A kinetic model for transpiration of fresh produce in a controlled atmosphere
1998
Kang, J.S. | Lee, D.S.
A simple transpiration model based on heat and mass balances between produce and storage atmosphere was developed and tested experimentally to predict moisture loss of fresh produce in normal air and in a controlled atmosphere. The transpiring water transfer was coupled to heat transfer at steady state. Sum of heat energies transferred through natural convection from ambient air and generated from respiration inside the produce was assumed to be supplied for evaporating moisture on the surface. Respiration heat was obtained from measured respiration rate of O2 consumption and CO2 production, and convective heat transfer was calculated from an empirical formula for natural convection, in which produce temperature was taken as wet bulb temperature. The moisture losses estimated by the developed model were in good agreement with experimental data of weight change for the apples and minimally processed vegetables stored under controlled atmospheric conditions and normal air. The model is advantageous since it is simple and requires only a small number of input variables, which are easily measurable.
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