High-Voltage Electric Field-Assisted Thawing of Frozen Tofu: Effect of Process Parameters and Electrode Configuration

Figure 4

(a) The evaporation loss, thawing loss, and drip loss of tofu under different voltages. The frozen tofu was thawed at 20°C with a fixed discharge gap of 100 mm under DC electric field. The thawing voltage was 0 kV (the control samples), 4 kV, 8 kV, 12 kV, 16 kV, 20 kV, 24 kV, or 28 kV, respectively. For each treatment, means with different lower case letters are significantly different (). (b) The evaporation loss, thawing loss, and drip loss of tofu under different electrodes. Plate (DC): the plate-to-plate electrodes under DC electric field, plate (AC): the plate-to-plate electrodes under AC electric field, W-P (DC): the wires-to-plate electrodes under DC electric field, W-P (AC): the wires-to-plate electrodes under AC electric field, N-P (DC): the needles-to-plate electrodes under DC electric field, and N-P (AC): the needles-to-plate electrodes under AC electric field. The corresponding discharge gap between the high-voltage electrodes and the grounded electrode was 100 mm. The corresponding voltage was 28 kV. For each treatment, means with different lower case letters are significantly different (). (c) The evaporation loss, thawing loss, and drip loss of tofu under different electrode distances. The discharge gap was 8 cm, 9 cm, 10 cm, 11 cm, and 12 cm with multiple needles-to-plate electrode for AC electric field, respectively. The corresponding voltage was 20 kV. For each treatment, means with different lower case letters are significantly different ().

(a)

(b)

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