THIN LAYER SOLAR DRYING OF SOME VEGETABLES

In this study, a solar cabinet dryer consisting of a solar air heater and a drying cabinet, was used in drying experiments. Pumpkin, green pepper, stuffed pepper, green bean, and onion were dried in thin layers. Three different drying air velocities were applied to the process of drying to determine their effects on drying time. Fresh materials were dried by a natural sun drying method. In order to explain drying curves of these products different moisture ratio models were performed and evaluated based on their determination coefficients (R²). Our results revealed that drying air temperature could increase up to about 46°C. Drying air velocity had an important effect on drying process. Drying time changed between 30.29 and 90.43 hours for different vegetables by the solar drying. This drying time was between 48.59 and 121.81 hours for the natural sun drying. Drying curves could be explained by determined thin layer drying models satisfactorily with very high determination coeffcients.     

Development and Performance Analysis of a New Solar Energy-Assisted Photocatalytic Dryer

A novel patented solar energy-assisted photocatalytic closed-type dryer (SEPCD) was developed to produce dried agro-foods without using chemical additives for antisepsis and/or color retention and to retain higher nutritive value of the fresh produce. The SEPCD was designed to simulate open sun drying with moving dry air and mild temperature. The air temperature in the drying cabinet is maintained at 40-45°C; it is supplied partially by a dehumidification system and partially by a solar energy system. Additionally, the inside of the cabinet was coated with titanium dioxide (TiO₂) to cause a bactericidal effect during the drying process. Results showed that the total mold and bacterial counts for the drying cabinet and dried pineapple slices are significantly reduced in the SEPCD while the dried food quality is also better than that dried by conventional hot air drying.     

Unglazed Transpired Solar Dryers for Medicinal Plants

Three different solar drying methods were carried out on four different medicinal plants to investigate the benefits of using an unglazed transpired solar dryer (UTSD) over other traditional methods. Methods involved included drying in an unglazed transpired solar dryer (using suction air flow rate of 0.06 m³s^?1), drying in the open air under direct sun rays and a common traditional drying method in a shaded drying house. The three drying methods were used to dry the following medicinal plants: henna (Lawsonia inermis L.), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.), marjoram (Majorana hortensis L.), and moghat (Glossostemon bruguieri L.). Drying processes were carried out under the climatic weather conditions of Ismailia, Egypt. Drying rate, drying ratio, and the medicinal plants qualities in terms of oil quantity and sensation tests were considered. The results showed higher oil quantity obtained from rosemary and marjoram dried in the UTSD, compared with those dried in the shaded drying house and in the open air under direct sun.     

Mathematical Modeling of Drying Characteristics of Indian Mackerel (Rastrilliger kangurta) in Solar-Biomass Hybrid Cabinet Dryer

Eight trials were conducted for drying mackerel by a solar biomass hybrid cabinet dryer (S-BHCD) and open sun drying (OSD) at air temperatures of 32.39–57.69°C, relative humidity 23.9–85.8%, and air flow rate of 0.20–0.60 m/s. The solar radiation ranged between 287 and 898 W/m² during the time of experimentation. At nighttime, drying was carried out by combusting biomass. The initial moisture content of the processed mackerel was 72.50±0.44% (w.b.) and was reduced to the final moisture content of 16.67±0.52% (w.b.) in S-BHCD and 16.92±0.54% (w.b.) in OSD. Eleven drying models were used and the coefficients of determination (R ²) and constants were evaluated by nonlinear regression to estimate the drying curves of dried mackerels. The Midilli model was found to more satisfactorily describe the drying process of mackerel in S-BHCD with R ² of 0.9999, χ² of 0.0000374, and RMSE of 0.0057. In the OSD, a two-term drying model satisfactorily described the drying process with R ² of 0.9996, χ² of 0.0000519, and RMSE of 0.0072. The variation of Free Fatty acid (FFA), Peroxide value (PV), Thiobarbituric acid (TBA), Total volatile bases nitrogen (TVB-N), Trimethylamine nitrogen (TMA-N), and histamine contents of dried mackerel by using S-BHCD showed very high corresponding coefficients of determination, where all R ² were greater than 0.90, except TBA value. Bacterial count and mold growth were decreased significantly (P < 0.05). There was no discoloration of the product during 4 months of storage. Contour plots of S-BHCD and OSD dried mackerel also showed that for all sensory attributes examined, panelists preferred fish dried with S-BHCD. The organoleptic analysis showed that the S-BHCD drying methods have a highly significant effect (P < 0.01) on texture and overall acceptability. Biochemical, microbial analysis, and sensory evaluation showed that the product was in prime acceptable form for 4 months of storage at ambient temperature.     

