CFD Modelling of the Thermal Performance of Fruit Packaging Boxes—Influence of Vent-Holes Design

Abstract

The shelf life of perishable products depends mainly on the conservation of air temperature. Packaging boxes are usually used to accommodate food products during cold storage and transport and/or display. The design of the vent-holes of the packaging box must promote cold airflow and remove the field heat of the produce after harvest at a short time. This study describes the influence of the vent-holes design and its performance during cold storage. The cooling performance of the different packaging boxes is evaluated experimentally and numerically using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Three new packaging box configurations with the same size but different vent-holes design (size, shape and position) and a reference box are modelled. The transient three-dimensional CFD model predicts the airflow pattern and temperature distribution within the different packaging boxes. The best thermal performance packaging achieved a fruit model temperature 1.5 K to 5 K lower than the other configurations at the end of 8 h of cooling. These predictions allow the development of new packaging box designs that promote the shelf-life extension of perishable products.

Thermal Management of Short-Range Distribution of Perishable Food Products Using Phase Change Materials in Packaging: Real-Time Field Data Acquisition

“…The crates used for the study boasted an innovative design with enhanced thermal attributes, enabling improved temperature stability. Their modularity facilitated efficient transportation, storage, and public sale display [22][23][24][25][26]. Fabricated from polypropylene, each crate measured 600 mm in width, 400 mm in depth, and 90 mm in height.…”

“…This diversification of PCM categories allows for a wide range of potential applications, tailoring their usage according to the specific thermal management requirements. Several studies have explored the thermal performance of various fruit packaging crates [22][23][24][25][26]. Studies also analyzed the utility of PCM pouches for active and intelligent packaging [27,28], and the measurement of temperatures and relative humidity during the transportation of horticultural goods [8].…”

Modified Compression Test of Corrugated Board Fruit Tray: Numerical Modeling and Global Sensitivity Analysis

“…The authors used a transient three-dimensional CFD model. Similarly, Ilangovan et al studied the influence of holes’ design, including their size, shape, and position, on the ventilation features of fruit packaging boxes [ 11 ].…”

Promising and Potential Applications of Phase Change Materials in the Cold Chain: A Systematic Review

“…Food cold chain applications account for approximately 8% of global electricity, contributing to an increase in fossil fuel consumption and 2.5% of global carbon emissions [10]. Recently, several researchers have worked to improve the efficiency of cold storage by optimizing the stacking pattern, position, and ventilation of packages [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. However, these studies only decrease the energy consumption during storage without considering thermal conditions throughout the cold chain.…”