Cooking Potatoes: Experimentation and Mathematical Modeling

摘要

A simple and cost-effective experiment (cooking potatoes) proposed by Fraser (Chemical Engineering Education, p. 190, 1999) has been adopted as one of the three basic laboratories in a final-year elective course called Food Process Engineering at Auckland University, which assists in introducing food concepts to undergraduate chemical engineering students.  Here, the necessary physics involved in the food has been explored with the students to make the connection between the apparent process (temperature, distance, and time) to the related reactions.  This paper summarizes such a knowledge base.  Furthermore, based upon the understanding developed, this paper presents a fundamental model that is more consistent with the practical situation.  This can form a good basis for future development of a more accurate analytical solution.