Characteristic Drying Curves of Cocoa Beans

The characteristic drying curves of cocoa beans are determined by using a tunnel drier where conditioned air passes a single cocoa berm suspended from an electronic balance in the test section. Weight loss, and temperatures of air, testa and nib of the cocoa bean is monitored on personal computers. The nornmalised drying rate versus the normalised moisture content is regressed by least square method to fit a new polynomial model for the penetration falling rate period and a linear model for the regular regime falling rate period. It can be concluded that there are three drying periods for cocoa beans namely the constant drying rate period, the penetration falling rate period and the regular regime falling rate period. The polynomial model estimates the penetration period quite well whereas the linear model estimates the regular regime quite well as well. There is no observable influence of relative humidity and air temperature on the characteristic drying curve of cocoa beans. However, the air velocity seems to have some influence on the curve.     

Characteristic Drying Curves of Cocoa Beans

ABSTRACT

The characteristic drying curves of cocoa beans are determined by using a tunnel drier where conditioned air passes a single cocoa berm suspended from an electronic balance in the test section. Weight loss, and temperatures of air, testa and nib of the cocoa bean is monitored on personal computers. The nornmalised drying rate versus the normalised moisture content is regressed by least square method to fit a new polynomial model for the penetration falling rate period and a linear model for the regular regime falling rate period. It can be concluded that there are three drying periods for cocoa beans namely the constant drying rate period, the penetration falling rate period and the regular regime falling rate period. The polynomial model estimates the penetration period quite well whereas the linear model estimates the regular regime quite well as well. There is no observable influence of relative humidity and air temperature on the characteristic drying curve of cocoa beans. However, the air velocity seems to have some influence on the curve.     

明胶软胶囊干燥特性的研究

在对流干燥实验台上进行了明胶软胶囊干燥特性的实验,研究了加热空气温度、风速、湿度对干燥过程的影响规律。实验结果表明,提高加热空气的温度,虽然提高了传热速率,但在第2降速阶段干燥速率下降,导致最终含水质量分数反而偏高;随着加热空气风速的提高,传热速率增加,干燥速率在第1降速阶段呈现加快趋势,软胶囊的最终含水质量分数稍有降低;而加热空气湿度的变化,对传热过程影响很小,但随着加热空气湿度的降低,干燥速率提高,使得最终含水质量分数明显降低。通过研究软胶囊的干燥特性,为制药工业中软胶囊的生产提供合理指导,对优化干燥过程、降低能耗、提高产品质量和经济效益具有重要意义。     

Drying Kinetics of Sludge from a Wastewater Treatment Plant

Drying kinetics of sludge from a municipal sewage treatment plant were determined in a laboratory drying tunnel with parallel airflow at different temperatures and air velocities. The constant drying rate period was identified followed by two falling rate periods. Drying kinetics in these falling rate periods were then satisfactorily modeled using the modified quasi-stationary method and the Fick's second law. The two-period model was used, however, to describe drying kinetics over the entire drying process, and the equation for a generalized drying curve was proposed. The effective diffusivity was also determined from the integrated Fick's equation, and correlated with temperature by an Arrhenius type equation.     

HYBRID DRYING OF GRANULAR MATERIALS BY COMBINED RADIATIVE AND CONVECTIVE HEATING

As one of the basic steps of the R&D on hybrid drying by combined radiative and convective heating, drying experiments of a stagnant horizontal wet granular layer heated simultaneously by infrared lamps and hot air were conducted throughout a whole period of the drying. An opaque model, in which the incident radiation is assumed to be absorbed only on the surface of the layer, was introduced to explain experimental trends. Then, the effects of combined heating on drying characteristics of three kinds of samples, a silica sand, a brick and a brown coal were discussed by comparing the experimental data with the calculated results.

The calculated results were found to be in a close agreement with the experimental data obtained on the time behaviors of the drying rate and the temperature distribution in the- layer during not only the preheating and the constant rate periods but also the falling rate period. In the case of the coal layer, however, the falling drying rate different from that in ordinary convective drying had to be considered since it appeared that the radiative heating had an effect to enhance the falling drying rate of the coal owing to some interactions of the coal and water.     

