TechnicalReports

PrinciplesofOvenDesign

Introduction
ThispaperwillfocusonFoodProcessingOvendesignasitrelatestoaircirculationandheat
sources.Ageneraldescriptionofmainheatsourcesandheatconsumptionarepresented.The
conceptofairchanges,importanceofsupplyairuniformity,andfreshairintakeandexhaust
systemsarebrieflydiscussed.Typicalutilityconsumptionandprocessingcostsaredepictedin
graphicalform.

OvenDesignOverview
FeaturescommonlyfoundinALKARovens:
Stainlesssteelinternalstructuresforcorrosionresistance.
Inflatablegasketdoorsforasmoketightseal.
Floorplatewithraised4waytreadpatternforslipresistance.
Modulatingtemperaturecontroloutputsforprocessaccuracy.
Microprocessorbasedcontrolsforrecipestorageandrepeatableprocesses.
Airhandlingunitsfabricatedfromstainlesssteelforcorrosionresistance.
Ovenroofdeckswithraised4waytreadorantisliptape.
Cleaninplacepipingforlimitedaccessductworkareas.
Polyurethanefoaminsulationforinsulatingvalueandpanelrigidity.
Singlemainairblowerfortotalmixingofrecirculatedair.
Freshairintakeandexhaustsystemswithmodulatingdampersforwetbulb(relative
humidity)control.
Rotatingdampersforenhancedairdistribution.

RecirculatedAirStream
Mostcommonequipmentlocationsareontopoftheovencabinetoronthefloorbehindtheoven.
Theequipmentissizedandconfiguredtomatchovensize,spacelimitations,heatsourceand
processrequirements.Rotatingdampersinthesupplyairductworkareusedtovarythesupplyair
velocities.

Figure1ADampercontrollingairtotherightsideoftheovenisopenandtheleftside
damperisclosed.

Figure1BIllustratesairflowintotheovenwhenthedampersareat45orwhenthereisn't
anydampercontrol.


Figure1CIllustratesthechangeinairflowasthedampersreverse.

HorizontalAirflow

Utilizestwofundamentalairhandlingfeatures,singlemainblowerfortotalairmixingandrotating
dampersforalternatingairflowintheproductzone.Horizontalairflowovensaremostbeneficial
whenprocessingproductsthatareloadedonscreensortrays.Theproductzonehaslimitationsof
approximately12feetwideand12feetlong.

MainHeatSources
Gas,steamandelectricityarethemostcommonheatsourcesforovens.
GasSystemGassystemsareeitherdirectheatorindirectheat.Directheatedsystemsfire
thegasburnerflamedirectlyintothereturnairstreamandimpartheattotheairbymixing
withit.Anindirectheatedsystemfiresthegasburnerflameintoaheatexchangedeviceand
theheatisimpartedtothereturnairbyheattransferfromtheheatexchanger.Naturalgas
andliquidpropanearethetwomostcommonlyusedfuelsforthegasburner.

SteamSystemSteamsystemsareindirectheatsystemsandsupplyheattothereturnairby
passingthereturnairstreamthroughsteamcoils.Thesecoilsareusuallyconstructedof
copper,cupronickelorstainlesstubes,andcopperorstainlesssteelfins.
ALKARsteamcoilsnormallyhavestainlesssteeltubesandcopperfins.Coilsconstructedofall
stainlesssteelareavailablebuthavelessheattransfercapacity.Whenusingallstainless
steelcoils,additionalcoilsareaddedtocompensateforthereducedheattransfercapacity.

ElectricSystemElectricsystemsaredirectheatsystemsandsupplyheattothereturnair
streambypassingtheairthroughabankoftubularheaterelements.Finscanbeaddedto
heaterelementstoincreaseheattransfer.Finsallowtheheaterelementstorunatalower
temperaturewhichwouldextendtheirlife,orfinswouldallowthedesignertoselectasmaller
heaterelementwithhigherwattdensity.

ComparisonofHeatSources
HeatTransferEfficiencyandEffectiveness
GasDirect:Highlyefficientandeffective.Thecombustionprocessis97%efficientandall
heatproducedisabsorbedbytherecirculatingairstream.

Steam:Lessefficientthanadirectgassystem.Coilconstructionisamajorfactorinheat
transferrate.Coppergivesthebestheattransfer(highthermalconductivity)andstainless
steelprovideslessheattransfer(lowthermalconductivity).Thenumberoffinsperinchand

thefinmaterialwillalsoaffectheattransfercapability.Tightfinspacingmakescleaning
difficultandcanresultincoilsbeingpluggedwithsmoketars.Toofewfinswillrequirea
deepercoil(morerows)toprovideanadequateamountofsurfaceareaforheattransfer.
ALKARnormallyprovidescoilswith6finsperinch.Asteamcoilwith6finsperinchprovides
6.5timesmoreheattransferthanabaretubecoilofequalsize.Anallstainlesssteelcoilis
approximately70%aseffectiveasacopperfinandtubecoil.

