Analysis of temperature distributions in Kamaboko during microwave heating Original Research Article

Temperature distribution of kamaboko was analyzed by experimental and numerical methods during microwave heating. The temperature distribution changed with the shape and diameter of kamaboko. For cylinder-shaped kamaboko, the high temperature region existed at the edge, whereas for semi-cylinder-shaped kamaboko, the high temperature was mainly concentrated at the corner parts near the bottom. The addition of NaCl has a serious effect on the temperature distribution. A mathematical model has been developed, and the transient heat conduction equation was solved using finite element methods. The calculated temperatures were in good agreement with the experimental values. At the same time, it was proved that Lambert’s law was suitable for calculating the internal heat generation in the semi-cylindrical kamaboko.