Abstract
Exterior surface emissivity has an effect on the energy efficiency of cookware during extended cooking procedures. Surfaces with high emissivity, such as that of black cast iron are effective at radiant heat transfer while surfaces with low emissivity, such as stainless steel are ineffective at radiant heat transfer. The authors’ previous research on the thermodynamics of skillet material determined through infrared thermography that a highly emissive interior surface may have favorable effects on the energy efficiency of cooking since the additional radiant energy can cook food that is not in direct contact with the interior surface. However, highly emissive exterior surfaces on large cooking vessels are not desirable as they shed thermal energy to the room which drops the vessel’s temperature, requiring the heating element to deliver more thermal energy to the vessel to make up for this heat loss. Through temperature and energy measurements and infrared thermography, this study determines the magnitude of this loss over a range of materials of 6-quart cooking pots with varying external surface emissivity. The materials studied include cast iron, enameled cast iron, stainless steel, anodized aluminum and enameled steel.
Presenters
Jeff RamsdellProfessor, Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, Appalachian State University, North Carolina, United States Carla Ramsdell
Practitioner in Residence, Physics and Astronomy, Appalachian State University, North Carolina, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Food Production and Sustainability
KEYWORDS
Vessels, Materials, Energy Efficiency, Cooking, Emissivity, Infrared Thermography