Heat Pump Drying of Green Sweet Pepper

Thin-layer drying experiments under controlled conditions were conducted for green sweet pepper in heat pump dryer at 30, 35, and 40°C and hot air dryer at 45°C with relative humidities ranging from 19 to 55%. The moisture content of sweet pepper slices reduced exponentially with drying time. As the temperature increased, the drying curve exhibited a steeper slope, thus exhibiting an increase in drying rate. Drying of green sweet pepper took place mainly under the falling-rate period. The Page equation was found to be better than the Lewis equation to describe the thin-layer drying of green sweet pepper with higher coefficient of determination and lower root mean square error. Drying in heat pump dryer at 40°C took less time with higher drying rate and specific moisture extraction rate as compared to hot air drying at 45°C due to lower relative humidity of the drying air in a heat pump dryer though the drying air temperature was less. The retention of total chlorophyll content and ascorbic acid content was observed to be more in heat pump–dried samples with higher rehydration ratios and sensory scores. The quality parameters showed a declining trend with increase in drying air temperature from 30 to 45°C. Keeping in view the energy consumption and quality attributes of dehydrated products, it is proposed to dry green sweet pepper at 35°C in heat pump dryer.     

Kinetics and Mass Transfer during Atmospheric Freeze Drying of Red Pepper

Drying is applied for moisture removal to allow safe and extended storage. Red pepper (Capsicum annum) samples were heat pump dried in fluidized bed at different air temperatures. A slightly modified solution of the diffusion equation was used to describe the kinetics and drying rates of red pepper. The model well described the low- and medium-temperature drying processes. The determined effective mass diffusivities varied from 0.7831 to 4.0201 × 10^?9 m²/s and increased consistently with drying air temperature. The mass diffusivity was correlated to temperature by linear regression with coefficient of determination equal to 0.999 and negligible standard error.     

A Method for Determination of Porosity Change from Shrinkage Curves of Deformable Materials

The novel low-cost band thermodynamic dryer equipped with a solar collector, a parabolic focusing collector, a heat exchanger, screw fan, and a drying cabinet with a band was designed and tested. The maximum temperature in the solar collector reached 85°C, which was 55°C above the ambient temperature. The required drying time was 4.5 h, much reduced from the traditional solar drying time of 48 h. The final moisture content of the Roselle calyx was 12% w.b., which is the recommended storage moisture content. Measurements of ambient temperature and humidity, air temperature, and relative humidity inside the dryer as well as solids moisture loss-in-weight data are employed as a means to study the performance of the dryer. Solar drying was compared with conventional sun drying and heated air drying, using the following evaluation criteria: drying time, dried Roselle color, texture, taste, and production cost. For evaluation, a model-based Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methodology was used. After the evaluation, the proposed continuous solar dryer was found to be better than conventional drying and heated air drying due to slower drying rate and better quality of the dried Roselle.     

Kinetics and Mass Transfer during Atmospheric Freeze Drying of Red Pepper

Drying is applied for moisture removal to allow safe and extended storage. Red pepper (Capsicum annum) samples were heat pump dried in fluidized bed at different air temperatures. A slightly modified solution of the diffusion equation was used to describe the kinetics and drying rates of red pepper. The model well described the low- and medium-temperature drying processes. The determined effective mass diffusivities varied from 0.7831 to 4.0201 × 10^-9 m²/s and increased consistently with drying air temperature. The mass diffusivity was correlated to temperature by linear regression with coefficient of determination equal to 0.999 and negligible standard error.     

