Computer simulation of a commercial food steamer using CFD (computational fluid dynamics) recently proved effective in determining that uneven temperature distribution is caused by the location, speed and direction of steam jets in the steam chamber.
Enductive Solutions, Scotts Valley, Calif., specializing in CAE solutions, did the CFD simulation, which allowed engineers to manipulate the jets without building a physical prototype and iterate to an optimized design that allowed the capacity of the steamer to be increased substantially. CFD analysis then provided the OEM with precise information needed to determine the performance of the proposed design.
The end result for the OEM: improved steam circulation and heat distribution, makes it possible to increase the capacity of the steamer by including additional trays.
"The analysis returns the precise information that the user needs to determine the performance of the proposed design," says Phil Raymond, president and COO, Enductive. "Just as important, it helps provide an understanding of why the design works or doesn't work, so that it can be quickly improved. The basic idea is to put advanced CAE tools in the hands of the people who need them most."
Food-browning assessment system
BSG-Tech by Resolution Technology, Columbus, Ohio, is an image-analysis system designed to emulate visual assessment of browning. It can be used in appliance engineering labs and test kitchens as an additional source of appliance-performance measurement data.
Implemented as a complete system, the image-based process offers results indicative of how the consumer visually perceives the appliance's performance, instead of relying on thermal sensor and other mechanical means of collecting performance data.
The system is calibrated to the British Standards Shade Chart, commonly known as the British Shade Gauge (BSG). Images of food samples are acquired in the system's custom light box environment. The food samples within each image are automatically segmented into multiple areas, which are then analyzed and graded according to the BSG scale. The values are automatically exported to an industry-standard spreadsheet. Customization op-tions are available.
