International Journal of Food Properties

ISSN: 1094-2912 (Print) 1532-2386 (Online) Journal homepage: www.tandfonline.com/journals/ljfp20

Simultaneous Estimation of the Thermophysical

Properties of Selected Liquid Dairy Products by a
Transient Heat Flow Probe Method

Yoshiki Muramatsu, Eiichiro Sakaguchi, Takahiro Orikasa & Akio Tagawa

To cite this article: Yoshiki Muramatsu, Eiichiro Sakaguchi, Takahiro Orikasa & Akio Tagawa
(2011) Simultaneous Estimation of the Thermophysical Properties of Selected Liquid Dairy
Products by a Transient Heat Flow Probe Method, International Journal of Food Properties,
14:3, 557-569, DOI: 10.1080/10942910903276657

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International Journal of Food Properties, 14:557–569, 2011
Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN: 1094-2912 print / 1532-2386 online
DOI: 10.1080/10942910903276657

SIMULTANEOUS ESTIMATION
OF THE THERMOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SELECTED
LIQUID DAIRY PRODUCTS BY A TRANSIENT HEAT FLOW
PROBE METHOD

Yoshiki Muramatsu1 , Eiichiro Sakaguchi2 , Takahiro Orikasa3 ,

and Akio Tagawa4
1
Department of Food and Cosmetic Science, Faculty of Bioindustry, Tokyo
University of Agriculture, Japan
2
Department of Bioproduction and Environment Engineering, Faculty of Regional
Environment Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan
3
Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Food, Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences, Miyagi University, Japan
4
Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, Japan

The thermophysical properties of reconstituted whole milk, skim milk, and whey were mea-
sured at various temperatures and concentrations. A new method for the simultaneous
determination of thermophysical properties using a modified version of current probe theory
method was proposed. Two new correction coefficients were introduced, and using the val-
ues of these coefficients and an approximate solution of the heat conduction equation, the
thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of each sample were determined. The specific
heat of each sample was estimated from the definition of thermal diffusivity. These properties
were expressed as a function of concentration and temperature.

Keywords: Thermal conductivity, Thermal diffusivity, Specific heat, Probe method, Milk,
Whey.

INTRODUCTION
Thermal treatments such as pasteurization, concentration, drying, and cooling are
frequently used in food processing, transportation, storage, and cooking. Knowledge of the
thermophysical properties of foods is thus important not only for process design but also for
the prediction and control of various changes that occur in food during thermal processing.
The thermophysical properties of foods, such as thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity,
and specific heat, have been reviewed by Singh,[1] Sweat,[2] Saravacos and Maroulis,[3]
and others.
Thermal conductivities of some foods, such as pumpkin seed,[4] dairy products and
margarines,[5] milk,[6] and apple juice[7] have been measured by a transient line source

Received 7 July 2009; accepted 18 August 2009.

Address correspondence to Yoshiki Muramatsu, Department of Food and Cosmetic Science, Faculty of
Bioindustry, Tokyo University of Agriculture, 196 Yasaka, Abashiri-shi, Hokkaido, 099-2493, Japan. E-mail:
[email protected]

557
558 MURAMATSU ET AL.