AN INTEGRATED SOLAR DRYING SYSTEM FOR AGRICULTURAL CROP DRYING

The integrated solar drying system essentially consists of two selective flat plate collectors, one of them being black nickel and the other of manganese oxide deposited on galvanized iron sheet. A packed bed solar storage collector also forms a part of the system to supplement the energy required for drying after sun set. The design of the system with the calculation of the power requirement is reported in this paper. Freshly harvested high moisture paddy with an initial moisture content of 22 percent, w. b. was dried to the desirable milling percentage of 14 to 15 percent, w. b. The performance of the selective surfaces were studied to recommend the best one. Mathematical models for the temperature distribution in the pebble bed to optimize the length and depth of the storage system are given. Drying of 100 kg of paddy could be completed in 7 1/2 hours. The total and head rice yields obtained from this drying system were 70 and 65 percent respectively.     

The drying kinetics of seeded grape in solar dryer with PCM-based solar integrated collector

This paper presents a novel type of dryer for experimentally evaluating the drying kinetics of seeded grapes. In the developed drying system, it has been particularly included an expanded-surface solar air collector, a solar air collector with phase-change material (PCM) and drying room with swirl element. An expanded-surface solar air collector has been used to achieve high heat transfer and turbulence effect whiles a solar air collector with PCM has been used to perform the drying process even after the sunset. On the other hand, the swirl elements have been located to give the swirl effect to air flow in drying room. These advantages make the proposed novel system a promising dryer in that lower moisture value and less drying time. The drying experiments have been carried out simultaneously both under natural conditions and by the dryer with swirl flow and without swirl flow at three different air velocities. The obtained moisture ratio values have been applied to six different moisture ratio models in the literature. The model having the highest correlation coefficient (R) and the lowest Chi-square (χ²) value has been determined as the most relevant one for each seeded grape drying status.     

DESIGN AND TESTING OF A NEW SOLAR TRAY DRYER

A novel low cost tray dryer equipped with a solar air collector, a heat storage cabinet and a solar chimney is designed and tested. The design is based on energy balances and on an hourly-averaged radiation data reduction procedure for tilted surfaces. Measurements of total solar radiation on an horizontal plane, ambient temperature and humidity, air speed, temperature and relative humidity inside the dryer as well as solids moisture loss-in-weight data are employed as a means to study the performance of the dryer. First, detailed diagnostic experiments are carried out with no drying material on the trays. Next, a number of experiments is conducted using a controlled reference material whose reproducible dehydration pattern allows comparisons among runs. Drying is also tested during night operation and under adverse weather conditions. For all the employed conditions, the material gets completely dehydrated at a satisfactory rate and with an encouraging system's efficiency.     

Analysis of Energy and Environmental Parameters during Solar Cabinet Drying of Apple and Carrot

A modular solar cabinet dryer equipped with an air collector including a drying chamber with different tray arrangements was developed to determine moisture changes in different sizes and forms (slices and cubes) of apple and carrot pieces and to carry out serial measurements of temperatures, solar radiation, and air humidity distributions during the drying process. The initial and final moisture contents (w.b.) of fresh products were 88 and 26% for apple and 71 and 13% for carrot with initial weights of 1.56 and 3 kg, respectively. The results revealed that the temperature inside the chamber was strongly negatively correlated with air humidity (R² = 0.91) and that the length of the drying period was influenced by the weather conditions, as the cloudy weather retarded drying of carrots. It was possible to reach an air drying temperature over 41°C with a daily total solar energy incident on the collector's surface of 857.2 kJ/(m² day) for apples and 753.20 kJ/(m² day) for carrots. The analysis of energy requirements to remove moisture from apples and carrots during the total drying period showed values of 3300.19 and 7428.28 kJ/kg, respectively. The amount of air to remove water from the samples was also determined as 126.93 m³ for apples and 928.56 m³ for carrots.     

