MEATBALL COOKING - MODELING AND SIMULATION

Mathematical models were developed to predict the temperature and mass histories of meatballs (4.7 cm diameter, 60 g) during forced convection baking, natural convection baking (broiling), and boiling. The finite difference method was used to solve the simultaneous heat and moisture transfer equations using constant transport properties and the continuous system modeling program (CSMP). Surface heat transfer coefficients were determined by the transient temperature measurement method, with values of 23.0, 9.0, and 4518 W/m(2) K, respectively, for forced convection baking, natural convection baking (broiling), and boiling. Thermal and moisture diffusivity values for meatball cooking processes were estimated from the experimental data by minimizing the root-mean-square of deviations between the observed and predicted temperature and moisture histories. The thermal diffusivity values were 1.8x10(-7), 1.9x10(-7), and 1.6x10(-7) m(2)/s for meatball cooking during forced convection baking, natural convection baking, and boiling, respectively. Moisture diffusivities of the meatball for the first two processes were 3.9x10(-8) and 2.5x10(-8) m(2)/s, respectively. The average root-mean-square of deviations between the observed and predicted temperature histories (2-90 degrees C) ranged from 3.0 to 5.1 degrees C for the cooking processes, and between the observed and predicted meatball mass, accounted for the moisture loss only, ranged from 0.04 to 0.19 g.