Development Design of a Compact Pulsed Electric Field to Reduce Food Bacteria: Laboratory Scale

Authors

  • Arry Darmawan Department of Food Science and Technology, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
  • Nur Wulandari Department of Food Science and Technology, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
  • Harsi Dewantari Kusumaningrum Department of Food Science and Technology, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
  • Siti Nurjanah Department of Food Science and Technology, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia
  • Anto Tri Sugiarto Research Center for OREI Technology, National Research and Innovation Agency, Bandung, Indonesia
  • Qirom Qirom Electronics Engineering Department, Politeknik Harapan Bersama, Tegal, Indonesia
  • Adji Parikesit Research Center for OREM, National Research and Innovation Agency, Tangerang, Indonesia
  • Astu Unadi Research Center for OREM, National Research and Innovation Agency, Tangerang, Indonesia
  • Sabirin Sabirin Research Center for Agroindustry, National Research and Innovation Agency, Tangerang, Indonesia
Volume: 15 | Issue: 5 | Pages: 28250-28256 | October 2025 | https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.12377

Received: 26 May 2025 | Revised: 30 June 2025, 12 July 2025, 17 July 2025, 21 July 2025, and 31 July 2025 | Accepted: 2 August 2025 | Online: 20 September 2025


Corresponding author: Nur Wulandari

Abstract

This study aims to design a high-efficiency Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) device for bacterial inactivation in food at a laboratory scale. Bacterial inactivation is closely affected by the consistency, intensity, and duration of the applied electric field; thus, although multiple circuit topologies can be employed in PEF devices, not all provide compactness and efficiency. For this study, an iterative design approach was used to evaluate solid-state cascade PEF topologies by comparing transformer-based (2 A and 5 A) and ignition coil-based (mini-cylinder, cylinder, and canister) configurations. The results show that PEF devices employing a 2 A transformer current and a mini-cylindrical ignition coil offer superior reliability and compactness, making them suitable for treating liquid, semi-solid, and solid samples. Experimental validation of the PEF effect on bacterial membrane damage, using the Vibrio parahaemolyticus strain, demonstrated that an electric field intensity of 10.5 kV/cm caused significant cell damage. Extended treatment durations led to progressively higher bacterial mortality (p < 0.05), as confirmed by flow cytometry and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) observations of cell morphology. Therefore, this study successfully developed a PEF device that potentially replaces the traditional Pulse Forming Network (PFN) with a mini-cylindrical ignition coil, thereby improving replicability and accessibility for laboratory-scale applications.

Keywords:

Pulsed Electric Field (PEF), laboratory scale, solid-state cascade, bacterial inactivation, food

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[1]
A. Darmawan, “Development Design of a Compact Pulsed Electric Field to Reduce Food Bacteria: Laboratory Scale”, Eng. Technol. Appl. Sci. Res., vol. 15, no. 5, pp. 28250–28256, Oct. 2025.

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Copyright (c) 2025 Arry Darmawan, Nurwulandari, Harsi Dewantari Kusumaningrum, Siti Nurjanah, Anto Tri Sugiarto; Qirom Qirom; Adji Parikesit, Astu Unadi, Sabirin Sabirin

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