Space Charge Near Microbes During Pulsed Electric Field Pasteurization Liquid Foods

Conference Record of the 1996 IEEE International Symposium on Electrical Insulation, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, June 16-19,1996
Space Charge Near Microbes During Pulsed Electric Field Pasteurization of Liquid
Foods
R. E. Bruhn , P. D. Pedrow, and R. G. Olsen
G. V. Barbosa-Canovas
School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Department of Biological Systems Engineering

Washington State University
Pullman, WA 99164
B. G. Swanson
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition
Abstract: Inactivation of microbes by the application of pulsed
electric fields could result in low temperature pasteurization of
liquid foods. Advantages over conventional heat pasteurization
include longer shelf life, better flavor, and less enzyme damage.
In this work, fields as high as 40kVkm have been applied to
milk, apple juice, and electrolyte that was inoculated with
microorganisms. Modeling of the microbes during exposure to
these intense electric fields is described. Suspension solution
and liquid protoplasm are modeled with a relative pemittivity
of 81 and each contains two species of ionic charge carriers (one
species plus and one species minus). The microbe membrane is
modeled with a relative permittivity of 2 and zero conductivity.
The continuity equation has been solved numerically in 1
dimension for low ion concentration to investigate the transient
behavior of space charge sheaths near the microbes. Free
surface charge density, which accumulates on both sides of the
cell membrane is also described by this model. Mesh size and
simulation time step were adjusted to resolve space charge
sheath dynamics near the microbes.
INTRODUCTION
Pasteurization of liquid foods by pulsed electric fields
has been studied as an alternate to conventional thermal
pasteurization [ 1,2,3,4,5]. Microbe mortality may be caused
by electroporation which is the creation of pores in the cell
membrane when voltage drop across the membrane exceeds
about 1 volt [6]. Electric fields on the order of 40 kV/cm
have been applied to a variety of microbes that have included
Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis,
Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Yersinia enterocolitica, Listeria
monocytogenes, and Candida albicans. Liquid suspensions
have included milk, apple juice, NaCl solution, and a
simulated milk solution (described in [SI). Depending on
parameters, these pulsed electric fields have produced
microorganisms to electric fields has been investigated by

others who were studying electroporation [6] and cell fusion
[10,11]. In that work, cell inactivation usually was not the
objective as it is in the present work.
In its simplest form, the cell membrane is composed of a
lipid bilayer with the hydrophobic ends of the molecules
being shielded from the suspending liquid (and from the
protoplasm of the microbe) by the hydrophilic ends of the
molecules [6]. In reality, cell membranes are quite complex
[ 12,131.
In this work, we have used numerical techniques to
simulate the cell membrane of a microorganism exposed to
large electric fields. During early model development, the
membrane has been represented by a shell of lossless
dielectric encasing a region of lossy dielectric (the
protoplasm) with the entire system immersed in a third lossy
dielectric (the suspension liquid). Each of these three regions
have been assumed linear, homogeneous, and isotropic.
We have assumed planar geometry and that the
space charge sheaths are too weak to have significant
influence upon the externally applied electric field. More
realistic assumptions (to be used in future work) are
described below in the Discussion section.
PLANAR MODEL
Assumptions
Figure 1 shows the five regions being modeled and Table
1 describes parameters used to characterize each region.
Initially all interfaces are assumed to have zero free surface
charge density but free surface charge accumulates at the
interfaces as the simulation progresses.
survival fractions smaller than lo-*. Since this inactivation

of microorganisms takes place at temperatures substantially
lower than for conventional heat pasteurization, improved
flavor, longer shelf life, and reduced enzyme damage are
possible improvements in the final product [7,8].
Previous work, which was cited above, focused on
microbial and high voltage engineering issues such as culture
techniques and dielectric breakdown of the test chamber.
Electrical modeling of the space charge sheaths that form
within the liquid suspension near the liquidelectrode
interfaces has been described [9]. Response of
Suspenslor
Cell
Liquid
Cell
Suspenslori
Rotoplm Ivk3rrbrat-e
Llquld
I/
\
I
\_I
I
\
Figure 1. Five regions being considered in the planar model.
858
Table 1.
For each ion species a we can write the continuity

