Effect of Microwave-Assisted Vacuum Frying on the Quality of Potato Chips

We investigated the applicability of microwave-assisted vacuum frying in producing potato chips. Three microwave power levels (600, 800, 1000 W) were used for frying times of up to 360 s. The moisture loss and oil uptake histories were measured as a function of the microwave power levels. The textural crispness (breaking force) and color parameters (lightness, redness, and yellowness) were also measured as a function of microwave power levels and frying time. The application of microwave-assisted vacuum frying significantly increased the moisture evaporation and oil uptake rates in potato chips. At the same time, the amount of oil uptake was similar to that in vacuum-fried chips not assisted by microwave. The chips produced using microwave-assisted vacuum frying were crispier (lower breaking force), visually appealing, and could be produced in a shorter time.     

Optimization of Vacuum Microwave Predrying and Vacuum Frying Conditions to Produce Fried Potato Chips

The effects of vacuum microwave predrying and vacuum frying conditions on the quality of vacuum-fried potato chips were studied. Both the moisture content and oil content of potato chips decreased with increasing vacuum microwave predrying time. During vacuum frying, the moisture content of potato chips decreased with increasing frying temperature and time, while the oil content increased. Statistical analysis with response surface regression showed that the moisture content, oil content, and breaking force of potato chips were significantly (P<0.05) correlated with vacuum microwave predrying time, frying temperature, and frying time. Based on surface responses and contour plots, optimum conditions were vacuum microwave predrying time of 8–9 min, vacuum frying temperature of 108–110°C, and vacuum frying time of 20–21 min.     

Relationship Between Oil Uptake and Water Content During Deep-Fat Frying of Potato Particulates Under Isothermal Temperature

The purpose of this study is to correlate water content and oil uptake with the structural changes of potato particulates during deep-fat frying. Raw potato particulates were sliced to form cylinders of 0.006 m diameter × 0.006 m length and subjected to deep-fat frying at isothermal oil temperatures of 160, 190 and 220 °C. The microstructure properties were assessed using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). Previous results showed that a simultaneous two first-order kinetic model adequately predicted water loss of potato particulates during isothermal frying. In this study, a simple rational model with two parameters in which regression squared (Rsqr) reaches 0.983 shows that oil uptake can be expressed by water content. The cross-sectional structure of potato particulates observed using FESEM is different from the surface structure. Regardless of the frying temperature, pores not only become larger but also increase in number after the transition time. The observations of structural changes at the surface and inner section of potato particulates through the pictures of FESEM are critical. This physical evidence supports our previous assumption that the mechanisms of water loss (two-stage rate processes) before and after transition time are different.     

CFD Simulation of Deep-Bed Paddy Drying Process and Performance

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was applied three-dimensionally to simulate the drying behavior of paddy in a deep-bed dryer. The commercial CFD software Fluent 6.3.26 was used. The deep-bed paddy drying process and performance were studied by incorporating user-defined function (UDF) in Fluent written in C language. The predicted drying parameters were compared with experimental data of deep-bed drying of paddy. The values of mean relative deviation (MRD), standard error of prediction (SEP), and maximum error of prediction (MEP) for prediction of grain moisture content, air temperature, and absolute humidity were less than 6, 10, and 9%; 0.33% (d.b), 1.24°C, and 0.06% (kg/kg of dry air); and 2.25% (d.b), 6.8°C, and 0.37% (kg/kg of dry air), respectively, which reflect reasonable accuracy. Moreover, the energetic and exergetic performance of deep-bed paddy drying were simulated and analyzed. The effects of inlet air temperature and mass flow rate on the performance parameters were investigated. It was shown that the application of higher levels of inlet air temperature and lower mass flow rates yielded higher exergy efficiencies of deep-bed paddy drying.     

护色工艺对真空油炸脱水马铃薯片品质的影响

采用真空油炸前预处理技术，研究了护色工艺对真空油炸马铃薯片品质的影响。结果表明，马铃薯片经过第四组护色液配方（柠檬酸1‰，亚硫酸氢钠1‰，VC1．5‰）处理后，产品具有最佳的感官品质和色泽值，而且对其水分含量、水分活度和脂肪含量均无显著性影响。     

Energy and Exergy Analyses of Thin-Layer Drying of Potato Slices in a Semi-Industrial Continuous Band Dryer

This article is concerned with the energy and exergy analyses of the continuous-convection drying of potato slices. The first and second laws of thermodynamics were used to calculate the energy and exergy. A semi-industrial continuous-band dryer has been designed and used for drying experiments. The equipment has a drying chamber of 2 m length and the inlet air used for drying is heated by gas power. The experiments were conducted on potato slices with thickness of 5 mm at three different air temperatures of 50, 60 and 70°C, drying air mass flow rates of 0.61, 1.22, and 1.83 kg/s and feeding rates of 2.31 × 10^?4, 2.78 × 10^?4, and 3.48 × 10^?4 kg/s. The energy utilization and energy utilization ratio were found to vary between 3.75 and 24.04 kJ/s and 0.1513 and 0.3700, respectively. These values show that only a small proportion of the supplied energy by the heater was used for drying. The exergy loss and exergy efficiency were found to be in the range of 0.5987 to 13.71 kJ/s and 0.5713 to 0.9405, respectively, indicating that the drying process was thermodynamically inefficient and much energy was vented in the exhaust air. In addition, the results showed that the feeding rate and the temperature and flow rate of the drying air had an important effect on energy and exergy use. This knowledge will provide insights into the optimization of a continuous dryer and the operating parameters that causes reduction of energy consumption and losses in continuous drying.     