technique or probe method. In those reports, only the thermal conductivity of the material
was determined from the temperature change in the line heat source or probe. We mea-
sured the thermal conductivity of powdered food[8] by a twin probe method. The twin
probe method is a relative probe measurement. In the twin probe method, the temperature
changes of the probes inserted in the reference material (for example, water) and sample
are simultaneously measured, and the thermal conductivity of the sample is calculated by
multiplying the thermal conductivity of the reference material by the ratio of the temper-
ature rises of the two probes. The twin probe method can measure thermal conductivity
with a high accuracy.[8,9] However, this method can only measure the thermal conductiv-
ity, and it has some disadvantages; for example, two probes, and two amplifiers are needed,
which increases the cost of the apparatus. Some researchers have reported the simultane-
ous determination of thermophysical properties such as thermal conductivity and thermal
diffusivity using the probe method. Choi and Okos[10] measured the thermal conductivity
and thermal diffusivity of tomato juice concentrates by Nix’s method. The effective thermal
conductivities, effective thermal diffusivities, and specific heats of beans[11] were predicted
simultaneously from probe temperature changes by using Blackwell’s equation. These
estimation methods are useful because some thermophysical properties can be simultane-
ously determined from the temperature change data. However, one disadvantage of these
methods is that they require complex calculations.
The thermal conductivities of milk were measured by a steady-state, parallel-plate
method[12] or line heat-source method.[6] Oguntunde and Akintoye[13] measured the spe-
cific heat of cow’s milk. Mattar et al.[14] reported the empirical models for the thermal
conductivity, specific heat, and density of milk. There has been no report that the thermal
conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and specific heat of milk were simultaneously measured
under the same condition. In this study, the thermophysical properties (thermal conductiv-
ity, thermal diffusivity, and specific heat) of milk were measured under same conditions
(total solid content levels and temperatures). Here, we proposed a new method for the
simultaneous determination of thermophysical properties using a modified version of cur-
rent probe theory method, and it easily determined the relevant thermophysical properties
with sufficient accuracy. The objectives of this study were: (1) to develop a new method
for the simultaneous determination of the thermophysical properties using the modified
probe method; (2) to confirm the validity of this estimation method, and to carry out the
simultaneous estimation of three kinds of thermophysical properties; (3) to represent these
properties of the samples as a function of temperature and concentration.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Samples
Three kinds of liquid foods adjusted to various total solid content levels were used
in this study, i.e., whole milk (total solid content levels of 10, 20, 30, and 40%), skim
milk (10, 20, 30, and 40%), and whey (10, 20, and 30%). Different solid content levels
were obtained by dissolving commercially available whole milk powder (Snow Brand Milk
Products Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan), skim milk powder (Snow Brand Milk Products Co., Ltd.
Tokyo, Japan), and whey powder (Snow Brand Milk Products Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan)
with distilled water. The moisture content of the powder was determined using the oven
drying method in which 2 g of the powder was dried under forced hot air oven (Yamato
Scientific Co., Ltd., DX-600, Tokyo, Japan) at 100◦ C for 5 h.[15] Based on the results of
these moisture content measurements, the solid content levels of the sample solutions were
adjusted. To obtain the desired solid content levels of the sample solutions, the distilled
 THERMOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SELECTED LIQUID DAIRY PRODUCTS 559

Table 1 Compositions (mass fraction) of each component for each sample.

Composition (%)
Sample Moisture Protein Fat Carbohydrate Ash

Whole milk 90.0 2.6 2.7 4.1 0.6

80.0 5.3 5.4 8.1 1.2
70.0 7.9 8.1 12.1 1.9
60.0 10.5 10.8 16.2 2.5
Skim milk 90.0 3.5 0.1 5.6 0.8
80.0 7.1 0.2 11.1 1.6
70.0 10.6 0.3 16.6 2.5
60.0 14.1 0.1 22.2 3.3
Whey 90.0 1.2 0.5 7.4 0.9
80.0 2.4 1.1 14.8 1.7
70.0 3.6 1.6 22.3 2.5

water of a predetermined quantity was added to about 50 g of the powder, and the powder
was dissolved by using a stirrer (AS ONE Co., Ltd., SM-101, Osaka, Japan) at 1500 rpm for
10 min. In this study, natural convection was avoided by using 1% agar to gel the sample
solutions. Because the 40% whey solution could not gel, the thermophysical properties
of 10–30% whey solutions were measured. The compositions of these sample solutions
were calculated from the standard table of food compositions in Japan,[16] and given in
Table 1.

