Measurement Approach of Mean Heat Transfer Coefficient for Packed Bed of Vegetables

The non-invasive measurement approach of the mean heat transfer coefficient for the packed bed of vegetables may be thought as still open issue. There is a clear need for the assessment of heat transfer conditions for various types of fruits and vegetables in order to accurately predict the thermal load that is necessary to select refrigeration equipment for cold storage chamber. Additionally, there is significant development in numerical modelling of heat and mass transfer processes in cold storage chambers for fruits and vegetables which requires precise heat transfer prediction. The theoretical basis for the indirect measurement approach of mean heat transfer coefficient for the packed bed of vegetables that is based on single blow technique is presented and discussed in the paper. The approach based on the modified model of Liang and Yang was presented and discussed. The testing stand consisted of a dedicated experimental tunnel along with auxiliary equipment and measurement system are presented. The geometry of the tested vegetables bed were presented. Selected experimental results of heat transfer are presented and discussed for the packed bed of carrots. These results were presented as dimensionless relationship. The obtained results were compared with the existing dimensionless relationships developed for the packed bed consisting of elements of various regular shapes.