Spatial distribution of oil after deep-fat frying of tortilla chips from a stochastic model
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The morphology and oil distribution of tortilla chips can be described using a statistical description based upon Monte Carlo simulation approach. The chip distribution model consists of a three-dimensional multi-phase thin plate made of small cubic cells that define a lattice. Random numbers are allocated to each cell throughout the lattice. These numbers belong to a uniform distribution density and based upon their value one decides upon the content of the cell (water, pores, dry matter). The spatial location and cluster-size (aggregates) of the different constituents are stored. This structure represents the tortilla chips before frying. The lattice is swept cell by cell and the structure of the chips after frying is generated from a random invasion of the tortilla chip by oil. Water is allowed to evaporate and leave pores behind. Oil will coat the structure and occupy a fraction of the pore space. These invasion rules satisfy the mass balances for the tortilla chips components as well as the final porosity. These simulations were done on a CRAY Y-MP2/116 Supercomputer using a vectorized code.
