Cross-flow deep fat frying and its effect on fry quality distribution and mobility

Conventional industrial frying systems are not optimised towards homogeneous product quality, which is partly related to poor oil distribution across the packed bed of fries. In this study we investigate an alternative frying system with an oil cross-flow from bottom to top through a packed bed of fries. Fluidization of rectangular fries during frying was characterised with a modified Ergun equation. Mixing was visualized by using two coloured layers of fries and quantified in terms of mixing entropy. Smaller fries mixed quickly during frying, while longer fries exhibited much less mixing, which was attributed to the higher minimum fluidization velocity and slower dehydration for longer fries. The cross-flow velocity was found an important parameter for the homogeneity of the moisture content of fries. Increased oil velocities positively affected moisture distribution due to a higher oil refresh rate. However, inducing fluidization caused the moisture distribution to become unpredictable due to bed instabilities.