Micro-scale heat and mass transfer characteristics of sipirulina cells during freezing

This paper presents the numerical simulations of the response of sipirulina cells to the ice front during freezing. Taking into account mass diffusion, heat transfer, membrane transport and advancing of the solidification front, the temperature and concentration fields both inside and outside sipirulina cell were computed. The characteristics of the sipirulina cell volume response to an advancing ice front were studied. The results indicate membrane permeability and cooling rate are main factors that effect on the sipirulina cell shrinkage. The model can be used to optimize the cooling rate for reducing damage to the sipirulina cell structure.