HYBRID DRYING OF GRANULAR MATERIALS BY COMBINED RADIATIVE AND CONVECTIVE HEATING

ABSTRACT

As one of the basic steps of the R&D on hybrid drying by combined radiative and convective heating, drying experiments of a stagnant horizontal wet granular layer heated simultaneously by infrared lamps and hot air were conducted throughout a whole period of the drying. An opaque model, in which the incident radiation is assumed to be absorbed only on the surface of the layer, was introduced to explain experimental trends. Then, the effects of combined heating on drying characteristics of three kinds of samples, a silica sand, a brick and a brown coal were discussed by comparing the experimental data with the calculated results.

The calculated results were found to be in a close agreement with the experimental data obtained on the time behaviors of the drying rate and the temperature distribution in the- layer during not only the preheating and the constant rate periods but also the falling rate period. In the case of the coal layer, however, the falling drying rate different from that in ordinary convective drying had to be considered since it appeared that the radiative heating had an effect to enhance the falling drying rate of the coal owing to some interactions of the coal and water.     

A New Variable Diffusion Drying Model for the Second Falling Rate Period of Paddy Dried in a Rapid Bin Dryer

The objectives of this article is to propose a new drying model for the second falling rate period known as the variable diffusion controlled period that follows after the first falling rate period and to propose a new method to determine the second critical moisture content that separates these two periods. Experimental work on paddy drying at minimum fluidization velocity was carried out in a rapid bin dryer. The effects of operating temperatures (60-120°C) and bed depths (2-6 cm) on the paddy drying characteristics were investigated. It was found that the normalized drying rate of paddy was proportional to the normalized moisture content in the first falling rate period but in the second falling rate period, the normalized drying rate of the material varies exponentially with the normalized moisture content. The different relationship between the normalized drying rate and the normalized moisture content in the first and second falling rate periods indicate that two different mechanism of moisture transport are at work. The new exponential model of the second falling rate period and the linear model of the first falling rate period were found to fit the experimental data very well. Derivation from variable diffusion equation shows that the linear model is the result of constant diffusion coefficient whereas the new exponential model is the result of linear diffusion coefficient. This also implies that the first falling rate period is a constant diffusion controlled period and the second falling rate period is a variable diffusion controlled period. In addition, drying kinetics data of a drying process that fits the exponential model over a very slow drying period will show that the drying process is under the effect of a linear diffusion coefficient. It was also found that the proposed new method to determine the second critical moisture content that distinguishes between the first and second falling rate periods by using a sudden change in the value of the drying rate gradient to a much lower value at that point is more rigorous and yet simpler than the method of determining the specific location of the receding drying boundary since it is based on the behavior of the actual drying kinetic data.     

Through Drying of Paper

Through drying of paper of basis weight 25 to 50 g/m² was studied through 89 experiments with 22 to 90°C air at mass flow rates from 0.125 to 1.45 kg/m²s. The complete drying rate curves are represented with five quantitative parameters:moisture contents at the end of the increasing and constant rate periods, the constant drying rate, and exponents for the increasing and falling rate period relations. The constant drying rate period disappears at higher drying intensities leaving the increasing rate period accounting for as much as 37% of the drying. The constant drying rate may be controlled by thermodynamics or by transport phenomena. The critical moisture content depends on effects from the intrinsic local nonuniformity of through drying as well as on sheet average conditions. A universal set of relations was obtained for representation of the complete drying rate curve and was verified for prediction of drying rate and drying time. Through drying rates cannot be increased significantly by providing the drying air as an impingement flow.     

SOME FUNDAMENTAL ATTRIBUTES OF FAR INFRARED RADIATION DRYING OF POTATO

Drying experiments were carried out using a far infrared heater to examine the drying characteristics of potato slices. The effect of several parameters e.g. radiation intensity, inlet air velocity and relative humidity on moisture and temperature history are presented. FIR drying of potato was observed to be a falling rate process. Drying rates were negatively correlated with air velocity. Relative humidity did not influence the drying rate. It was found that the modified exponential law describes the moisture removal of potato within an acceptable range.     

