Estimation of temperature profile at sequence ohmic heating by finite element method

Abstract

The Ohmic heating process equipped with ring electrodes has been applied for variety of liquid foods. The gradient of electric potential formed by ring electrodes was never flat like as made by parallel electrodes. The gradient of potential was estimated by an equation of electric conduction. Assuming the liquid sample flew in the shape of plug through the gradient of potential, the temperature profile in cross-section of sample was estimated by an equation of heat conduction. The flowing sample corresponded to shifting nodes by each step of the Finite Element Method calculation. The result of the temperature profile gave good agreement with the result of the experiment. Other computations with any induced voltage, any velocity of a flowing sample and any space between electrodes were tested. The space between electrodes was the most effective on flat temperature profile of all factors.