Porous Media Based Model for Deep-Fat Vacuum Frying Potato Chips

A. Warning, A. K. Datta, A. Dhall, and D. Mitrea
Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
Published in 2011

A multiphase porous media model involving heat and mass transfer within a potato chip was implemented in COMSOL 3.5a. The diffusive flux in oil and liquid water was modeled from capillary driven flow while the gas phase was modeled using binary diffusion. A non-equilibrium water evaporation rate was used and Darcy's law for the momentum equation to solve for the convection of each species.

The model showed that regardless of fryer pressure, the core reached a pressure of approximately 40 kPa higher than the surface during early frying.

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