AIR DRYING OF ONION: SOME THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Abstract

The equation for the air drying of solids during a constant drying-rate period was modified to formulate a new model for describing the initial phase of onion drying, with volume shrinkage of dried particle taken into account. The model was fitted to experimental data satisfactory, and the parameters were estimated. It was shown that drying shrinkage of the onion particle, caused that initial phase of the falling drying-rate period is controlled by the external water transfer resistance. It was recommended that the Neuman-type, rather than Dirichlet-type, boundary conditions should be used for calculation of the effective diffusivity during the first phase of the falling rate period of drying of the onion.     

胡萝卜对流干燥过程理论分析——临界水分质量比

收缩和非收缩条件下,对胡萝卜对流干燥特征进行了理论分析。发现临界水分质量比是试样几何形状、尺寸大小以及热空气温度、速度、相对湿度的函数。在收缩条件下,只有薄片状试样对流干燥过程包含恒速干燥阶段和降速干燥阶段;而圆柱状和球状试样干燥速率从干燥起始就随试样水分质量比的下降降低。数值实验结果表明,根据物料临界水分质量比很难确定对流干燥过程处于外部干燥条件控制的第1干燥阶段还是物料内部条件因素控制的第2干燥阶段。临界水分质量比不是表明物料干燥特性的特征参数。     

DETERMINATION OF MOISTURE DIFFUSIVITY OF RED DELICIOUS APPLE TISSUES BY THERMOGRAVIMETRIC ANALYSIS

ABSTRACT

Moisture diffusivity is an important parameter needed in the analysis, design and optimization of drying processes for food and other materials. Published data on moisture diffusivities of food materials are scarce and, sometimes, inconsistent due to a lack of a precise and repeatable experimental technique. Most experimental data are limited to low and moderate drying temperature (<70°C), whereas in the food industry hot air of up to 100°C is usually used in the falling rate period to speed up the drying processes. In this study, the effective moisture diffusivities of Red Delicious apple tissues were determined from drying curves produced with a Perkin Elmer thermogravimetric analyzer, using the slope method. The experiments were conducted at lour temperatures 60, 80, 100 and 120°C. Two well defined falling rate periods were observed. The effective moisture diffusivity, for the four temperature levels ranged from 3.2 × 10^?7 to 7.9 × 10^?8 m²/s for the first falling rate period and 3.8 × 10^?8 to 4.7 × 10^?8 m²/s for the second falling rate period. The temperature dependence of the effective diffusivity can be described with an Arrhenius-type equation.     

Influence of Particle Size on Vacuum–Fluidized Bed Drying

The effect of particle size on the vacuum–fluidized bed drying process was experimentally studied using pepper seed particles with two distinct diameters. In the constant drying rate period, the small particles demonstrated stronger drying rates resulting from higher mass transfer coefficient values and larger contact area for per unit particle humidity.

The experimental results also showed that the falling drying rate period was controlled in the beginning by the particle diameter and later by the effective porosity of the particle. Consequently, in the beginning of the falling drying rate period the small particles presented higher drying rates, whereas toward the end of the period, the large particles, with higher effective porosity, produced stronger drying rates than the small ones.

The effects of the vacuum pressure and the superficial gas velocity throughout the process were only observed in the constant drying rate period, whereas the higher operating temperatures enriched the drying rates in both periods.     

Drying of Carbohydrate and Protein Solutions

Drying behavior of a single suspended droplet of various protein and carbohydrate solutions was investigated experimentally. For small molecular weight carbohydrates such as sucrose and glucose, the constant-rate period was observed, which was followed by the falling rate period characterized as the “regular regime”. During the falling rate period. the drying rate was very low due to a sharp decrease of the water diffusion coefficient with decreasing water concentration No remarkable constant rate periods were observed for large-molecular carbohydrates and proteins. This is because the water diffusion coefficient is low even at high water concentrations. The drying curves or bovine serum albumin, skimmilk and model-food liquid solutions were found to be predicted by a computer simulation with the concentration dependent water diffusion coefficient of maltodextrin of dextrose equivalent =11. The experimental investigations on the ethanol and enzyme retention during drying indicated that the ethanol is lost during the costant-rate period and the enzyme inactivation occurs during the constant-rate period (regular regime).     

