Journal of Food Engineering, Vol.40, No.1, 121-127, 1999
Predicting condensation in bulks of foodstuffs
The bulk storage of foodstuffs, such as potatoes, is common but unfortunately condensation in bulk stores is often observed. Condensation has been shown to initiate diseases on the foodstuff with subsequent loss of quality or amount of saleable produce. A numerical model was developed to calculate the air flows, temperature and moisture changes in bulk stores, and solved using a computational fluid dynamics code in order to predict the conditions under which condensation is likely to occur. The model was able to predict the position of condensation in a typical bulk potato store and it also showed how condensation would occur in other regions if different operational policies were used. The model showed that condensation occurs due to variations in the air flow, and hence fooling front, in the bulk and that it could be restricted by increasing the period of forced convection or, more novel, directing cool air into the regions of slow air movement.