A method for determining the convective heat transfer coefficient during immersion frying

The convective heat transfer coefficient is a useful parameter in characterizing heat flow across a fluid/solid interface when the fluid flow field is complex and solution of the coupled transport equations impractical. While convective heat transfer coefficient values for many unit operations have been tabulated, the boiling phase of immersion frying has not been quantified. The objective of this study was to develop a laboratory method for the measurement of the convective heat transfer coefficient during immersion frying. The method that was developed was applied to the immersion frying of potato cylinders at an oil temperature of 180C. The convective heat transfer coefficient was initially 300 W/m(2)K, it increased sharply to 1100 W/m(2)K, and gradually decreased to 300 W/m(2)K over the duration of the process. Use of this new method will allow the study of the effects of oil temperature, oil quality, product shape/size, and product quality on heat transfer coefficients.