Teaching Process Engineering Using an Ice Cream Maker

Authors

  • Gönül Kaletunc Ohio State University
  • Kevin Duemmel Ohio State University
  • Christopher Gecik Ohio State University

Abstract

The ice cream laboratory experiment is designed to illustrate and promote discussion of several engineering and science topics including material and energy balances, heat transfer, freezing, mass transfer, mixing, viscosity, and freezing point depression in a sophomore level engineering class. A pre-¬lab assignment requires the students to develop an ice cream formulate ion within given constraints of available ingredients and percentages of fat, carbohydrate, and protein in the final product for which the students apply the material balance concept. During the experiment, students use a one-liter electric home ice cream maker modified in our laboratory with instruments to monitor temperature, mixing speed, and mixing force. Students analyze the collected data to determine t he heat energy removal during processing, to calculate the mixing power dissipated to ice cream, and to estimate the viscosity of the ice cream.

Author Biographies

Gönül Kaletunc, Ohio State University

Gönül Kaletunc is an associate professor in the Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering at Ohio State University. She received her B. S. and M. S. degrees from the Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, and her Ph.D. degree in food engineering from the University of Massachusetts. She promotes undergraduate research by employing students in her laboratory and engaging them to write research proposals. Her research interest is in thermal and rheological analysis of food and biological materials.

Kevin Duemmel, Ohio State University

Kevin R. Duemmel is currently with the Ohio Department of Transportation. He was a mechanical- design engineer with the Ohio State University Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering. He has 15 years experience in engineering design and construction, including electronics and instrumentation. A licensed professional engineer, he has a B.S. in electrical engineering, an M.S. in civil engineering, and is a Ph.D. candidate in Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering at the Ohio State University.

Christopher Gecik, Ohio State University

Christopher Gecik is design engineer for the Department of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering at Ohio State University. He has a B.S. and M.A. from Ohio State University along with coursework from other institutions. He has been designing electrical, electronic, and mechanical systems at Ohio State for more than 10 years, and has worked as a "special effects designer" on Broadway and at Disney World.

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Published

2007-04-01

Issue

Vol. 41 No. 2 (2007): Spring 2007

Section

Manuscripts