The European Space Agency and the science behind frying potatoes in space

Prepare frying in space It’s not easy. It is a very complicated process due to weightlessness.

The European Space Agency has experimented with a potato fryer in microgravity

To study how the environment space affects cooking techniques such as frying, that Design a new experimental apparatus that is safe and operates under weightless conditions.

Frying potatoes involves complex physics and chemistry, and in space everything gets a lot more complicated. It wasn’t certain that frying would work without gravity. Without the drag of buoyancy, the bubbles could stick to the surface of the potato, shielding it with a layer of steam that researchers think could leave it undercooked and undesirable.

The trials were carried out in two parabolic flight campaigns thatin which an aircraft flies in repeated arcs to recreate brief moments of weightlessness, the agency said in a statement.

The science behind space fries

The experiment filmed the frying process with a high-speed, high-resolution camera to capture bubble dynamics such as growth rate, size, and distribution as well as potato escape velocity, bubble velocity, and direction of motion in the oil. The experiment recorded the temperature of the boiling oil as well as the temperatures inside the potatoes.

he hardware The experience is automated and locked for security. Maintains constant pressure inside the frying chamber to prevent leaks, prevent oil from splattering, and reduce heating energy consumption.

Researchers at the University of Thessaloniki, Greece found that shortly after potatoes were added to oil under conditions of low gravity, vapor bubbles easily removed from the surface of the potatoes in a similar manner. Land. While more research is needed to adjust some of the parameters, it indicates that astronauts They will be able to get more of the rehydrated foods on the menu as they explore new worlds.

Europe Press