3D simulation for bread baking in an industrial baking oven accounting for physical and chemical phenomena occurring during baking.

Abstract

The aim of this project is to predict numerically the baking of a bread. This is done through a detailed analysis of both the oven and the bread placed inside the oven during the baking process. The purpose is to achieve a better understanding of the complex phenomena occurring during baking in order to improve the design of the oven and to optimize the baking process. The work is divided into two parts. The first part is directed towards understanding the transfer phenomena occuring during baking by simulating a full three-dimensional industrial baking oven. The oven is mainly divided into the following four parts: (1) heat exchanger, (2) blower, (3) baking chamber and racks, (4) and airflow. A dynamic mesh is used to simulate the motion of the blower. The second part consists of analyzing the bread during the baking process. First a mathematical model of the baking process that accounts for chemical and physical changes in the bread will be developed and tested. This includes evaporation- condensation, volume expansion, release of carbon dioxide (CO2), and formation of pores, crumb and crust layers. In a second step, the mathematical bread baking model is integrated with the oven model to simulate the full process. This involves performing analysis, using a dynamic mesh, of the multiphase flow and heat transfer fields within the oven in addition to changes in bread properties and volume.