GasIndirect:Lessefficientthanadirectgassystembecauseanairtoairheatexchangeris
required.Dependinguponthetypeofheatexchangerdesignandconstruction,heattransfer
canbereducedsignificantly.Airisalowheattransfermediumandstainlesssteelhaspoor
thermalconductivity.Insomesystems,upto50%oftheheatcouldbewasted.

Electric:Highlyefficient.Allheatgeneratedbytheheaterelementsispickedupbythe
recirculatingairasitpassesthroughthebankofheaterelements.

AirTemperatureRise
Gasdirect:Fastairtemperaturerisebecauseitisanefficientsystemandhasahighheat
sourcetemperature.Also,gasburnersareavailableincertaincapacitiesand,asarule,the
burnerusedwillhaveacapacitylargerthanwhatthedesignactuallyrequires.

Steam:ReducedairtemperaturerisebecauseofheatexchangerBturequirementsandlower
heatsourcetemperature.

Gasindirect:ReducedairtemperaturerisebecauseofheatexchangerdesignandBtu
requirements.Withgooddesigns,temperaturerisecanapproachequivalentratesofsteam
coils.

Electric:Designedwithreducedairtemperaturerisetomaintainabalancebetween
equipmentcostandoperatingcost.

HighTemperatureProcessing
Gasdirect:Canprocessathightemperatures(over225F)becauseoftheheatsource
temperature.

Gasindirect:Canprocessathightemperatures,butlongerprocesstimesarerequired
becauseofheatexchangerheattransfercapacity.

Electric:Canprocessathightemperatures,butwillhavelongerprocesstimesthandirectgas
becauseofreducedheatinput.Heaterelementtemperaturecanbeashighas1500F.

Steam:Typicallycannotbeusedforhightemperatureprocessing.Nominally,themaximum
processtemperatureislimitedtotwothirdsofthesteamtemperature(e.g.if300Fsteamat
72psig,maximumof200Fprocesstemperature).
Note:MaximumoperatingtemperatureforstandarddesignALKARHighTemperatureOvensis
400F.

EffectsonProduct
Gasdirect:Cookingofnoncuredmeatproductssuchasroastbeeforturkeybreastina
directgasfiredovenwillcausediscolorationaroundtheouteredgesoftheproductcross
section.Thisringisusually1/8"to3"thickandcanbepink,redorpurple,basedonproduct
type.Studieshaveshownthattheringiscausedprimarilybynitrogendioxide(NO2)whichis
acombustionbyproductornaturalgas.

Gasindirect:Noaffect.

Steam:Noaffect.

Electric:Noaffect.

EquipmentCosts
Gasdirect:Heatingequipmentcostsarelessfordirectgasthanforothersystems.An
exceptiontothiswouldbesmallovens,3truckorsmaller,whereelectricallyheatedovens
havethelowestequipmentcost.

Steam:Equipmentcostsaremorethandirectgasbecauseofthesteamcoilsandequipment
design(largerfancabinet).

Gasindirect:Equipmentcostsaremorethandirectgasandsteam,primarilybecauseofthe
heatexchangerandequipmentdesign.

Electric:Equipmentcostsaremorethandirectgasbecauseoftheelectricalheaterelements
andcontrolcomponents.Anexceptiontothiswouldbethesmallersizeovens,3truckor
smaller,whereanelectricsystemwouldbelessexpensivethanagasorsteamsystem.

AirFlowDesign
Characteristicsoflowairchangeovens(39airchanges/minute)
Slowerdryingandslowerinternaltemperatureriserates.
Longerprocesstimes.
Typicallythistypeofovenisusedforfermentedsausageproducts(eitherdryorsemidry
types).
Characteristicsofmediumairchangeovens(915airchanges/minute)
Mostcommonairflowrateinprocessovens.
Bestsuitedforthegeneralprocessingratesofmostproducts.
Ovenlendsitselftoacceptableprocesstimeswhileallowingtheprocessortoworkwiththe
product.
Characteristicsofhighairchangeovens(1520airchanges/minute)
Forproductsthatcantoleratefastsurfacedryingand/orrapidinternaltemperaturerise.
Mostcommoninpoultryprocessingandotherproductsthatareconsideredverystable
(example:95%fatfreehams).

Airflowcalculations
AsdefinedbyALKAR,anairchangeistherecirculatedairflowrate(CFM)dividedbytheempty
ovenvolume(cu.ft.).