A Comparative Study of Physicochemical and Flavor Characteristics of Chicken Nuggets during Air Frying and Deep Frying

Chicken nuggets were air-fried and deep-fried for various times at the same temperature. The moisture content, oil content, color, texture, volatile compounds, and lipids degradation of the chicken nuggets were investigated. The evolution rate of the moisture content, oil content, color, and texture were much higher during deep frying than during air frying. Air frying required more time to produce similar quality attributes as those of deep-fried chicken nuggets. On average, the oil content of the air-fried chicken nuggets was 25% lower than that of the deep-fried chicken nuggets. Of the 74 volatile compounds identified in the fried chicken nuggets, aldehydes, hydrocarbons, and heterocycles were the main flavor contributors. The total amount of volatile compounds and aldehydes detected in the air-fried chicken nuggets was much lower than that in the deep-fried samples, but the number of heterocycles produced by the Maillard reaction was higher during air frying. Sensory evaluation revealed that the air-fried chicken nuggets had lower oiliness and crispness, and 9 min was the optimal frying time to obtain air-fried chicken nuggets with similar sensory attributes (color, odor, juiciness, and overall acceptance) as those of the best deep-fried chicken nuggets. Air frying was a healthier frying method for the production of fried chicken nuggets, which could reduce oxidative degradation of lipids in chicken nuggets.     

Studies on Quality of Coconut Oil Blends after Frying Potato Chips

The quality (chemical and sensory) of oil blends prepared by blending equal proportions of coconut oil with sesame oil (blend 1), coconut olein with sesame oil (blend 2) and coconut olein with palmolein (blend 3) was evaluated after deep-fat frying of potato chips. After frying, the free fatty acid content did not change, however, the anisidine value increased. Blend 2 had the highest anisidine value (44.0). A marginal decrease in the iodine value and an increase in the diene values were observed in blends 1 and 2. The β-carotene content in blend 3 and tocols in all the three blends were found to decrease after frying. Sensory odor profiles of oil blends after frying showed a decrease in the characteristic coconut oil aroma. The earthy and seedy aroma associated with sesame oil was found to decrease on frying. The sensory profile of potato chips showed a slight bitter taste in the samples fried in blends 1 and 2. However, the intensity of bitterness decreased and the earthy note increased on storage. Blend 3 had the highest overall quality.     

胡萝卜片真空油炸过程用油品质研究

主要探讨了真空油炸胡萝卜片后三种炸用油的稳定性，研究了三种炸用油的酸价、过氧化值、羰基价随油炸时间的变化规律，分析了它们之间的相关性。结果显示：与大豆色拉油相比，棕榈油和猪油有更高的油炸稳定性；三种油的酸价、过氧化值、羰基价与油炸时间存在着显著的相关性。     

Frying as a science – An introduction

Frying is an ancient process, but it is only in the past fifty years that it has gained the attention it deserves from the scientific community. Early frying research tended to focus almost exclusively on the chemistry of the frying oil. Some of the pioneering work is summarized. Recent work has been looking at frying as a system, that is, the oil, the food, the fryer and the operation in general. This approach has yielded greater understanding of the process and has already led to improvements in frying operations. New ideas and aims are presented and these may lead to and create a framework for future work in deep‐fat frying.     

A Comparative Study on Exergetic Performance Assessment for Drying of Broccoli Florets in Three Different Drying Systems

This article deals with the exergy analysis and evaluation of broccoli in three different drying systems. The effects of drying air temperature on the exergy destruction, exergy efficiency, and exergetic improvement potential of the drying process were investigated. The exergy destruction rate for the drying chamber increased with the rise in the drying air temperature at 1.5 m/s, both in the tray and the heat pump dryer. The highest exergy efficiency value was obtained as 90.86% in the fluid bed dryer in comparison to the other two drying systems and the improvement potential rate was the highest in the heat pump dryer during drying of broccoli at the drying air temperature of 45°C and the drying air velocity of 1.0 m/s.     

Performance improvement of integrated coal gasification combined cycle by a new approach in exergy analysis

A new approach to exergy analysis is proposed for examing the consumption of energy as the minimum driving force and of exergy consumption that is avoidable, and for the development of a method to predict the alternatives in system improvement by exploring possible reduction in the avoidable exergy consumption. Also suggested in this study is a dimensionless parameter γ_AVO, which is the ratio of avoidable exergy consumption over total fuel energy input to the system. Detailed analyses, including the calculation of exergy consumption, exergy loss and avoidable exergy consumption, were conducted for each component in the syngas cooling system in the Integrated coal Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) plant, to prove the effective application of the proposed method. The analysis showed that the rank of avoidable exergy consumption was different from that of total energy consumption, and hence it confirmed that an energy analysis by conventional methods misled the focus of improvement in system design. The methodology developed in this study offers a new approach for system designers to analyze and to improve the performance of a complex energy system such as an IGCC plant.     

