MODELLING FOOD PROCESSING OPERATIONS WITH COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS: A REVIEW

Computer simulation is a powerful tool for prediction and optimal design of food engineering operations. Partial differential equations describing momentum, heat, and mass transfer coupled with equilibrium and kinetic equations, which usually form a model for a processing operation, can be solved easily with today’s computing capabilities. In this paper, a brief description of the principles of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for the solution of fluid flows with heat and mass transfer is given. Selected examples from the food engineering literature including applications in baking, drying, and sterilization are presented. Some details are given for the temperature profile, the velocity profile, and the slowest heating zone in cans filled with olives. The effect of some variables, such as the number of food items, on the temperature profile, the flow pattern, and the slowest heating and cooling zone in the can are also presented with the aim of demonstrating the possibility of optimization of thermal processing in order to minimize quality losses such as texture, flavour, and nutritional value, while keeping the product safe