (dry basis)

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

Heat Transfer Boundary Conditions:

There is no heat flux across the centerline of the banana slice. Hence, no flow boundary
condition was considered here.
𝒏. (𝑘𝛻𝑇) = 0
Heat energy is convected into the material from the hot drying air. Some of this energy is
used up by the moisture for its evaporation from the surface. The rest is conducted into the
material. Hence, the boundary conditions for heat transfer at free boundaries were
considered as follows.
𝒏. (𝑘𝛻𝑇) = ℎ 𝑇 (𝑇𝑎𝑖𝑟 − 𝑇) − 𝒏. (𝐷𝑟𝑒𝑓 𝜆𝛻𝑐)
Here, the first term corresponds to the heat convection at the banana surface. The second
term refers to the heat required for evaporation of moisture from the banana surface, where
λ is the latent heat of evaporation of water. Azzouz, Guizani et al. [9] gave the following
relation for the second boundary condition
𝒏. (𝐷𝑟𝑒𝑓 𝜆𝛻𝑐) = ℎ𝑚 𝜌(𝑀 − 𝑀𝑒 )ℎ𝑓𝑔

Mass Transfer Boundary Conditions:

There is no mass flux across the symmetry. Hence No flow boundary condition was
considered here.
𝒏. (𝐷𝛻𝑐) = 0
At free surfaces, the moisture leaves the material by evaporation. This moisture is
transported from the core to the surface of the material by diffusion. Hence, the boundary
conditions for the mass transfer at free boundaries were considered as follows.
𝒏. (𝐷𝛻𝑐) = ℎ𝑚 (𝑐𝑏 − 𝑐)

4.1.3. Input Parameters

The input parameters are listed in Table 1. It also includes the material properties, taken
from literature [10][11]. Details about a few important input parameters are discussed here.

Specific Heat and Thermal Conductivity:

The specific heat and thermal conductivity of the banana do not remain constant during the
drying process. Moisture dependent relations were considered for these as given by Bart-
Plange, Addo et al. [12]

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

𝐶𝑠 = 0.811𝑀𝑤 2 − 24.75𝑀𝑤 + 1742

𝐾𝑠 = 0.006𝑀𝑤 + 0.120

Effective Diffusivity:
Effective diffusivity is dependent on temperature and is obtained using the Arrhenius type
relationship as given by Wang and Brennan [13]
−𝐸𝑎
𝐷𝑒𝑓𝑓 = 𝐷0 𝑒 𝑅𝑇
Islam, Haque et al. [14] has calculated the activation energy, Ea to be 51.21 kJ mol-1 and the
integration constant, D0 to be 0.01751 m2 s-1.

Heat and Mass Transfer Coefficients:

The average heat and mass transfer coefficients were calculated using the Nusselt number,
Nu and the Sherwood number, Sh respectively. [15]
The relation to calculate average Nusselt number for laminar and turbulent flows
respectively are given as follows.
ℎ𝑇 𝐿
𝑁𝑢 = = 0.664𝑅𝑒 0.5 𝑃𝑟 0.33
𝑘
ℎ𝑇 𝐿
𝑁𝑢 = = 0.0296𝑅𝑒 0.5 𝑃𝑟 0.33
𝑘
The calculation of Sherwood Number is similar to Nusselt number and are given as follows
for laminar and turbulent flow respectively.
ℎ𝑚 𝐿
𝑆ℎ = = 0.664𝑅𝑒 0.5 𝑆𝑐 0.33
𝐷
ℎ𝑚 𝐿
𝑆ℎ = = 0.296𝑅𝑒 0.5 𝑆𝑐 0.33
𝐷
Here, Re is Reynold’s Number, Pr is Prandtl Number, and Sc is Schmidt Number.

