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THE LETHALITY‐FOURIER NUMBER METHOD: EXPERIMENTAL VERIFICATION OF A MODEL FOR CALCULATING TEMPERATURE PROFILES AND LETHALITY IN CONDUCTION‐HEATING CANNED FOODS
Author(s) -
LENZ M. K.,
LUND D. B.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
journal of food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1750-3841
pISSN - 0022-1147
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2621.1977.tb12652.x
Subject(s) - dimensionless quantity , arrhenius equation , fourier number , thermal conduction , lethality , thermodynamics , activation energy , materials science , mechanics , thermal , chemistry , physics , heat flux , heat transfer , genetics , biology
A new method (lethality‐Fourier number method) for calculating the center point sterilizing value of a thermal process applied to conduction‐heating foods was developed by combining first‐order destruction kinetics with the Arrhenius equation and dimensionalizing this equation. The temperature profile used in the Arrhenius equation is the theoretical center point temperature profile for heating and cooling of a finite cylinder. These temperature profiles were experimentally verified as adequate models. This verification procedure also produced estimates of the variation in the thermal properties or heating rates of conduction‐heating foods. The final equation is numerically integrated to give charts of dimensionless lethality versus dimensionless time with dimensionless activation energy as a parameter. The method compares favorably with sterilizing values obtained from the Improved General Method and the Formula Method.