Numerical simulations of heat and mass transfer in a Chinese cabbage cold store.

The numerical model and results of calculations of heat and mass transfer in a Chinese cabbage cold storage chamber are presented in the paper. The main feature of the model is the connection between phenomena occurring in the bulk of vegetables and in the heat exchanger of cooling unit accomplished via user defined functions UDF. The model relates cooling capacity to the transpiration and respiration in the bed of cabbage. The thermal non-equilibrium model of heat transfer in porous media was applied both to the bed of vegetables and to the heat exchanger of the cooler. The heat and mass transfer coefficients in the bed of cabbage and in the cooler were treated as field quantities. The results of calculations were applied to the preparations of experimental evaluation of heat and mass transfer in the real cold store.