Monte Carlo CFD simulation of FIR and convection heating of strawberry for surface decontamination

Postharvest heat treatments have recently received attention as a means to prevent fungal spoilage during shelf life. Far infrared radiation (FIR) heating technology may be an alternative to conventional methods because it can achieve rapid and contactless heating. Monte Carlo FIR radiation simulations combined with convection-diffusion air flow and heat transfer simulations were performed in the CFD code ANSYS CFX5.7. The simulations were used to investigate whether FIR heating is a useful alternative to conventional heating for surface decontamination of strawberry. The resulting surface FIR heating rate was, however, smaller or only equal to the air convection heating (at 0.2 m s ^-1), depending on the heater temperature used. Compared to water submersion heating, the FIR heating rates were more than 5 times smaller and the FIR surface temperature uniformity was inferior. Furthermore, fast submersion heating can be achieved at much lower temperatures (< 50°C). Therefore, the practical use of FIR for the purpose of surface decontamination seems limited. Periodic FIR heating and other configurations need to be investigated to be conclusive.