Experimental study of convective heat transfer during cooling with low air velocity in a stack of objects

During cooling with low air velocity (u0.2 m·s⁻¹) of a stack of foodstuffs (a few centimeters dimension), the radiation and conduction between products can be of the same order of magnitude as convection. A method was developed to quantify these various transfer modes. The experiment was carried out using an in-line spherical arrangement; however, the same methodology can be applied to other product shapes. The results confirm that the heat transfers by radiation and conduction cannot be neglected. In addition, the convective heat transfer coefficient varies not only with air velocity but also with the product position in the stack.