4.1.4. Study Details

The 2D axisymmetric geometry of the banana slice was as shown in Fig. 2. The three-
dimensional problem was reduced to a two-dimensional problem to simplify it and decrease
the computation time. A free triangular mesh was used consisting of 4470 domain elements
and 414 boundary elements. The mesh was refined at the free boundaries as shown in Fig.
3. The model was developed in COMSOL Multiphysics software using “Transport of diluted

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

species” and “Heat transfer in solids” modules. The model was solved for a time period of
36000 s (600 mins) with a time step size of 30 s.

Table 1. Input Parameters for Drying of Banana Slice

Parameter Symbol Value Unit

Density
Air ρa 1.060 kg/m3
Water ρw 994.59 kg/m3
Banana ρb 980 kg/m3
Specific Heat
Air Cp air 1005 J/kg-K
Water Cp water 4184 J/kg-K
Banana Cs 0.811 Mw2 – 24.75 Mw + 1742 J/kg-K
Thermal Conductivity
Air kair 0.02896 W/m2-K
Banana ks 0.006 Mw + 0.120 W/m2-K
Viscosity of Air μair 20.10 × 10-6 N-s/m2
Equilibrium Moisture Content (dry basis) Me 0.29 kg/kg
Diffusion Coefficient D 2.41 × 10-10 m2/s
Effective Diffusivity Deff D0 e-Ea/RT m2/s
D0 0.01751 m2/s
Ea 51.21 kJ/mol
R 8.314 kJ/mol-K
Latent Heat of Evaporation of Water hfg 2358600 J/kg
λ hfg × MH2O = 42454.8 J/mol
Heat Transfer Coefficient hT 18.94 W/m2-K
Mass Transfer Coefficient hm 7.326 × 10-6 m/s
Drying Conditions
Air Velocity vair 0.7 m/s
Air Temperature Tair 60 ℃
Initial Conditions
Moisture Content (dry basis) M0 4 Kg/kg
Temperature T0 25 ℃

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

4.2. Microwave Heating of Chicken Patty

The heat and mass transfer processes involved here are similar to that of drying of banana
slices as shown in Fig. 4. The main difference lies in the dimensions of the geometry, the
material properties and the external air conditions.

4.2.1. Governing equations

The governing equation for heat transfer for a cylindrical banana sample can be derived from
Fourier’s law. It is given by:
𝜕𝑐
𝜌𝑐𝑝 + 𝜌𝑐𝑝 𝒖. 𝛻𝑇 = 𝛻. (𝑘𝛻𝑇) + 𝑄 (1)
𝜕𝑡

The moisture transfer occurs only by diffusion. Hence, it is governed by Fick’s law for mass
transfer, given by:
𝜕𝑐
+ 𝛻. (−𝐷𝛻𝑐) + 𝒖. 𝛻𝑐 = 𝑅 (2)
𝜕𝑡

Heat Convection
Water Evaporation
Axisymmetric Line

Moisture Heat
Diffusion Heat
Conduction Moisture Diffusion Convection

Heat Conduction
Chicken Patty Domain

Fig 4. Schematic view showing simultaneous heat and mass transfer in heating process

4.2.2. Initial and Boundary Conditions

The initial and boundary conditions for the governing equations are described below.

Initial Conditions:
𝑇0 = 22℃, 𝑐0 = 47667 mol/𝑚3

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

Heat Transfer boundary conditions:

There is no heat flux across the symmetry. Hence, no flow boundary condition was
considered here.
𝒏. (𝑘𝛻𝑇) = 0
Heat energy is convected into the material from the hot drying air. Some of this energy is
used up by the moisture for its evaporation from the surface. The rest is conducted into the
material. Hence, the boundary conditions for heat transfer at free boundaries were
considered as follows.
𝒏. (𝑘𝛻𝑇) = ℎ 𝑇 (𝑇𝑎𝑖𝑟 − 𝑇) − 𝒏. (𝐷𝑟𝑒𝑓 𝜆𝛻𝑐)
Here, the first term corresponds to the heat convection at the banana surface. The second
term refers to the heat required for evaporation of moisture from the banana surface, where
λ is the latent heat of evaporation of water.

