Mathematical modeling for heat conduction in stone fruits

Stone fruit is cooled after harvesting to extend its shelf life and prevent postharvest losses. Because it is quickly subject to chilling injuries at inappropriate temperatures, its thermal properties should be known in order to design an optimum cooling process. However, how long does it take for an olive to reach its storage temperature at the stone-pulp interface? This paper proposes approximated equations as a model for predicting cooling times at the stone-pulp interface and for measuring the thermal diffusivity of the pulp and the external heat transfer coefficient. The model is based on a solution in Fourier series for the conduction of heat in spheres with an inner concentric, insulating spherical core, as a model of conduction of heat in stone fruits.