Modelling of heat and mass transfer processes in refrigerator crisper for predicting quality and shelf life of vegetables.

Physical parameters regarding the heat and mass transfer in a household refrigerator crisper were investigated in association with the resulting effects on the quality of the vegetables stored in the crisper. Storage temperatures, temperature difference between inner surfaces, air inlet velocity, and the type, amount and locational orientation of vegetable commodities in the crisper were taken into account as the physical parameters regarding a typical refrigerator crisper. An experimental set-up to control these physical parameters independently was built. Parametric effects on the humidity levels in the storage volume, amount of condensation on the surfaces, weight loss of the vegetable commodities, and quality and shelf-life of a variety of vegetables were investigated. Physical and chemical analyses and sensory evaluations were performed in order to determine the quality changes of different types of vegetables. With the parametric effects of physical parameters indicating design and storage conditions of a household refrigerator crisper, indicative quality parameters for shelf-life estimation of different types of vegetables were determined.