Scientific Principles of Drying Technique (in Russian)B.S. Sazhin and V.B. Sazhin Nauka,Moscow, 1997, 448 pages

ABSTRACT

A novel low cost tray dryer equipped with a solar air collector, a heat storage cabinet and a solar chimney is designed and tested. The design is based on energy balances and on an hourly-averaged radiation data reduction procedure for tilted surfaces. Measurements of total solar radiation on an horizontal plane, ambient temperature and humidity, air speed, temperature and relative humidity inside the dryer as well as solids moisture loss-in-weight data are employed as a means to study the performance of the dryer. First, detailed diagnostic experiments are carried out with no drying material on the trays. Next, a number of experiments is conducted using a controlled reference material whose reproducible dehydration pattern allows comparisons among runs. Drying is also tested during night operation and under adverse weather conditions. For all the employed conditions, the material gets completely dehydrated at a satisfactory rate and with an encouraging system's efficiency.     

Solar Drying of Peeled Longan Using a Side Loading Type Solar Tunnel Dryer: Experimental and Simulated Performance

This article presents experimental and simulated results of drying of peeled longan in a side-loading solar tunnel dryer. This new type of solar tunnel dryer consists of a flat-plate solar air heater and a drying unit with a provision for loading and unloading from windows at one side of the dryer. These are connected in series and covered with glass plates. A DC fan driven by a 15-W solar cell module supplies hot air in the drying system. To investigate the experimental performance, five full-scale experimental runs were conducted and 100 kg of peeled longan was dried in each experimental run. The drying air temperature varied from 32 to 76°C. The drying time in the solar tunnel dryer was 16 h to dry peeled longan from an initial moisture content of 84% (w.b.) to a final moisture content of 12% (w.b.), whereas it required 16 h of natural sun drying under similar conditions to reach a moisture content of 40% (w.b.). The quality of solar-dried product was also good in comparison to the high-quality product in markets in terms of color, taste, and flavor. A system of partial differential equations describing heat and moisture transfer during drying of peeled longan in this solar tunnel dryer was developed and this system of nonlinear partial differential equations was solved numerically by the finite difference method. The numerical solution was programmed in Compaq Visual FORTRAN version 6.5. The simulated results agreed well with the experimental data for solar drying. This model can be used to provide the design data and it is essential for optimal design of the dryer.     

Drying equations of Thai Hom Mali paddy by using hot air,carbon dioxide and nitrogen gases as drying media

The objective of this study was to develop a drying equation for predicting the thin layer drying kinetics of dried Thai Hom Mali paddy using different drying gases. Thai Hom Mali paddy cv. Khao Dok Mali 105 with initial moisture content of 32% dry basis was dried in a heat pump dryer at 0.4 m/s fixed superficial velocity, 60% fixed evaporator bypass air ratio, and varied drying temperatures of 40, 50, 60 and 70 °C using hot air, CO₂ and N₂ gases as drying media. Drying rate was not affected by drying gases but increased with drying temperatures. Moisture ratios, at any given time during the drying process, were compared among various models, namely, Newton, Page, Modified Page I, Henderson and Pabis, two-term, approximation of diffusion, and Midilli. The effect of drying air temperatures on the coefficients of the best moisture ratio model was determined by single step regression method. The R² coefficient, root mean square error (RMSE) and chi-square (χ²) were criteria for selecting the best model. The study found that the Midilli model was the best model for describing the drying behavior of Thai Hom Mali paddy in every evaluated drying gas. It should be possible to predict the moisture content of a product with a generalized model that shows the effect of drying air temperature on the model constants and coefficients.     

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A SOLAR DRYING MODEL OF RED PEPPER AND THE KINETICS OF PURE WATER EVAPORATION (I)

Drying of red pepper under solar radiation was investigated, and a simple model related to water evaporation was developed. Drying experiments at constant laboratory conditions were undertaken where solar radiation was simulated by a 1000 W lamp.