Mass Transfer boundary conditions:

There is no mass flux across the symmetry. Hence No flow boundary condition was
considered here.
𝒏. (𝐷𝛻𝑐) = 0
At free surfaces, the moisture leaves the material by evaporation. This moisture is
transported from the core to the surface of the material by diffusion. Hence, the boundary
conditions for the mass transfer at free boundaries were considered as follows.
𝒏. (𝐷𝛻𝑐) = ℎ𝑚 (𝑐𝑏 − 𝑐)

4.2.3. Study Details

The 2D axisymmetric geometry of the chicken patty was considered as shown in Fig. 5. The
three-dimensional problem was reduced to a two-dimensional problem to simplify it and
decrease the computation time. The model was developed in COMSOL Multiphysics
software using “Transport of diluted species” and “Heat transfer in solids” modules. The
model was solved for a time period of 36000 s (600 mins) with a time step size of 30 s.

4.3. Puffing of Rice

This process is more complicated compared to the drying of banana slices. It includes the
transport phenomena along with phase transition as well as large deformation. Rice kernels

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

are porous materials consisting of liquid water and air inside them. When heat is supplied,
the liquid water undergoes phase change into water vapour. Inelastic deformation is
observed at the walls of the rice kernels due to pressure of this vapour and air. Additional
physics will need to be added to the model to simulate these processes.

Fig 5. Puffing of rice – model summary

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

The governing equations are described above. The input parameters and material properties
are tabulated in Table 3.

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

5. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

5.1. Drying of Banana Slice Model

5.1.1. Validation

The model is validated using the experimental data from Karim and Hawaldar (2005b) [16]
The experimental data provides the average value of moisture in the banana slice at different
intervals. The experiment was carried out for 500 minutes with air temperature of 60℃ and
air velocity of 0.7m/s. The average moisture of the banana slice model developed in
COMSOL Multiphysics software is extracted at the same intervals and compared against
the experimental data for validation.

Moisture Content vs Drying Time

4.5

3.5
Moisture Content (kg/kg dry basis)

2.5

1.5

0.5

0
0 100 200 300 400 500
Drying Time (min)

M simulation M experimental

Fig. 6. Moisture profile obtained from simulation and experimental data

(Drying air conditions: Temperature = 60℃, Velocity = 0.7 m/s)

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

It can be seen from Fig. 6 that moisture content from the model closely agrees with the
experimental moisture content data. The comparison of predicted and experimental data of
moisture indicate that the model can predict these values quite accurately.

5.1.2. Temperature and Moisture Ratio Variation with time

Temperature of material and moisture ratio are two parameters of interest during the analysis
of drying process. Moisture Ratio is an indication of the drying rate of the banana slices. It
is a parameter widely used by many empirical and fundamental model to describe the drying
curves and the moisture content inside a substance. It is calculated as follows:

𝑀𝑡 − 𝑀𝑒
𝑀𝑅 =
𝑀0 − 𝑀𝑒

Fig. 7 shows the variation of the material temperature throughout the drying process. Fig, 8
shows the variation of Moisture Ratio, where we can conclude that the rate of drying is
higher initially and decreases gradually. These graphs are plotted for drying air temperature
of 70 ℃ and velocity of 0.5 m/s.

Material Temperature vs Drying Time

80

70

60

50
Temperature (℃)

40

30

20

10

0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Drying Time (min)
Fig. 7. Material Temperature variation with drying time
(Drying air conditions: Temperature = 70℃, Velocity = 0.5 m/s)

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

Moisture Ratio vs Drying Time

1
0.9
0.8
0.7
Moisture Ratio

0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Drying Time (min)

Fig. 8. Moisture Ratio variation with drying time

(Drying air conditions: Temperature = 70℃, Velocity = 0.5 m/s)

5.1.3. Temperature and Moisture Distributions

From the model, the temperature and moisture distributions at any stage of drying can be
easily obtained. Fig. 9 shows the temperature distribution of the banana slice after drying
with air of 60 ℃ and 0.7 m/s for 600 minutes. The temperature gradient is very less inside
the banana because the thickness of the banana slice is very small.