高温油炸薄薯片过程中油的吸收和水分流失间的特性关系

Thin potato crisps (2mm) were fried at 170℃, 180℃ and 190℃ for various times from 10s to 180s inclusive. It was found that definite oil uptake, moisture loss trends exist during the frying process. No significant difference in the oil uptake or moisture loss rates between flat-cut and ridge-cut crisps exists. Also found in this study was that an increased oil temperature promoted higher moisture loss rates. In turn, the higher moisture loss rates contributed to a higher oil uptake rate. It was found, based on the volumetric plots of oil content vs. water content, that the oil uptake rate was proportional to the moisture loss rate. As a result, it has been shown that there is a possibility of having a characteristic curve of oil uptake against moisture content.     

The Characteristic Relationship Between Oil Uptake and Moisture Content during the High Temperature Immersion Frying of Thin Potato Crisps

Thin potato crisps (2mm) were fried at 170℃, 180℃ and 190℃ for various times from 10s to 180s inclusive. It was found that definite oil uptake, moisture loss trends exist during the frying process. No significant difference in the oil uptake or moisture loss rates between flat-cut and ridge-cut crisps exists. Also found in this study was that an increased oil temperature promoted higher moisture loss rates. In turn, the higher moisture loss rates contributed to a higher oil uptake rate. It was found, based on the volumetric plots of oil content vs. water content, that the oil uptake rate was proportional to the moisture loss rate. As a result, it has been shown that there is a possibility of having a characteristic curve of oil uptake against moisture content.     

Performance Assessment of a Combined PEM Fuel Cell and Triple‐Effect Absorption Cooling System for Cogeneration Applications

In this paper, a parametric study of a combined proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell and triple‐effect absorption cooling system (TEACS) is undertaken to investigate the effect of different operating conditions and system parameters on the COPs, efficiency of the fuel cell and the integrated system's overall utilisation factor. It is found that the fuel cell efficiency increases from 40% to 44.5% as the operating temperature of the fuel cell increases. However, as the fuel cell's temperature and current density increase, the COPs decrease from 2.4 to 0.9 as a result of the increase in the energy output of the fuel cell ranging from 7.4 to 10.7 kW. The efficiency of the fuel cell decreases from 41% to 32% with an increase in both fuel cell's current density and membrane thickness. The overall utilisation factor of the integrated system decreases from 84% to 35% with an increase in the current density and molar flow rate. Finally, this study reveals that the present integrated PEM fuel cell unit with a TEACS can be considered as an attractive and environmentally benign option for cogeneration purposes in sustainable buildings.     

水／乙二醇升温吸收式热泵的性能

本文根据热力学第一、二定律,讨论了评价升温吸收式热泵性能的几种判据,提出了评价热泵性能新的判据(米用)指标EI。实验研究和分析了水/乙二醇升温吸收式热泵性能参数随不同操作条件变化的规律。     

工业过程PI控制器性能评价

针对工业过程的PI控制器,提出了一种控制器性能评价的新算法。该算法以广义最小方差为目标,推导出最优PI控制器参数。以该最优控制器为基础,得到PI控制下系统的最优控制性能。然后,以最优控制的输出为基准,进行性能评价,并给出了性能评价的可操作步骤。最后通过仿真实验验证了该方法的有效性。     

Vacuum Frying of Carrot Chips

Abstract

Vacuum frying is an alternative method to produce high quality vegetable or fruit chips. The effect of frying temperature and vacuum degree on moisture content, oil content, color, and texture of fried carrot chips were investigated. During the early stage of vacuum frying, the rate of moisture removal and oil absorption increased with increasing frying oil temperature and degree of vacuum. Statistical analysis of the color data showed that there were no significant differences P > 0.05) in lightness (L), redness (a), and yellowness (b) of carrot chips as a function of vacuum degree and temperature. The breaking force of carrot chips decreased with increasing frying temperature and vacuum degree. The statistical analysis also showed that there were no significant differences P < 0.05) in the breaking force as a function of temperature, but the breaking force was significantly (P < 0.05) affected by the vacuum degree.     

Operating Performance Assessment for Transition State of Industrial Processes

Traditional operating performance assessment approaches mainly focus on the steady state. However, the assessment indicators designed for the steady state cannot be directly applied to the transition state. Moreover, identifying the process state for a multivariable system is difficult and time-consuming. An operating performance assessment method for the transition state is developed. In the proposed framework, a transition state detection method is first proposed to detect the transition state from the data automatically and accurately. Then, a systematic set of several special indicators is developed based on the characteristic of the transition state. The effectiveness of the developed method is demonstrated with a case study of an industrial hydrocracking process.