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Exp 5 Freezing Time - 2022

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110 views3 pages

Exp 5 Freezing Time - 2022

Uploaded by

m-4668898
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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FACULTY OF BIORESOURCES AND FOOD INDUSTRY

FUNDAMENTAL OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING


(FSD 20803)

VIRTUAL EXPERIMENT 5 : FOOD FREEZING - DETERMINING FREEZING


TIME

1.0 Introduction

Freezing is a commonly used procedure for preserving foods. By reducing the


temperature of a food product below its freezing point, chemical reactions and microbial
and enzymatic activities that cause spoilage are greatly reduced. Frozen foods that are kept
at subfreezing temperatures (usually at -18oC) have an extended shelf life, from a few
months to a year.
During the freezing process, foods may undergo changes in some of their physical
characteristics, with detrimental consequences on quality. For many foods, the speed of the
freezing process is an important issue. A rapid freezing process is required for certain foods
such as strawberries to ensure the formation of small ice crystals within the product and
prevent any quality damage within the food. A slow freezing process results in large
crystals, which generally should be avoided. Rapid freezing, although beneficial for many
foods, requires additional equipment that increases the cost of freezing.
Different types of commercial freezing systems are available, depending on the
product’s characteristics. The following is a general classification of freezing systems.

a) Indirect contact system


• Plate freezers
• Air-blast freezers
• Freezers for liquid foods

b) Direct contact system


• Air-blast freezers
• Immersion freezers
2.0 Learning Outcomes

After completing this virtual experiment, students are able to:


a) Describe the temperature history at the centre of solid and liquid foods.
b) Explain the effects of different process conditions, product size and air velocity on
the freezing time.
c) Compare the freezing time calculated using Plank’s method with those obtained
from the experiment.

3.0 Procedure

Potato and water are selected as food samples for this experiment. Using different
dimensions for both products, the effect of product size on the freezing time is determined,
and the results for both samples demonstrate the differences in the freezing curves. The
initial temperature of the products entering the freezer is kept constant at 20oC. The
freezing air temperature is set at -40oC. The criterion for the freezing time is the time when
the centre temperature of the product decreases to a desired value of -18oC.
Table 3.1 shows the suggested process and product variables.

Table 3.1: Suggested product and process variables


Experiment Sample diameter Sample length Air velocity
(mm) (mm) (m/s)
1 5 10 1
2 10 20 5
3 5 10 10
4 10 20 1
5 5 10 5
6 10 20 10

The following steps are used to conduct the freezing virtual experiment:
a) From the introductory screen Laboratory Overview, select buttons to view
Overview, Theory, Industrial Systems and Procedures. Then select the button
for Virtual Experiment.
b) Using the Control Panel, set the process variables (Initial Temperature, Final
Centre Temperature and Air Velocity) from the suggested values given in Table
3.1.
c) After selecting the product of interest, enter the dimensions of the sample in the
appropriate text box.
d) Click on the Start Experiment button to start the experiment and collect the data.
4.0 Analysis of Results

In this experiment, you obtained the time-temperature data for various sizes of the cup
containing water and cylindrical potato samples subjected to the different air velocities.
Using the time-temperature data:

a) Create the plots of centre temperature profiles for the same size cup of water and
cylindrical potato samples on the same graph, and compare the plots.
b) Determine the freezing time for each trial.
c) Prepare a table and a graph to determine the effect of air velocity on the freezing
time.

5.0 Questions

a) Discuss how the centre temperature changes with time for samples of water and
potato. Comment on the shape of the plot.
b) Discuss the effect of air velocity on the freezing time.
c) Use an analytical procedure for calculating freezing time (Plank’s method) and
compare the results with those obtained from the experiment.

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