Evaluation and selection of thin-layer models for drying kinetics of apricot (cv. NASIRY)

Abstract

E. Mirzaee, S. Rafiee, A. Keyhani

(Agricultural Machinery Engineering Department, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology,
University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran)

Abstract: This paper presents the thin layer drying behavior of apricot (cv. NASIRY) at the air temperatures of 40ºC, 50ºC, 60ºC, 70ºC and air velocity of 1m/s and 2 m/s.  In order to select a suitable form of the drying curve, 12 different thin layer drying models were fitted to experimental data.  Fick’s second law was used as a major equation to calculate the moisture diffusivity with some simplification.  The high values of coefficient of determination and the low values of reduced chi-square and root mean square error indicated that the Logarithmic model and the Midilli et al. model could satisfactorily describe the drying curve of apricot for drying air velocity of 1m/s and 2 m/s, respectively.  According to the research results the calculated value of effective moisture diffusivity varied from 1.78×10-10–5.11×10-10 m2/s and the value of activation energy varied from a minimum of 24.01 kJ/mol to a maximum of 25.00 kJ/mol.

Keywords: apricot, thin layer drying, effective moisture diffusivity, activation energy

Citation: E. Mirzaee, S. Rafiee, A. Keyhani.  Evaluation and selection of thin-layer models for drying kinetics of apricot (cv. NASIRY).  Agric Eng Int: CIGR Journal, 2010, 12(2): 111-116.