Measurement Apparatus
Figure 1 shows a schematic of the heat probe (Tokyo Riko Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan)
used in this study. The probe consisted of a constantan heater wire (0.1 mm in diameter,
resistance of 14.8 ) with a small temperature coefficient of electrical resistance, and a
T-type thermocouple (0.1-mm-diameter) in a stainless steel tube (1-mm-diameter and 100-
mm-length). To avoid contact between the heater wire and thermocouple, the space inside
the stainless steel tube was filled with silicone oil.
Figure 2 presents a diagram of the thermophysical property measurement appara-
tus. The apparatus consisted of three units: heating, temperature control, and recording.
The heating unit consisted of the probe, a DC power source (Metronix Co., Ltd., model
526, Tokyo, Japan), a DC ammeter (Yokogawa Electric Co., Ltd., model 2012, Tokyo,
Japan), and a switch. A circulating water bath (Tokyo Riko Co., Ltd., TC-100, Tokyo,
Japan) with a temperature control accuracy of 0.004◦ C was used to hold the temperature
constant throughout the tests. The temperature change in the heat source (probe), i.e., the
change in the thermo-electromotive force, was amplified with an OP-amplifier (Tokyo Riko
Co., Ltd., CA-25F, Tokyo, Japan) and recorded with a data logger (Advantest Co., Ltd.,
R7326B, Tokyo, Japan). Because of the high thermal conductivity requirement, the cylin-
drical sample container and reference point container were made of copper plate (0.3-mm
thickness). These containers were 30 mm in diameter and 150 mm in height. The reference
point container was filled with 1% agar gel.

Measurement of Thermophysical Properties

The thermophysical properties of the samples were measured with the modified tran-
sient heat-flow probe method at five different temperatures (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50◦ C) for
560 MURAMATSU ET AL.

Figure 1 Schematic of the heat probe used to measure thermophysical properties.

each concentration of each sample. The measurement condition was selected in considera-
tion of the treatment for cooling, vacuum evaporation, cream separation, and spray drying
of milk. After the water temperature in the water bath reached a preset temperature, the
probe was inserted into the center of the sample. The sample container was submerged
in the water bath; thus, the temperatures of the sample and reference-point thermocou-
ple (cold junction) were precisely controlled. When the change in thermo-electromotive
force of the thermocouple in the sample was less than 0.4 µ V, it was assumed that the
temperatures had reached the preset temperature, i.e., they were in thermal equilibrium.
Approximately 90 min were necessary to achieve this state of equilibrium. After the ther-
mal equilibrium state had been established, the probe heater wire was energized, and the
temperatures of the probe increased with time. The probe temperature changes were ampli-
fied and recorded with the data logger. In this study, the input and output range of the
amplifier were adjusted to 100 µ V and 10 m V, respectively, and the current applied
to the heater wire in the probe was adjusted to 130 m A to raise the temperature of the
probe to about 2◦ C. Current was supplied to the heater wire of the probe for 180 s. In this
study, the measurements of thermophysical properties were replicated five times for each
experimental condition.

Estimation Method of Thermophysical Properties

When the sample is held at constant temperature, constant heat is continuously
supplied to the heater wire in the probe inserted in the sample, and the elapsed heating
time is long enough, the temperature change of the probe is approximately expressed as
follows[17] :
 THERMOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SELECTED LIQUID DAIRY PRODUCTS 561

Figure 2 Schematic of the experimental apparatus used to measure thermophysical properties.

θ = A · ln t + B (1)

q
A= (2)
4π λ

 
q 4κβ
B= ln 2 . (3)
4π λ r

Equation (1) shows that when the elapsed heating time is long enough, the relationship
between the probe temperature difference and the logarithm of elapsed time is approxi-
mately linear, and the slope and intercept of this straight line are A and B, respectively.
Many researchers have measured the thermal conductivities of various foods by utilizing
562 MURAMATSU ET AL.