Figure3AAirFlowCalculations
Recirculatingairvolume
=airvelocity(fpm)xsupplyairarea(ft2)=ft3/minute
Ovenvolume

=lengthxwidthxheight=ft3
Airflowrate
=recirculatingairvolume(cfm)/ovenvolume(ft3)

Recirculatedairvolume=areaofductoutletxvelocityofairattheoutlet.
Ovenvolume=insidewidthofovenxinsidelengthofovenxovenheight.Ovenheightisthe
distancefromthefloortothebottomoftheoverheadductwork.
Airflow=recirculatedairvolume)ovenvolume=airexchangerate.Commonlyexpressed
asairchangesperminute.

Figure3CRecirculatingAirVolume
RecirculatingAirVolume

=airvelocityxsupplyarea

=(5962+2375)fpmx1.308ft2

=10,905cfm

Figure3DAirFlowRate
AirFlowRate
=recirculatingairvolume)oven
volume

=10,905cfm/911ft2

=11.97airchanges/min.

Note:Whendoingairflowcalculationsitisrequiredthatallmeasurementsbeofcompatibleunits
e.g.areaofductoutletinft2,airvelocityinfeetperminuteandovenvolumeinft3.Adetailedset

ofcalculationsisshowninattachedfigures.
Importanceofuniformsupplyair
Airisthemediabywhichdrying,smokingandheatingisaccomplished.
Properhightolowairvelocityratiosarerequiredtomaintainauniformbutturbulentairflow
patternintheproductzone.
Nonuniformairflowwillleadtocolor,shrink,andinternaltemperaturevariations.
Freshairintakeandexhaustsystems
Freshaircanbetakenfrominsideoroutsideoftheprocessroom.
Aircondition,moisturecontent,andtemperaturemaydeterminebestsource.
Draftsinprocessroomdoorwaysusuallyindicateashortageofmakeupair.
MakeupairunitsshouldbesizedforsmokehouserequirementsPLUSanyotherroomor
adjacentroomexhaustfans.
Energycostcomparisonsformakeupairsystemsneedtoaccountforthreevariables:Energy
cost,aircondition(maybeaseasonalfactor),andprocessrequirements.
Effectsontheprocess
Highmoisturecontentinmakeupaircanlimithowdryyoucanrunaprocess.Relative
humidityorwetbulbcontrolatprocesssetpointrequiresthatthemoistureremovalcapacity
ofthefreshairandexhaustsystembeequaltotheamountofmoisturebeinggivenupbythe
product.
Lowdrybulbtemperatureinmakeupaircanincreasethetimerequiredtoachievedrybulb
setpoint.Lowrelativehumidityorwetbulbsettingswillkeepthemakeupairandexhaust
systematmaximumcapacity,whichinturnconsumesmuchenergy.

HeatConsumption
Howmuchheatisusedtocooktheproductandhowmuchisusedelsewhere?Graph1showsthe
differentpercentagesofheatconsumptionintheoven.Thesearecalculatedvaluesbasedupona
generalbonelesshamcycle.Otherproductcycleswouldyielddifferentpercentagesforthese
values.
Fromtheillustration,youcanseethat20%oftheheatisrequiredtoheattheproductfromits
enteringtemperature(45Finternal)toitsfinalinternaltemperature(152F).Moistureevaporation
accountsfor22%basedupona10%shrinkrate.Inordertoremovethemoisturefromtheproduct,
exhaustmustbeprovided,andthiswillresultinfreshairbeingdrawnintotheoven.Forprocesses
usingalowwetbulbsetting,orforhighmoisturelossproduct(suchasbeefjerky),heatingthe
freshaircanaccountforalargerpercentagesincetheexhaustvolumeisincreased.Heatingthe
equipment(i.e.fancabinet,ducts,trucks/trees/cagessheetsteel),accountsfor19%oftheheat
consumption,and4%islostthroughthefancabinet.

Utilityconsumption
Havingseenwheretheheatisusedintheprocess,howmuchheat(orutility)wasrequiredto
processthisproduct?Graph2showstheamountofeachutilityconsumedduringthebonelessham
cyclebasedupon100poundsofproduct.Theyallrequirethesameamountofheat(Btu's).

Heatingcosts
Knowinghowmuchutilitywasconsumedper100poundsofproduct,whatwastheheatingcost?
Graph3showsthecostofprocessingthe100poundsofbonelesshamsbasedontheutilityratesas
shownonthegraph.Electricheathasthehighestprocessingcost,followedbysteamandgasheat
systems.Thegasprocessingcostwasbasedonadirectheatedsystem.

Summary
Ovensandothertypesofprocessequipmenthavemanydesignvariables.Matchingequipment
productioncapacitytotheusersrequirementsandspatiallimitationsarethestartingpointsofmost

projects.Plantservices,suchassteam,gas,electricity,makeupairandrefrigeration,arewoven
intothefinaldesign.Fabrication,installation,startupandoperatortrainingareotherrequirements
thatareimportantinachievingcustomersatisfaction.