Effects of process and product parameters on the shape of nanosecond pulses used in high-field liquid food treatment

Many industrial applications like high-field food sterilization require short-duration fast-rise-time high-voltage pulses. Measurement of such narrow steep-front high-voltage pulses are always difficult, considering the potential levels and the time scales involved. In addition, by nature, liquid foods are highly conductive, hence, any small change in circuit inductance has substantial influence on the measured pulse. Further, the oscillations introduced by the circuit parameters influence the voltage magnitude and the effective treatment time. Hence, these points must be taken into account while computing the total treatment time and the energy actually spent, as these parameters influence the kinetics of food processing. In this paper, the effects of load impedance, the circuit inductance, and the location of the probe position that influence the shape of the measured pulse with liquid foods as load are discussed. It has also been shown that knowing the low-voltage conductivity of the food to be treated, and with a realistic estimation of circuit inductance, it is possible to predict the shape of the pulse under different test conditions using PSPICE circuit models.