Fig. 10 shows the moisture distribution of the banana slice after drying with air of 60 ℃ and
0.7 m/s for 600 minutes. It can be observed that there is less moisture present at the
peripheral surface. The moisture content is more at the center of the banana slice as the
drying rate is less for inner surface

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

Fig. 9. Temperature Distribution after 600 minutes of drying

(Drying air conditions: Temperature = 70℃, Velocity = 0.5 m/s)
.

Fig. 10. Moisture (dry basis) distribution after 600 minutes of drying
(Drying air conditions: Temperature = 70 ℃, Velocity = 0.5 m/s)

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

5.1.4. Parametric Analysis

The simulation was performed for 16 cases, with drying air temperatures of 40℃, 50℃,
60℃ and 70℃, and drying air velocities of 0.5 m/s, 0.7 m/s, 1 m/s and 1.5 m/s. Parametric
analysis was done to investigate the effect of the drying conditions on the drying rate.

The effect of changing the drying temperature (40℃, 50℃, 60℃ and 70℃) for the same
drying air velocity (0.7 m/s) is shown in Fig. 11. It can be observed that increasing the drying
temperature can significantly increase the rate of drying and hence, reduce the time required
to achieve the required product.

0.9

0.8

0.7
Moisture Ratio

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Drying Time (min)
40 degC 50 degC 60 degC 70 degC

Fig. 11. Moisture Ratio profile for different drying air temperatures (Drying air velocity = 0.7 m/s)

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

Fig. 12 shows the effect of drying air velocity on the drying process. Here, the air
temperature is kept constant at 70 ℃ and the air velocity is changed between 0.5 m/s, 1 m/s
and 1.5 m/s. It was observed that the effect of air velocity is not as significant to the drying
process compared to the air temperature and its influence is further reduced as the velocity
increases.

0.9

0.8

0.7

0.6
Moisture Ratio

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1

0
0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Drying Time (min)
0.5 m/s 1 m/s 1.5 m/s

Fig. 12. Moisture Ratio profile for different drying air velocities (Drying air temperature = 70℃)

5.2. Microwave Heating of Chicken Patty

The only modifications required for this model are the changes to the geometry and the
input parameters. The same physics can be used to simulate this process. The simulation
results are presented in Fig. 13, Fig. 14 and Fig. 15. The input parameters are tabulated in
Table 2.

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

Fig. 13. Moisture distribution after 900s of heating

Fig. 14. Temperature distribution after 900s of heating

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

Fig. 15. Temperature at center of patty vs Heating time

5.3. Puffing of Rice

T. Gulati and Ashik K. Datta have successfully modelled the puffing of rice in COMSOL
Multiphysics. The drying of banana slice model will need to be heavily modified to solve
for the puffing of rice process. Additional physics modules such as “Transport of
Concentrated Species”, “Darcy’s Law” and “Solid Mechanics” should be incorporated.
“Transport of Concentrated Species” module is used to account for mass transfer of water
vapour. “Darcy’s Law” module is used to obtain relation for pressure and velocity of gaseous
phases. “Solid Mechanics” module is used for the deformation of the free surface. Along
with these, the input parameters and the geometry should be updated

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

5. CONCLUSION
A mathematical model of the drying process of banana slice discussed in this paper. This
model was validated and the various findings were presented. The model was able to predict
and visualize the temperature and moisture distributions at any point of time during the
drying process. The temperature and moisture ratio profiles could also be plotted to
understand their variation throughout the process.

Moisture Ratio was used as an indication of the progress of the drying process. From this,
it was observed that the rate of drying was higher at the start of the process, and it gradually
decreased throughout the process. This observation was also evident from the material
temperature vs drying time graph.

The temperature gradient inside the banana slice was observed to be very small. This is
because thickness of the slice is very less. The moisture content was observed to be higher
at the center of the banana slice. This is of interest as the presence of moisture in the product
can lead to spoilage and decrease its shelf life.

