This project investigates mass transfer from a tea bag into water using a low-cost photocolorimetric setup and Fickian diffusion modeling. Conducted as part of CHE213: Mass Transfer at IIT Kanpur.
To experimentally monitor and model the rate of solute diffusion from tea leaves into hot water using Crank’s solution to Fick’s second law for spherical systems.
- Experiment: Tea bags immersed in 150 mL water at 53°C, 63°C, and 73°C
- Measurements: Absorbance recorded every 10 seconds for 350 seconds using a photocolorimeter
- Modeling: MATLAB used to fit Crank’s model and extract diffusivity
- Higher water temperatures led to faster extraction and greater diffusivity
- Curve fits showed good agreement (R² > 0.82)
- Use camera-based vision in place of colorimeter
- Build predictive brewing model based on time-temperature-flavor profile
- Integrate with smart kettles for real-time tea strength monitoring