Drying of Mushroom Slices Using Hot Air Combined with an Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) Drying System

In this study, hot air combined with EHD drying is examined as an improved method for drying mushroom slices. The effects of three levels of voltage (17, 19, and 21 kV) and electrode gap (5, 6, and 7 cm) on the drying kinetics, time, effective water diffusion coefficient, and energy consumption of the EHD, pure hot air (provided within a chamber), and hot air combined with EHD drying systems were investigated. ANOVA showed that there were significant differences between EHD treatments and control (pure hot-air-drying treatment) for all of the investigated responses. Voltage and electrode gap factors had significant effects on all investigated responses. The results confirmed that the combination of EHD and hot air can significantly reduce the drying period, resulting in a greater effective water diffusion coefficient and drying rate and reduced energy consumption. As such, this technique offers a promising solution to the considerable energy consumption of the drying industry.