Simplified heat transfer modeling in a cold room filled with food products

• Simplified heat transfer model for a cold room loaded by pallets was developed.
• Model considers 2 loads: front and rear.
• Model predicts well the cooling rate, the product final temperature and the product weight loss.
• Implementation with other refrigerating equipment models allows the knowledge of product temperature evolution along the cold chain.

High product and air temperatures and moistures are often observed in certain positions of a cold room leading to deterioration of food quality and safety. To reduce food losses, it is necessary to understand heat and mass transfers. However, these transfers are complex phenomena because of the presence of the product (airflow obstacle, heat of respiration…) and the coupling between the transfers and airflow. Temperature and velocity measurements were carried out in a ventilated cold room filled with four apple pallets. Because of the room small dimensions (3.4 × 3.4 × 2.5 m), the cold supply air headed directly to the rear part of the room. Therefore, the rear pallets were submitted to lower air temperatures compared to the front ones. This leads to more rapid product cooling rate and lower product final temperature at the rear. A simplified model was developed. It describes the evolution of product and air temperatures at different zones in the cold room. Good agreement between the predicted and experimental results was found for both product cooling rate and final product temperature.