2013年美赛优秀论文A题O奖.pdfVIP

Summary Many conventional rectangular baking pans have a problem that they bake the corners of the batter faster than the rest of the pan. Circular baking pans eliminate this problem, but take up more space in the oven. We propose a solution that given t weights for baking consistency and space efficiency based on the importance of each will provide the optimal baking pan shape. We have come up with an algorithm for e sorting the pans of area A effectively and formed a model that describes the heat flow into the pan as well as the baking mix itself. The model we developed was based off real-life data that we gathered by baking brownies using careful measurement. We n determined several physical properties, such as specific heat, density, and heat . transfer coefficients for brownies directly through experimentation. We compared our results with previous studies on the properties of cake-like foods and found that they o were similar. Then we ran the model using these coefficients and a variety of different plausible baking parameters, including temperature and baking time. i We also developed a technique for optimally arranging polygonal shaped pans in d the oven for any length to-width ratio to maximize the number of pans that can fit. For polygons, we considered both lattice arrangements and where applicable, tessellating a patterns. The algorithm for packing also takes into account the need for airflow between