Comsol Case Studies Engineering Perfect Puffed Snacks

	Engineering Perfect Puffed Snacks Comsol

Engineering Perfect Puffed Snacks

Comsol

Technology Category	Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Visualization
Applicable Industries	Food & Beverage Education
Applicable Functions	Product Research & Development Quality Assurance
Use Cases	Predictive Quality Analytics Digital Twin Process Control & Optimization
Services	Software Design & Engineering Services System Integration Training
Challenge	Food companies face the challenge of achieving the right moisture and texture in puffed snacks to ensure customer satisfaction. The process of puffing rice involves complex physics, including mass, momentum, and energy transport, rapid water evaporation, material phase transition, pressure buildup, and plastic deformation. Companies need to optimize processing conditions to ensure consistent texture, flavor, moisture content, and food safety. The research team at Cornell University, led by Prof. Ashim Datta, aimed to model the dynamics and material behavior during the puffing of parboiled rice to address these challenges. Read More
About Customer	Cornell University, a prestigious Ivy League institution located in the United States, is renowned for its research and academic excellence. The university's Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, led by Prof. Ashim Datta, focuses on innovative research in food engineering and other related fields. The research team, supported by a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program, aims to provide valuable insights and solutions to the food industry. Their work involves developing mathematical models and simulations to optimize food processing conditions, ensuring high-quality and safe food products for consumers. Read More
Solution	The research team at Cornell University used a grant from the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program to study the transport processes in deformable porous media with phase-dependent properties, focusing on food. They developed a modeling methodology to study the physics of food processes, making it applicable to various scenarios. The team used COMSOL Multiphysics® software to analyze the interconnected mechanical, thermal, material, and fluid behavior within a puffing parboiled rice grain. They built a multiphase porous media model to study mass and momentum changes, energy transport, and large volumetric expansion. The model analyzed different phases of solid rice, liquid and gas water, and moisture transport modes. The team validated the computational model using micro-CT images to determine the expansion ratio and visualize the microstructure development. They also tested how different levels of salt affected volumetric expansion, evaporation, and material properties. The model provided insights into the optimal amount of salt, moisture content, temperature, and heating time to produce the ideal puffed rice grain. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics

Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Visualization

Applicable Industries

Food & Beverage

Education

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development

Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Predictive Quality Analytics

Digital Twin

Process Control & Optimization

Services

Software Design & Engineering Services

System Integration

Training

Challenge

Food companies face the challenge of achieving the right moisture and texture in puffed snacks to ensure customer satisfaction. The process of puffing rice involves complex physics, including mass, momentum, and energy transport, rapid water evaporation, material phase transition, pressure buildup, and plastic deformation. Companies need to optimize processing conditions to ensure consistent texture, flavor, moisture content, and food safety. The research team at Cornell University, led by Prof. Ashim Datta, aimed to model the dynamics and material behavior during the puffing of parboiled rice to address these challenges.

About Customer

Cornell University, a prestigious Ivy League institution located in the United States, is renowned for its research and academic excellence. The university's Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, led by Prof. Ashim Datta, focuses on innovative research in food engineering and other related fields. The research team, supported by a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program, aims to provide valuable insights and solutions to the food industry. Their work involves developing mathematical models and simulations to optimize food processing conditions, ensuring high-quality and safe food products for consumers.

Solution

The research team at Cornell University used a grant from the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program to study the transport processes in deformable porous media with phase-dependent properties, focusing on food. They developed a modeling methodology to study the physics of food processes, making it applicable to various scenarios. The team used COMSOL Multiphysics® software to analyze the interconnected mechanical, thermal, material, and fluid behavior within a puffing parboiled rice grain. They built a multiphase porous media model to study mass and momentum changes, energy transport, and large volumetric expansion. The model analyzed different phases of solid rice, liquid and gas water, and moisture transport modes. The team validated the computational model using micro-CT images to determine the expansion ratio and visualize the microstructure development. They also tested how different levels of salt affected volumetric expansion, evaporation, and material properties. The model provided insights into the optimal amount of salt, moisture content, temperature, and heating time to produce the ideal puffed rice grain.

Impact #1	The research team developed a comprehensive model that linked different behaviors occurring during puffing, including phase change.
Impact #2	The model provided insights into the optimal amount of salt, moisture content, temperature, and heating time to produce the ideal puffed rice grain.
Impact #3	The team extended their simulation practices to studies of food safety, helping food companies predict health benefits, expiration dates, and process safety.

Impact #1

The research team developed a comprehensive model that linked different behaviors occurring during puffing, including phase change.

Impact #2

The model provided insights into the optimal amount of salt, moisture content, temperature, and heating time to produce the ideal puffed rice grain.

Impact #3

The team extended their simulation practices to studies of food safety, helping food companies predict health benefits, expiration dates, and process safety.

Benefit #1	The model showed the conditions needed to maximize the expansion ratio of puffed rice grains.
Benefit #2	The simulation provided an adjusted rate of bacteria dying, confirming the safety of the final product.

Benefit #1

The model showed the conditions needed to maximize the expansion ratio of puffed rice grains.

Benefit #2

The simulation provided an adjusted rate of bacteria dying, confirming the safety of the final product.

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Overview

Engineering Perfect Puffed Snacks

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit