Optimal Design of Complementary Experiments for Parameter Estimation at Elevated Temperature of Food Processing

Area of Science:

• Food science and technology
• Thermal property measurement
• Material characterization

Background:

• Simultaneous estimation of temperature-dependent thermal properties is complex.
• Complementary experiments can aid in estimating thermal conductivity.
• Optimizing these experiments is crucial for accurate property determination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize complementary experiments for simultaneous estimation of temperature-dependent thermal conductivity and volumetric heat capacity.
• To investigate various heating profiles for maximizing experimental data.
• To accurately determine thermal properties of sweet potato puree.

Main Methods:

• A theoretical study was conducted using a cylindrical sample holder with a central thin film heater.
• Two experimental phases were employed: a constant boundary temperature phase and a controlled heating phase.
• Sinusoidal heating profiles were investigated to optimize data acquisition.

Main Results:

• The sinusoidal heating profile proved most effective for maximizing information from complementary experiments.
• Temperature-dependent thermal conductivity of sweet potato puree ranged from 0.509 to 0.629 W/mK (25-140 °C).
• Temperature-dependent volumetric heat capacity ranged from 3.617 × 10^6 to 4.180 × 10^6 J/m^3K (25-140 °C), with low standard errors.

Conclusions:

• Optimized complementary experiments enable accurate simultaneous estimation of temperature-dependent thermal properties.
• The developed method is effective for characterizing food materials like sweet potato puree.
• This approach advances the precise measurement of thermal properties in complex materials.