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Dielectric Properties of Sweet Potato Purees at 915 MHz as Affected by Temperature and Chemical Composition

A process for rapid sterilization and aseptic packaging of sweet potato puree using a continuous flow microwave system operating at 915 MHz has been successfully developed. In microwave processing, dielectric properties have a major role in determining the interaction between purees and the electromagnetic energy. The objective of this research was to determine how dielectric properties are affected by temperature and chemical composition of purees derived from thirteen sweet potato cultivars with varying flesh colors. Results indicated that temperature, moisture, sugar and starch content had a pronounced effect (p < 0.001) on dielectric properties measured from 15°C to 145°C at 915 MHz. Dielectric constant decreased with increasing temperature, while dielectric loss factor increased quadratically. Power penetration depth of all cultivars decreased with increasing temperature. Predictive equations were developed for dielectric constant (R2 = 0.82) and dielectric loss factor (R2 = 0.90) as a function of temperature, moisture, sugar, and starch. The predictive equations would be useful in determining the dielectric properties of sweet potato purees for the microwave processing technology.

Dielectric Properties of Pumpable Food Materials at 915 MHz

Dielectric properties of pumpable food materials having a potential to be processed using a continuous flow microwave heating system were measured at 915 MHz and in the temperature range of 10–90°C. The products considered in this study were milk and dairy products (ϵ′: 70.0 to 50.8 and ϵ″: 14.7 to 41.3), ready to eat puddings (ϵ′: 69.4 to 52.1 and ϵ″: 17.2 to 23.8), soy beverages (ϵ′: 75.4 to 60.8 and ϵ″: 9.0 to 19.8), and avocado products (ϵ′: 51.6 to 39.0 and ϵ″: 17.7 to 67.5). The results showed that the dielectric constant decreased with an increase in temperature and the dielectric loss factor increased with an increase in temperature. Polynomial correlations for the dependence of dielectric properties on temperature were developed. The dielectric properties measured in this study are important parameters for designing a continuous flow microwave heating system for processing pumpable food materials.

Heat Transfer Coefficient in Helical Heat Exchangers under Turbulent Flow Conditions

This study involved the determination of convective heat transfer coefficient in both helical and straight tubular heat exchangers under turbulent flow conditions. The experiments were conducted in helical heat exchangers, with coils of two different curvature ratios (d/D = 0.114 and 0.078), and in straight tubular heat exchangers at various flow rates (1.89 x 10-4 - 6.31 x 10-4 m3/s) and for different end-point temperatures (92 - 149 °C). The results show that the overall heat transfer coefficient (U) in the helical heat exchanger is much higher than that in straight tubular heat exchangers. In addition, U was found to be larger in the coil of larger curvature ratio (d/D = 0.114) than in the coil of smaller curvature ratio (d/D = 0.078). The inside (hi) and outside (ho) convective heat transfer coefficients were determined based on the overall heat transfer coefficient and a correlation to compute the inside convective heat transfer coefficient (hi) as a function of NRe, NPr, and d/D was developed.

Thermophysical and Dielectric Properties of Salsa Con Queso and its Vegetable Ingredients at Sterilization Temperatures

Aseptic processing of a low-acid multiphase food product using continuous flow microwave heating system can combine the advantages of an aseptic process along with those of microwave heating. The objective of this study was to determine the thermophysical and dielectric properties of salsa con queso and its vegetable ingredients (tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, and onions) at a temperature range of 20 to 130°C to design a safe process for aseptic processing of salsa con queso using a continuous flow microwave system. The influence of temperature on apparent viscosity of salsa con queso was described by an Arrhenius-type relationship. Second order polynomial correlations for the dependence of thermophysical and dielectric properties (at 915 MHz) of salsa con queso and its vegetable ingredients on temperature were developed. The results showed that the dielectric constant decreased with an increase in temperature and the dielectric loss factor increased with an increase in temperature.