Numerical solutions: finite element and finite volume methods

Abstract

Computational design is already recognized as a standard prototyping tool outside the food industry (e.g., automotive and aviation industry), where it has proved to have an advantage in terms of costs and development time. Most of the costs in foods development are concentrated in the design, prototyping, and testing phases. These generally involve a high experimental work load and trained personnel (Figure 4.1). Al though food compa nies make significant inves tmen ts to improve quality during product development, many of the quality and safety limiting steps occur during storage and distribution, such as temperature abuses for frozen foods. Computational simulation can aid not only product development, but also help to optimize food quality and safety throughout the distribution chain (Martins, 2004).