Post Harvest Cold Chain Optimization of Little Fruits

S. Marai[1], E. Ferrari[1], R. Civelli[1]
[1]DiSAA, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
Veröffentlicht in 2012

This paper presents heat transfer 3-D models of a passive refrigeration system used to improve the shelf life and the quality of the perishable fruits. Passive refrigerator system uses the changing phase to keep temperature close to the melting temperature. A multi-step study was performed: a 3-D heat transfer model on the empty box; a 3-D heat transfer model on the box containing a slab with apparent thermal properties obtained from the air and the fruit; a 3-D heat transfer model on the box filled with randomized diameter spheres, simulating the fruits, created with an original MATLAB® script and imported in COMSOL. The temperature profile inside the box and the melting time of the ice were studied.