Development of an improved heating system for industrial tunnel baking ovens

This objective of this work was to develop, test and optimise the design of a novel gas-fired radiant burner suitable for incorporation into industrial tunnel ovens. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations have been used to model the burner and baking chamber environment, and in particular to predict radiation heat fluxes incident on the top surface of the food, both across the width of the baking chamber and along its length. Data from thermocouple sensors attached to a full-scale 40 kW prototype burner have been used to validate the CFD model. Initial results presented here show that CFD model predictions agree with experimental data to within 10%. CFD simulations have indicated that the new burner is capable of delivering irradiation to a travelling conveyor more uniformly than existing radiant burner designs. The effects of oven chamber humidity and surface emissivity on radiation heat transfer have been quantified.