values of A. If the relationship between the probe temperature difference and the time
is expressed by Eq. (1) with a high accuracy, then thermal conductivity and thermal dif-
fusivity can be calculated from Eqs. (2) and (3). The thermal conductivity and thermal
diffusivity of the 1% agar gel were considered equal those of water, as the gel contained
99% water, and these parameters were determined by using Eqs. (2) and (3) at tempera-
tures of 10–50◦ C, and the estimated results were compared with values for water in the
literature.[1] In this case, the measured probe temperature changes in 30–180 s were fitted
by a linear least squares method to Eq. (1), and the values of the parameters A and B were
determined. Regression analysis of the measured data was carried out by the Microsoft
Excel 2003. The two statistical parameters, i.e., the root mean squared error (RMSE) and
the coefficient of determination (R2 ) were used to evaluate the accuracy of the fitting pro-
cess. These values were calculated from the following equations by using the Microsoft
Excel 2003:

 1/2
1 
N
RMSE = · (Pi − Yi )2 (4)
N i=1


N
(Pi − Yi )2
i=1
R2 = 1 − N 
. (5)
 2
Y − Yi
i=1

The values of RMSE and R2 in Eq. (1) were about 1.0×10−3◦ C−1 and 0.9999 (−),
respectively. The measured results agreed well with the calculated values. The thermal
conductivity and thermal diffusivity of water were estimated from Eqs. (2) and (3) using
the values of parameters A and B. Because the length of the probe was 100 mm, the
heat quantity per unit length of the probe and unit time in Eq. (2) (q) was q = q × 10 =
E × I × 10 = I 2 × R × 10 (W/m). Where, q is the heat quantity of the probe per unit time
(W), and q = E × I = I 2 × R. As a result, the thermal conductivity of water estimated
from Eq. (2) was 10–15% higher than the literature value. Under some conditions, the
thermal diffusivity of water calculated from Eq. (3) was a negative value, or 50% smaller
than the literature value. Therefore, even if the measured results agreed well with the val-
ues calculated from Eq. (1), it is not suitable for determining the thermal conductivity and
diffusivity from Eqs. (2) and (3). Although the length of the probe (length of the stainless
pipe) was 100 mm, the heater wire was folded inside the stainless pipe, so the length of
the heater wire was unknown. In addition, the values of A and B vary depending on the
heat quantity of the probe, the heating time (supply time for the heat quantity), the range
of the probe temperature change when fitted to Eq. (1) by the linear least squares method,
and so on.
This study introduced two new correction coefficients (Pc and Ic) to easily and accu-
rately determine the thermophysical properties. Pc is the correction coefficient for the
length of the heater wire in the probe, i.e., heat quantity per unit length of the probe, and
q is rearranged: q = q × Pc = I 2 × R × Pc. Ic is the correction coefficient for the method
of supplying the heat quantity to the heater wire in the probe (current, voltage, supply time
of heat quantity), the data range of the probe temperature change when fitted to Eq. (1),
 THERMOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SELECTED LIQUID DAIRY PRODUCTS 563

and the error of measured temperature. In this study, these coefficients were introduced,
Eqs. (1)–(3) were modified to following equations:

θ = F · ln t + G (6)

q × Pc
F=A= (7)
4π λ

   
q 4κβ q × Pc 4κβ
G = B − Ic = ln 2 − Ic = ln 2 − Ic. (8)
4π λ r 4π λ r

The correction coefficients (Pc and Ic) were determined using the measured results for the
1% agar gel at temperatures of 10–50◦ C. The method of supplying the heat quantity to
the heater wire in the probe and the range of probe temperature changes when fitted to
Eq. (6) were the same as those used for measuring the thermophysical properties of the
sample. The values of the parameters F and G were determined by a linear least squares
method. The known values (the heat quantity of the probe per unit time q = I 2 × R, the
outer diameter of the probe r, and the constant β), and the literature values[1] of the thermal
conductivity and thermal diffusivity of water were substituted into Eqs. (7) and (8), and the
values of the correction coefficients Pc and Ic were determined at each temperature. The
values of the correction coefficients at temperatures from 10◦ C to 50◦ C ranged from 8.3
to 9.0 for Pc and from −0.39 to −0.35 for Ic. These correction coefficients had almost
the same value regardless of temperature, remaining nearly constant from 10◦ C to 50◦ C.
The values of Pc and Ic for the measurement conditions and apparatuses in this study were
taken as the mean values of Pc and Ic in the temperature range of 10◦ C–50◦ C, i.e., Pc =
8.666, Ic = −0.3711.
To predict the thermophysical properties of the samples, the measured probe tem-
perature changes in 30–180 s for samples were fitted by a linear least squares method to
Eq. (6), and the values of the parameters F and G were determined. Using the values of F,
G, Pc, and Ic, the thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of the sample were calcu-
lated from Eqs. (7) and (8), respectively. The specific heat of the sample was estimated by
substituting the thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity calculated from Eqs. (7) and
(8) and the density of the sample under the same condition into the following equation for
thermal diffusivity:

λ
κ= . (9)
cp ρ

The values of the sample densities measured with a pycnometer were used in Eq. (9). The
method for estimating thermophysical properties used in this study was calibrated at 20◦ C
using 20%, 40%, and 60% sucrose solutions and 14%, and 23% sodium chloride solutions.
As a result, the relative errors between the measured values and the literature values[1,18,19]
were 0–3% for thermal conductivity, 0–6% for thermal diffusivity, and 0–4% for specific
heat. The measured values agreed well with the literature values. Therefore, Eqs. (6)–(9)
and the values of the two correction coefficients (Pc and Ic) were used to determine the
thermophysical properties of the samples.
564 MURAMATSU ET AL.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Temperature Change of the Probe
The measured data for the probe temperature changes over 30–180 s at each mea-
surement condition were fitted by a linear least squares method to Eq. (6). A comparison
between the measured results and the results calculated from Eq. (6) at a concentration
of 10% and a temperature of 50◦ C for whole milk is shown in Fig. 3. The solid line and
symbols in Fig. 3 show the calculated values and the measured results, respectively. In this
case, the values of parameters F and G, the RMSE and R2 in Eq. (6) were F= 0.2840, G=
0.4604, RMSE = 1.716 × 10−3◦ C, and R2 = 0.9999 (−). As shown in Fig. 3, the measured
data for the temperature changes of the probe over 30–180 s agreed well with the calculated
values. Similar results were obtained for all other measurement conditions. Therefore, the
values of parameters F and G determined from the probe temperature changes over 30–180
s were used to predict the thermophysical properties of the samples.

Thermal Conductivities of the Samples

The values of the thermal conductivity calculated from Eq. (7) were
0.43–0.61 W m−1◦ C−1 for whole milk, 0.47–0.62 W m−1◦ C−1 for skim milk, and
0.49–0.62 W m−1◦ C−1 for whey. The measured thermal conductivities of the samples were
compared with the literature values.[6,12,13] As a result, there were no significant errors
between the measured thermal conductivities of the samples and the literature values under
the same conditions. This result demonstrates that the method adopted in this study for
estimating thermophysical properties was appropriate.
The thermal conductivities of liquid foods such as milk and fruit juice can be
expressed as functions of temperature and concentration.[6,7,20,21] Figure 4 shows the rela-
tionships between thermal conductivity and temperature for whey, showing that the thermal
conductivity of the whey increased linearly with increasing temperature. Results similar

Figure 3 Comparison of the observed temperature changes of the probe with the results calculated from Eq. (6)
for whole milk at a concentration of 10% and a temperature of 50◦ C.
 THERMOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SELECTED LIQUID DAIRY PRODUCTS 565

Figure 4 Comparison of the measured thermal conductivity and the result calculated from Eq. (10) for whey.

Table 2 The parameters, coefficient of determination (R2 ) and root means square (RMSE) of Eqs. (10), (11), and
(12) for each sample.

