Modeling of Thermal Properties of Thermal Insulation Layered with Transparent,Opaque and Reflective Film

The popular and effective food preservation technology based on refrigeration is not sufficient for high-quality products while undergoing logistic operations(transport and retail). One of the basic factors that affects the quality of chilled and frozen food products during storage and transport is packaging. A protective function of packaging strongly depends on the material used and its composition. There are different kinds of thermal insulation used for food packaging. One of them, proposed by the authors is a multilayer structure of insulation made of rectangular air cells. The insulation can be prepared by means of plastic film featuring various properties. The paper presents how to improve an effective material designed for food freezing and transport aiming to enhance its thermal resistance through the application of different transparency, reflectivity and emissivity of the film. Mathematical model based on heat exchange equations, including conduction, convection and radiation throughout a number of parallel internal sheets of film of multilayer structures was proposed. Thermal properties depending on different transparency, reflectivity and emissivity of the film were analyzed. The model was verified experimentally showing its compatibility and obtaining a significant influence of thermal resistance according to the type of film used to make air structures, the number and thickness of its layers as well as the gaps between internal folds. For multi-layer insulation designed for the insulation of packed frozen food in the shape of a rectangle, it was recommended to apply film transmittance as small as possible for the internal parts of the structure.

Process performance and quality attributes of temperature and step-down relative humidity controlled hot air drying of Panax notoginseng roots

The effects of temperature and step-down relative humidity controlled hot-air drying(THC-HAD)on the drying kinetics,energy efficiency and quality,i.e.,rehydration ratio(RR),color parameters(L*,a*,b*),total color difference(ΔE*),Panax notoginseng saponins(PNS)content,and ginsenosides content(R1,Rg1,Re,Rd,Rb1)of Panax notoginseng roots were evaluated.The drying time was significantly affected by the drying temperature followed by the relative humidity(RH)of the drying air.Special combination of drying conditions,i.e.,drying temperature of 50°C,relative humidity of 40%for 3 h and then continuous dehumidification from 40%to 8%allowed to shorten the drying time by 25%compared to drying at the same temperature and continuous dehumidification.The longer was the drying time under constant high RH of drying air,the lower was the RR of dried samples.The step-down RH strategy contributed to the formation of a porous structure,enhancement of drying efficiency and quality improvement.Generally,the ginsenosides content increased with the increase in temperature,while no obvious trend was recorded for ginsenoside R1.The contents of the ginsenoside R1,Rg1,Rb1 and PNS decreased with the increase in the drying time under constant high RH.Taking into account the drying time,energy consumption and quality attributes,drying at the temperature of 50°C,constant RH of 40%for 3 h and then step-down RH from 40%to 8%was proposed as the most favorable combination of drying conditions for dehydration of whole Panax notoginseng roots.

Selection of the Relevant Turbulence Model in a CFD Simulation of a Flow Disturbed by Hydraulic Elbow--Comparative Analysis of the Simulation with Measurements Results Obtained by the Ultrasonic Flowmeter

The article is an attempt to compile the results of CFD liquid flow simulation through pipeline section containing hydraulic elbow with the results of ultrasonic flow measurements. To carry out the measurements behind the flow disturbing element(hydraulic elbow), an ultrasonic flowmeter with applied head set in accordance with the Z-type system was used. For comparative purposes, a flow simulation for 3 different turbulence models(k-epsilon, SST and SSG) was performed. It was found that with a proper ultrasonic flowmeter heads configurations, it is possible to measure the flow rate disturbed by the hydraulic elbow at any distance from the source of the disturbance. It has to use appropriate correction factor that can be determined by knowing the flow velocity profile equation. Based on comparison of CFD simulation results with experimental data, the accuracy/purposefulness of using individual turbulence models in the case of discussed hydraulic installation was evaluated.