Finite-Difference-Based Lattice Boltzmann Method for Heat and Mass Transfer in Food Product/Processing

Abstract

Heat transfer is one of the fundamental transport mechanisms in food processing. To ensure a good food taste-structure and preservation, thermal treatment is required. With the growing interest in computer simulation tools for the design of thermal food processes, people are tempted to carry out computational fluid dynamics techniques for inexpensive evaluation of the quality and safety of the product. In context to numerical technique, the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is applied in this chapter to analyze the food treatment process. The chapter first begins with the general introduction of various modes of heat transfer and mass transfer. The mechanism for both heat and mass transfer is discussed in detail. Later, a recently developed numerical technique called the finite-difference-based lattice Boltzmann method (FDLBM) is formulated to simulate the fluid flow and energy equations involved in the thermal process of the foods. Besides, the implementation of various boundary conditions in LBM is discussed.