2001 Volume 52 Issue 3 Pages 241-249
An assembly of heating system was devised for detecting the temperatures along by the one-dimensional axis (x-axis) within 5 mm from the heating plane in food samples of different moisture content and in food models during heating in a metal vessel at 105°C. The thermal diffusivity of the samples was also evaluated, from measurements of their heat capacity, thermal conductivity, and density. The results obtained can be summarized, as follows :
1) Thermal conduction in the samples was characterized by conductive heat transfer, irrespective of the amount of moisture.
2) The curve of increasing temperature at each location on the x-axis in every sample could be represented by an exponential equation derived from the assumption that a retardation phenomenon plays a role in the thermal conduction.
3) A linear relationship was found between the reciprocal retardation time in the above exponential equation and the thermal diffusivity by a double-logarithmic plot for all the samples.
4) The experimental results indicate that this study should be quantitatively developed to identify the role of the water component in the thermal conduction of foodstuffs during cooking.
