1. Increasing the “POP” in Popcorn
Team Members
Mrinalini Basu, Steven Chen, Jeffery Conti, Varun Ganesan, Giselle Hsu, Tracie Kong, Mark Massaro, William Talbot, Nikhil Yegya-Raman, Darvin Yi, Kaicen Zhu
Advisor - Dr. Paul V. Quinn Sr. T.A. - AJ Pyle

2. Introduction
Primary Goal: Increase size of popcorn flakes by reducing pressure
Desirable for consumers
Profitable for producers
Added benefits
Decrease popping time
Decrease kernel waste

3. Popcorn: Past and Present
Scientific Name: Zea Mays Averta
Originates in Americas
Popping was main way Natives cooked corn
Used by Aztecs in 16th century as food and religious decoration

4. Popcorn: Past and Present
1893: Charles Cretor’s steam-powered popcorn machine
Popcorn boom during Great Depression
5-10 cents per bag, was relatively cheap
Invention of microwave and television moved popcorn from theaters to home

5. Popcorn: Past and Present
1990s: microwavable popcorn sales average $240 million annually
70% of popcorn eaten at home
2005: Annual sale of popcorn = $1,007,680,708
17 billion quarts consumed per year

6. Theory
Pericarp
Inside kernel: mixture of starch and moisture surrounded by pericarp
Starch and Moisture

7. The Popping Process
Heat added => trapped moisture vaporizes and expands
Pi increases until Pi = PY
Pericarp breaks => water vapor and starch expand
When Pvapor = Pf expansion stops Pi Pf PY Pf

8. Adiabatic Expansion No heat transfer
Accepted value for water vapor: γ = 1.33
Our goal: maximize Vf
Pf decreases => Vf increases

9. Industry Values

10. Microwave

11. Apparatus- Diagram

12. Procedure

16. Movie Popper

17. Apparatus- Diagram

18. Procedure

19. Procedure continued

23. Stove Popper

24. Apparatus- Diagram

29. SUCCESS!

30. Experimental Uncertainties
General
Kernel variation
Estimated Volume Measurement
Microwave
Bag expansion
Microwave Power
Movie Popper
Unpopped kernels
Unsteady pressure
Stove Popper
Thermometer inaccuracy
“Hot Spots” on mesh

31. Conclusion Original Goal: Increase size of popcorn
π for microwave popper surpassed industry
9.83 cc/flake vs cc/flake
σ for microwave popper surpassed industry
45.5 cc/g vs cc/g
ω for stove and movie poppers surpassed industry
2.8% and 2.1% vs. 6.8% waste

32. Acknowledgements We would like to thank NJGSS Dr. M
John and Laura Overdeck

33. Questions?

34. Derivation