SOME FUNDAMENTAL ATTRIBUTES OF FAR INFRARED RADIATION DRYING OF POTATO

ABSTRACT

Drying experiments were carried out using a far infrared heater to examine the drying characteristics of potato slices. The effect of several parameters e.g. radiation intensity, inlet air velocity and relative humidity on moisture and temperature history are presented. FIR drying of potato was observed to be a falling rate process. Drying rates were negatively correlated with air velocity. Relative humidity did not influence the drying rate. It was found that the modified exponential law describes the moisture removal of potato within an acceptable range.     

Modeling of Moisture and Temperature Changes of Wheat during Drying in a Triangular Spouted Bed Dryer

A mathematical model of temperature and wheat moisture content distribution inside a triangular spouted bed dryer was developed. The model is based on analysis of heat and mass transfer inside the dryer. In addition to that, an empirical bulk density model has been developed for wheat and included in the drying simulation. A laboratory-scale triangular spouted bed (TSB) dryer was used to dry wheat grain to validate the model. The dryer was divided into three sections, namely spouting, downcomer, and fountain. A series of drying runs were conducted to record moisture and temperature profile. There were two distinct regions observed during wheat drying. A constant rate period was observed during the initial drying stage and the falling rate period took place at the later drying stage. Initial moisture content and operating drying temperature governed the timing of transition from constant rate period to falling rate period. The model can be used to accurately predict the moisture content of wheat during drying. The temperature prediction inside the TSB dryer was less accurate, especially at high temperatures due to heat losses in the experimental dryer. Further studies are needed to improve the accuracy of this model, especially with regard to the temperature prediction.     

Exergetic Analysis of Textile Convective Drying with Stenters by Subsystem Models: Part 2—Parametric Study on Exergy Analysis

In this study, the effects of exhaust air humidity ratio, the residual moisture content of fabric outlet, and the temperature of the drying air on the exergy destruction and efficiency of stenters were investigated. The exergy efficiencies of the direct gas heated stenter (DGHS) and hot oil heated stenter (HOHS) were calculated to be varying from 8.5 to 17.5% and from 6.8 to 14.0%, depending on the exhaust air humidity ratio, respectively. The increase in the drying air temperature led to an increase in the exergy efficiency, especially in the constant rate and second rate period of the drying. On the other hand, the application of the gradual temperature method caused the highest total exergy efficiency due to the highest drying rates in the first chambers where considerably high air temperatures were set. Overdrying resulted in the higher irreversibility due to the increase in the fuel consumption in the falling rate period of drying. Thus, the exergy efficiency decreased drastically.     

Modeling of Moisture and Temperature Changes of Wheat during Drying in a Triangular Spouted Bed Dryer

A mathematical model of temperature and wheat moisture content distribution inside a triangular spouted bed dryer was developed. The model is based on analysis of heat and mass transfer inside the dryer. In addition to that, an empirical bulk density model has been developed for wheat and included in the drying simulation. A laboratory-scale triangular spouted bed (TSB) dryer was used to dry wheat grain to validate the model. The dryer was divided into three sections, namely spouting, downcomer, and fountain. A series of drying runs were conducted to record moisture and temperature profile. There were two distinct regions observed during wheat drying. A constant rate period was observed during the initial drying stage and the falling rate period took place at the later drying stage. Initial moisture content and operating drying temperature governed the timing of transition from constant rate period to falling rate period. The model can be used to accurately predict the moisture content of wheat during drying. The temperature prediction inside the TSB dryer was less accurate, especially at high temperatures due to heat losses in the experimental dryer. Further studies are needed to improve the accuracy of this model, especially with regard to the temperature prediction.