Sample
Eq. Whole milk Skim milk Whey

(10) a1 (W m−1◦ C−1 %−1 ) −4.171 × 10−3 −3.265 × 10−3 −3.686 × 10−3
b1 (W m−1◦ C−2 ) 1.181 × 10−3 1.241 × 10−3 1.393 × 10−3
d1 (W m−1◦ C−1 ) 5.860 × 10−1 5.817 × 10−1 5.867 × 10−1
R2 (−) 0.9898 0.9759 0.9960
RMSE (W m−1◦ C−1 ) 0.0050 0.0065 0.0023
(11) a2 (m2 s−1 %−1 ) −8.194 × 10−10 −6.437 × 10−10 −5.242 × 10−10
b2 (m2 s−1 ) 1.593 × 10−7 1.529 × 10−7 1.543 × 10−7
R2 (−) 0.9990 0.9329 0.9982
RMSE (m2 s−1 ) 2.955 × 10−10 1.930 × 10−9 1.797 × 10−10
(12) a3 (kJ kg−1◦ C−1 %−1 ) −1.650 × 10−2 −1.842 × 10−2 −2.446 × 10−2
b3 (kJ kg−1◦ C−2 ) 8.766 × 10−3 9.313 × 10−3 9.882 × 10−3
d3 (kJ kg−1◦ C−1 ) 3.680 3.801 3.802
R2 (−) 0.9793 0.9516 0.9959
RMSE (kJ kg−1◦ C−1 ) 0.0335 0.0566 0.0156

to Fig. 4 were obtained for all samples. At the same temperature, the thermal conduc-
tivities of all samples decreased as the concentration increased, and a linear relationship
existed between thermal conductivity and concentration. Therefore, we derived the fol-
lowing empirical equation to represent the relationship between thermal conductivity,
concentration, and temperature:

λ = a1 C + b1 T + d1 . (10)

The measured data for each sample were fitted by a linear least squares method to Eq. (10).
The solid lines in Fig. 4 show the calculated results. For all samples, the calculated values
agreed well with the measured data. The parameters, RMSE, and R2 of Eq. (10) for each
sample are shown in Table 2. Eq. (10) accurately represented the relationships between
thermal conductivity and both concentration and temperature for samples.
566 MURAMATSU ET AL.

Figure 5 Empirical relationships between the thermal diffusivity and the concentration for each sample.

Thermal Diffusivities of the Samples

The values of thermal diffusivity of the samples obtained from Eq. (8) were
1.1–1.6×10−7 m2 s−1 . The thermal diffusivities of the orange juice as measured by the
Dickerson method[20] were 1.0×10−7 −1.4×10−7 m2 s−1 at temperatures from 0.5–62◦ C
and water content levels from 30–75% (total solid contents from 25–70%), and were writ-
ten as a function of temperature and water content. Comparing the measured data to the
literature values for water[1] and orange juice,[20] the measured values were almost the
same as the reported values for these liquids. The thermal diffusivities of the samples
decreased with increasing concentration. This tendency was also seen in a report by Telis-
Romero et al.[20] For each concentration, the thermal diffusivity of each sample was almost
constant over temperature. The average values of the measured data at 10–50◦ C at each
concentration and for each sample are plotted in Fig. 5. The thermal diffusivities of the
samples decreased linearly with increasing concentration. The values of thermal diffusiv-
ity plotted in Fig. 5 for each sample were fitted by a linear least squares method to the
following equation:

κ = a2 C + b2 . (11)

The values of the parameters are given in Table 2 along with the RMSE and R2 of Eq. (11)
for each sample. The RMSE and R2 values show that the measured data agreed well with
the calculated values. Thus, the thermal diffusivity of each sample was represented by
Eq. (11) as a function of concentration only within the measurement conditions in this
study.

Specific Heats of the Samples

The specific heat of each sample was determined from Eq. (9) by substituting the
thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity calculated from Eqs. (7) and (8) and the den-
sity of the sample under the same condition into Eq. (9). There were no significant errors
between the measured specific heats of the samples and the literature values[6] under the
 THERMOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SELECTED LIQUID DAIRY PRODUCTS 567

Figure 6 Empirical relationships the between specific heat and the temperature at four different concentrations
for whole milk.

