Convective heat transfer coefficient model for spherical products subject to hydrocooling

An analytical model was developed to determine the convective heat transfer coefficients of spherical products being cooled in any medium. In order to verify the present model, the experimental center temperature measurements of the individual spherical products (i.e., plums, peaches, tomatoes, pears) were determined in batches containing 5 and 20 kg of product. It was found that the convective heat transfer coefficient of an individual product varied with the batch weight. This study shows that the present model is a simple and effective tool to determine such coefficients and could be a benefit to the refrigeration industry.