The effect of changing the drying air conditions, i.e., temperature and velocity were also
observed. Increasing the air velocity did not have a considerable impact on the drying time.
Increasing the temperature has a significant impact in reducing the drying time. However, it
should be kept in mind that if the temperature is too high, the nutritional content can reduce,
which reduces the value of the product. This effect cannot be estimated using this model.

Finally, the process of microwave heating of chicken patty can be simulated only by
changing the input parameters. The rice puffing process can be simulated by adding extra
physics. Hence, this model can be modified for a different food material and a different food
processing application easily.

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

BIBLIOGRAPHY
[1] R. Baini, T.A.G. Langrish, Choosing an appropriate drying model for intermittent and continuous
drying of bananas, Journal of Food Engineering, Volume 79, Issue 1, 2007, Pages 330-343
[2] DATTA, A. K. Status of physics-based models in the design of food products, processes, and
equipment. Comprehensive Review in Food Science and Food Safety, v.7, p. 121-129, 2008.

[3] Kumar, Chandan & Karim, Azharul & Saha, Suvash & U.H.Joardder (Omar), Mohammad &
Brown, R & Biswas, D. (2012). Multiphysics modelling of convective drying of food materials.
Proceedings of the Global Engineering, Science and Technology Conference.

[4] Esmaeel Seyedabadi, Mehdi Khojastehpour & Mohammad Hossein Abbaspour-Fard (2017)
Convective drying simulation of banana slabs considering non isotropic shrinkage using FEM with
the Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian method, International Journal of Food Properties, 20:sup1, S36-
S49

[5] Rosa Fabiana, Mathematical Modelling of Drying Process of Unripe Banana Slices, University
of Sao Paulo, 2016

[6] Ruiz-Lopez, I.; Garcia-Alvarado, M. Analytical Solution for Food-Drying Kinetics Considering
Shrinkage and Variable Diffusivity. Journal of Food Engineering 2007, 79(1), 208–216

[7] H. Chen, B.P. Marks, and R.Y. Murphy, “Modeling Coupled Heat and Mass Transfer for
Convection Cooking of Chicken Patties,” J. Food Engineering, vol. 42, pp. 139–146, 1999

[8] Tushar Gulati, Ashim K. Datta, Coupled multiphase transport, large deformation and phase
transition during rice puffing, Chemical Engineering Science, Volume 139, 2016, Pages 75-98

[9] S. Azzouz, A. Guizani, W. Jomaa, A. Belghith, Moisture diffusivity and drying kinetic equation
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[10] Karim, Azharul & Hawlader, Mohammad. (2005). Mathematical modeling and experimental
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[11] C. P. Kothandaraman, S. Subramanyan, Heat and Mass Transfer Data Book, 1989

[12] Bart-Plange, A., A. Addo, et al. (2012). "Thermal Properties of Gros Michel Banana Grown in
Ghana." ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences 7(4)

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[13] N. Wang, J.G. Brennan, A mathematical model of simultaneous heat and moisture transfer
during drying of potato, Journal of Food Engineering, Volume 24, Issue 1, 1995, Pages 47-60

[14] Islam, M. S., M. A. Haque, et al. (2012). "Effects of Drying Parameters on Dehydration of
Green Banana (Musa sepientum) and its Use in Potato (Solanum tuberosum) Chips Formulation."
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[15] Mills, A. F. (1995). Basic Heat and Mass Transfer, Massachusetts: Irwin

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Pages 35-45

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

APPENDIX – A

The input parameters for Microwave Heating of Chicken Patty is given below. These are
taken from the report of H Chen et al. (1999).

Table 2. Input Parameters of Microwave Heating of Chicken Patty Process

Specific Heat and Thermal Conductivity of material changes throughout the heating
process. These relations are given by,

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Heat and Mass Transfer Analysis of Food Products for Food Processing Applications 2022

APPENDIX – B

The input parameters for process of puffing of rice is taken from the report by Gulati and
Datta (2016).

Table 3. Input Parameters of Puffing of Rice Process

25