same conditions. Figure 6 shows the relationships between specific heat and temperature
for whole milk. The symbols in Fig. 6 show the measured results. The values of the spe-
cific heat of whole milk were 3.1–4.0 kJ kg−1◦ C−1 under the measured conditions, and
increased linearly as the temperature rose. Relationships similar to Fig. 6 were obtained for
all samples. The specific heats of the samples decreased with increasing concentration for
each temperature of each sample. Tansakul and Chaisawang[22] reported that the specific
heat of coconut milk measured with a DSC was related to temperature and concentration
by the following equation:

cp = a3 C + b3 T + d3 . (12)

In this study, because both the temperature dependency and the concentration dependency
were represented by a linear function, the measured specific heat data for each sample
were fitted by a linear least squares method to Eq. (12). The solid lines in Fig. 6 show
the calculated results. As shown in Fig. 6, the calculations agreed well with the mea-
sured data. The values of the parameters, RMSE, and R2 of Eq. (12) for each sample are
shown in Table 2. From Table 2, it is apparent that the relationships between specific heat
and both concentration and temperature for each sample were accurately represented by
Eq. (12).
In this study, two new correction coefficients were introduced, and the thermal
conductivities, thermal diffusivities, and specific heats of samples were simultaneously
determined using a modified transient heat-flow probe method, and these values were writ-
ten as a function of temperature and concentration. The estimation method adopted in this
study, expressed as Eqs. (6)–(9), is suitable for predicting thermal conductivity, thermal
diffusivity, and specific heat with accuracy sufficient for practical use. This estimation
method can be easily determined the three kinds of thermophysical properties and applied
to various foods. The empirical equations, i.e., Eqs. (10)–(12), will be useful in the design
of equipment and in calculations for the thermal processing of milk.
568 MURAMATSU ET AL.

CONCLUSION
A new method for the simultaneous determination of thermophysical properties
using a modified version of current probe theory method was proposed. Two new correc-
tion coefficients were introduced, and using the values of these correction coefficients and
an approximate solution of the heat conduction equation, the thermal conductivity and ther-
mal diffusivity of three kinds of milk (whole milk, skim milk, and whey) were measured at
various temperatures (10–50◦ C) and concentrations (10–40%), respectively. The specific
heat of each sample was estimated from the definition of thermal diffusivity. The thermal
conductivity and specific heat for each sample were represented by the empirical equations
shown as a linear function of both concentration and temperature, respectively. The ther-
mal diffusivity of each sample was represented as a linear function of concentration only
within the measurement conditions in this study.

NOMENCLATURE

β Constant, β = exp (−γ ) (−)

γ Euler’s constant, 0.5772 (−)
θ Probe temperature difference (◦ C)
κ Thermal diffusivity (m2 s−1 )
λ Thermal conductivity (W m−1 ◦ C−1 )
ρ Density of the sample (kg m−3 )
cp Specific heat (kJ kg−1 ◦ C−1 )
C Total solid content (%)
E Voltage (V)
I Current, 0.130 (A)
Ic Correction coefficient, −0.3711 (◦ C)
N Number of data set
Pi Calculated value
Pc Correction coefficient, 8.666 (m−1 )
q Heat quantity per unit length of the probe and unit time (W m−1 )
q Heat quantity of the probe per unit time (W), q = E × I = I 2 × R
R Resistance, 14.8 ()
r Outer diameter of the probe, 0.0005 (m)
t Elapsed time (s)
T Temperature (◦ C)
Yi Measured value
Y Average value of the measured data
A Constant (◦ C)
B Constant (◦ C)
F Constant (◦ C)
G Constant (◦ C)
a1 Constant (W m−1 ◦ C−1 %−1 )
b1 Constant (W m−1 ◦ C−2 )
d1 Constant (W m−1 ◦ C−1 )
a2 Constant (m2 s−1 %−1 )
b2 Constant (m2 s−1 )
a3 Constant (kJ kg−1 ◦ C−1 %−1 )
b3 Constant (kJ kg−1 ◦ C−2 )
d3 Constant (kJ kg−1 ◦ C−1 )
 THERMOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SELECTED LIQUID DAIRY PRODUCTS 569

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