In most domestic and industrial fryers, the oil inside the fryer is convected naturally as a result of the buoyancy force, which is the main driving force in the convection of oil. The oil flow may be laminar, transitional or turbulent, depending on the buoyant force. In this study, modelling of momentum transfer in the fluid phase (oil) by both Navier–Stokes (N-S) and turbulence K-Epsilon (K-Ɛ) equations was developed with simultaneous heat and mass transfer modelling in the solid phase (potato strips). The data obtained from both equations were compared with experimental data with acceptable accuracy in predicting the temperature of the oil and the temperature and moisture content of the potato pieces. Results showed that while the oil flow in the areas away from the food followed the laminar flow regime, it was closer to the turbulent regime near the food surfaces. Despite some limitations, the turbulent flow modelling strategy may be considered an initial step toward a possible enhancement of the frying process by controlling transport phenomena with the ultimate goal of producing healthier low-fat fried potato products.
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