equation as
-+V.(n,iia)
h a
=0
Since D is uniform throughout the five regions, E will be

uniform within each region and so Eq. (4) applies. It can be
represented [ 141 by the numerical algorithm
at
where
n, and Ea are concentration and fluid velocity,
respectively, for ion species a. We assume there are no

volume sources nor volume sinks of ions; however, ions can
impinge on and exist as free surface charge density at
interfaces. Ion mobility can be used to write
ii, = p,E
where
pa
is mobility of species a and
At
(2)
is electric field.
where i and j are indices that represent the i" spatial grid
point and the j" time step, respectively. This is a time
centered algorithm, characterized by a high order of accuracy
[ 141. For convenience, we form the dimensionless quantity
Ion diffusion and motion of the suspension liquid have been

ignored. Using a vector identity, Eqs. (1) and (2) can be
combined to give
(3)
The third term is assumed small enough to be neglected (this
will be valid only for small volume charge density) giving
which is proportional to the fraction of a grid spacing

traversed during a time step by an element of the ion fluid
traveling at the speed p , E . Substituting Eq. (8) into (7) and
(4)
placing known densities on the right hand side and unknown

densities on the left hand side gives
Numerical Algorithm
The numerical simulation begins at t=O by assuming a
step increase in the D field (throughout all 5 regions) from
zero to some value Do. Evolving volume charge density in
sheaths and surface charge density at interfaces are assumed
small enough that D is not significantly modified from its
externally applied value, Do. 'Thus we have
Dl = D2 = D3 = D4= D5= Do
and
(5)
This yields a set of simultaneous linear equations at each

time step for each ion species. Solution to these is obtained
by inverting a tridiagonal matrix. Volume space charge
density is found from ( 1 . 6 ~ )( n+-n.) and surface charge
density at interfaces is found from the net flux of ions to the
interface. Results are shown in the next section.
859
Results
For the parameters shown in Table 2 the numerical
simulation showed the development of volume space charge
sheaths on both sides of the cell membrane as shown in
Figure2.
Space charge sheaths result from uncompensated charge
that is born when charge of the opposite sign vacates a region
in response to the applied electric field. In addition to the

volume charge density shown in Figure 2, the magnitude of
the free surface charge density on the four membrane
Surfaces reached about 1 . 7 ~ 1 0C/m2
- ~ at t = 5pS. While the
size of the protoplasm (4 pm) is consistent with real
microbes, membrane thicknesses are known to be [12,13] in
the range
to 2o nm rather than the pm
here. A
thicker membrane was used for illustrative Purposes.
Volume Charge Density Versus z and t
-m 0
<
E
0,
>
I
0
s -0
z(um)
igure 2. Volume space charge density as a function of position and time.
860
DISCUSSION
For more dense ion fluids, volume charge density in
the sheaths and free surface charge density at interfaces will
significantly modify the D field so that it will no longer be
equal to the externally imposed value Do . For that condition,
the more complicated model described in Eq. (3) will be
used. Following that, the model will be extended to two
dimensions.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work was supported in part by U. S . Army Research
Office Grant #DAAH04-94-G-0113.
REFERENCES
Fusion and Giant Cell Formation with Human Erythrocytes,

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, Vol. 1148, pp 30-38, 1993.
[ll] M. Kiyomota and H. Shirai, Reconstruction of Starfish Eggs
by Electric Cell Fusion: A New Method of Detecting the
Cytoplasmic Determinant for Archenteron Formation,
Develop. Growth & Differ., Vol. 35 , pp 107-114, 1993.
[12] T. S . Tenforde, Mechanisms of Interaction and Biological
Effects of Extremely Low Frequency Electromagnetic Fields,
Proceedings of the 1994 Japan-U. S . Science Seminar on
Electromagnetic Field Effects Caused By High Voltage
Systems, pp. 311-321, June 28-July 1, 1994, Sapporo, Japan.
[13] F. S . Barnes and C. J. Hu, Nonlinear Interactions of
Electromagnetic Waves with Biological Materials, in
Nonlinear Electromagnetics, edited by P. Uslenghi, N Y
Academic Press, pp. 391-426, 1980.
[14] E. S . Oran and J. P. Boris, Numerical Simulation of
Reactive Flow, NY: Elsevier, 1987, pp. 110-111.
B. L.Qin, G. V. Barbosa-Canovas, B. G. Swanson, P. D.

