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The company Natural Machines and the Heat and Mass Transfer Technological Centre (CTTC-UPC) at the UPC have completed the EFICIENT3D project, during which a low-energy cooking system was developed by integrating advanced heat transfer technologies into the 3D food printer, Foodini, commercialised by Natural Machines.
To achieve this, the scientific and technical expertise of the CTTC-UPC in heat transfer simulations and thermal materials was combined with Natural Machines' prototyping and experimental capabilities. The cooking model, which employs induction and laser technologies, optimises energy usage through artificial vision to focus heat precisely on the volume of food, thereby reducing both energy consumption and cooking time.
The project development was structured in two phases:
- Numerical Modelling Using Digital Twin:
A virtual tool was created to simulate the thermal behaviour of induction heating, generating an accurate 3D model of heat transfer by induction. The model was validated with experimental data and then applied to various configurations of coils and frequencies. The results were further cross-checked with experimental tests carried out by Natural Machines, providing data for more efficient future designs. - Prototyping and Experimentation:
The induction plate was upgraded to conduct detailed tests using temperature sensors at multiple points. Experiments were performed with food items such as hamburgers, integrating the system into the Foodini to measure and control temperature in real time, while adapting the software to ensure accurate sensor readings.
This new efficient cooking prototype uses induction on a 3D printing platform, improving heat transfer, temperature control, and reducing energy consumption proportionally to the reduction in the heated surface area, which can range from 30% to 60%. Similarly, the use of the Digital Twin as an optimisation tool was validated, demonstrating significant savings in time and costs, as the model was validated and further results were obtained numerically using a single prototype. The next steps of the project aim to integrate this technology into the final FoodiniPro solution.
This project was developed within the framework of the INNOTEC programme with financial support from ACCIÓ between 2022 and 2024, with a total budget of €198,818.72.
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