In this first part of the work, water evaporation under radiation is studied and laboratory experiments are presented with two objectives: to verify Penman's model of evaporation under radiation, and to validate the laboratory experiments. Modifying Penman's model of evaporation by introducing two drying conductances as a function of water content, allows the development of a drying model under Eolar radiation.

In the second part of this paper, the model is validated by applying it to red pepper open air solar drying experiments.     

EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY ON THE DRYING RATES AND DRYING TIMES OF GREEN BELL PEPPERS (CAPSICUM ANNUUM L)

Green bell pepper dices were dehydrated at different dry bulb air temperatures (55°, 60°, 65°, 70° and 75°C) and relative humidities (15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40%). The effects of temperature and relative humidity (RH) on the drying rates and drying period of diced green bell peppers were determined. Drying rate curves were characterized by a short induction (heating) phase followed by a falling rate period. Near constant rate drying was observed only at 55°C at 15% RH and at 65°C (15% RH). Drying rates generally increased with increasing temperatures and decreasing RH. The effect of temperature on the drying rates became less pronounced with increasing RH Drying rate maxima at 70°C and RH of 15, 20 25 and 40% exceeded those at 75°C, possibly due to case-hardening.     

EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY ON THE DRYING RATES AND DRYING TIMES OF GREEN BELL PEPPERS (CAPSICUM ANNUUM L)

ABSTRACT

Green bell pepper dices were dehydrated at different dry bulb air temperatures (55°, 60°, 65°, 70° and 75°C) and relative humidities (15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40%). The effects of temperature and relative humidity (RH) on the drying rates and drying period of diced green bell peppers were determined. Drying rate curves were characterized by a short induction (heating) phase followed by a falling rate period. Near constant rate drying was observed only at 55°C at 15% RH and at 65°C (15% RH). Drying rates generally increased with increasing temperatures and decreasing RH. The effect of temperature on the drying rates became less pronounced with increasing RH Drying rate maxima at 70°C and RH of 15, 20 25 and 40% exceeded those at 75°C, possibly due to case-hardening.     

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON SOLAR DRYING OF FISH USING SOLAR TUNNEL DRYER

This paper presents field level performance of the solar tunnel dryer for drying of fish. The dryer consists of a transparent plastic covered flat plate collector and a drying tunnel connected in series to supply hot air directly into the drying tunnel using four d.c. fans, operated by two 40 watt solar modules. This dryer can be used to dry upto 150 kg of fish and three sets of full scale field level drying runs for drying silver jew (Johnius argentatus) fish were conducted in February-March, 1999. The temperature of the drying air at the collector outlet varied from 35.1 ° C to 52.2 ° C during drying. The fish was initially treated with dry salt and stacked for about 16 hours before drying. The salt treated fish was dried to a moisture content of 16.78% (w.b.) from 67% (w.b.) in 5 days of drying in solar tunnel dryer as compared to 5 days of drying in the traditional method for comparable samples to a final moisture content of 32.84%. In addtion, the fish dried in the solar tunnel dryer was completely protected from rain, insects and dust, and the dried fish was a high quality product.     

An Experimental Study on Drying of Green Apples

Drying behavior of green apples in a laboratory dryer was examined. Prior to drying, the apples were cut in 8 mm thick slices, which were then treated with citric acid solution and blanched hot water at 80°C. Next, they were dried at 65°C with an air velocity of 2.0 m/s. The shortest drying time (270 min) was obtained with apples pretreated with citric acid solution. The drying data were fitted with 11 mathematical models available in the literature. Selection of the best model was investigated by comparing the determination of coefficient (R ²), reduced chi-square (χ²), root means square error ( RMSE ), and mean relative percentage error (P) between the experimental and predicted values. The results showed that the Wang and Singh, logarithmic, and Verma et al. models gave the best results in describing thin-layer drying of apple slices. The effective moisture diffusivity of pretreated samples with citric acid solution was higher than the other samples.