Prediction of freezing and thawing times for foods of two-dimensional irregular shape by using a semi-analytical geometric factor

Semi-analytical solutions for conduction and convection heat transfer problems with phase change were used to derive formulae for a geometric factor that describes the effect of product shape on freezing and thawing times for two-dimensional irregular products. These formulae depend only on the Biot number and three geometric parameters: the characteristic dimension, the volume and the surface area of the product. The accuracy of these formulae is demonstrated by comparisons with numerically calculated data and experimental freezing and thawing data for irregular objects. The new formulae out-perform all geometric factors previously proposed.