Pedrow, and R. G. Olsen, A continuous Treatment System for
Inactivating Microorganisms with Pulsed Electric Fields,
Paper #EP-4-4-196, Presented at the 1995 IEEE, Industry
Applications Society Annual Conference, Orlando, Florida,
October 8-12, 1995.
B. Qin, Q. Zhang, G. V. Barbosa-Canovas, B. G. Swanson, and
P. D. Pedrow, Pulsed Electric Field Treatment Chamber
Design for Liquid Food Pasteurization Using a Finite Element
Method, Transactions of the American Society of
Agricultural Engineers, Vol. 38, No. 2, pp. 557-565, 1995.
B. Mazurek, P. Lubicki, and Z. Staroniewicz, Effect of Short
HV Pulses on Bacteria and Fungi, IEEE Transactions on
Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation, Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 418425, June 1995.
B. L. Qin. Q. Zhang, G. V. Barbosa-Canovas, B. G. Swanson,
and P. D. Pedrow, Inactivation of Microorganisms by Pulsed
Electric Fields of Different Voltage Waveforms, IEEE
Transactions on Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation, Vol. 1,
No. 6, pp. 1047-1057, December 1994.
Q. Zhang, A. Monsalve-Gonzalez, G. V. Barbosa-Canovas, B.
G. Swanson, Inactivation of E. Coli and S. Cerevisiae by
Pulsed Electric Fields Under Controlled Temperature
Conditions, Transactions of the American Society of
Agricultural Engineers, Vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 581-587, 1994.
J.C. Weaver, Electroporation: A General Phenomenon for
Manipulating Cells and Tissues, Journal of Cellular
Biochemistry, Vol5 1, pp 426-435, 1993.
D. Knorr, M Geulen, T. Grahl, and W. Sitzmann, Food
Application of High Electric Field Pulses, Trends in Food
Science & Technology, Vol. 5 , pp. 71-75, March 1994,
B. Mertens and D. Knorr, Developments of Nonthermal
Processes for Food Preservation, Food Technology, pp. 124133, May 1992.
D. B. Spencer, Space Charge Evolution in Dilute Binary
Electrolytes Exposed to High Voltage Transients, Masters
Thesis, Washington State University, May 1994.
[ 101 L.Y. Song, et al., Divalent Cations, Phospholipid Asymmetry
and Osmotic Swelling in Electrically-Induced Lysis, Cell
861

Space Charge Near Microbes During Pulsed Electric Field Pasteurization Liquid Foods

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Space Charge Near Microbes During Pulsed Electric Field Pasteurization Liquid Foods

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Space Charge Near Microbes During Pulsed Electric Field Pasteurization Liquid Foods

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Conference Record of the 1996 IEEE International Symposium on Electrical Insulation, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, June 16-19,1996

School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Department of Biological Systems Engineering

microorganisms to electric fields has been investigated by

survival fractions smaller than lo-*. Since this inactivation

Figure 1. Five regions being considered in the planar model.

For each ion species a we can write the continuity

Since D is uniform throughout the five regions, E will be

n, and Ea are concentration and fluid velocity,

respectively, for ion species a. We assume there are no

is mobility of species a and

Ion diffusion and motion of the suspension liquid have been

which is proportional to the fraction of a grid spacing

placing known densities on the right hand side and unknown

This yields a set of simultaneous linear equations at each

in response to the applied electric field. In addition to the

Volume Charge Density Versus z and t

Fusion and Giant Cell Formation with Human Erythrocytes,

B. L.Qin, G. V. Barbosa-Canovas, B. G. Swanson, P. D.

You might also like