Characterization and CFD modelling of air temperature and velocity profiles in an industrial biscuit baking tunnel oven

The industrial baking of cereal products is commonly performed in tunnel ovens, which give operators high flexibility for adjusting baking conditions to optimum values. This paper discusses the application of a CFD approach to predict the air temperature and velocity profiles inside the baking chamber of an industrial indirect gas-fired tunnel oven used for biscuit baking. We used two three-dimensional CFD models (one not covering the conveying band of biscuits and the other including it) to describe the complex air circulation resulting from the mechanisms of air input and exit at the ends of the oven and of air extraction through the different extraction points located along the oven length. Comparison of numerical results with experimental measurements shows a fairly close agreement in the qualitative prediction and a few inaccuracies in the quantitative prediction of the air temperature profiles within the baking chamber. Furthermore, the comparison also reveals great differences in the air velocity profiles. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.