Optimization of latent heat storage system performance in food packaging

Latent heat storage (LHS) systems can be utilized at all stages of the cold chain distribution to control the temperature fluctuations in food products. However, their application in food packaging is limited by the low heat transfer rate. This study aims to develop and validate a numerical model to optimize LHS systems in food cold chain distribution, such as food delivery systems, by considering fins of varying thicknesses, numbers, shapes, and locations. The parameters analyzed include the number of fins (2–16), thickness (0.325 mm, 0.625 mm, and 1.3 mm), shape, and location (branched, lateral, and central types). Tetradecane was used as the phase change material (PCM), while aluminum served as the PCM container. The heat transfer and melting process of the PCM were numerically solved using the finite element method with COMSOL software 5.4. The developed model, with an RMSE of 0.35 and an R² of 0.99, demonstrated that the LHS system with 8 fins exhibited the best heat absorption performance, achieving a stability percentage of 97.7 % when using tylose gel as a food model. The shape and location of the fins had no significant impact on the results due to the low heat transfer rate within the food packaging system. Increasing the fin thickness from 0.325 mm to 1.3 mm altered the aluminum-to-PCM ratio from 0.13 to 0.33. Consequently, the PCM quantity significantly influenced the results, making it difficult to isolate the effect of fin thickness alone.