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.     

Combined Microwave-Vacuum and Freeze Drying of Carrot and Apple Chips

A combination of microwave-vacuum (MWV) drying and freeze drying was investigated as potential means for drying carrot and apple chips. The sample was first dried by microwave-vacuum to dehydrate some amount of internal free water and then by freeze drying to a final moisture content of less than 7% (wet basis). Chemical properties (carotene and vitamin C retention) and physical properties (shrinkage, color, texture, and rehydration ratio) of carrot and apple slices dried by this method were evaluated and compared with those dried by freeze drying alone, MWV drying alone, and conventional hot air drying, respectively. The comparison showed that the carotene retention of carrot slices and the vitamin C retention of apple slices dried by the current method were close to those of freeze-dried carrot and apple slices and much better than those of conventional hot air–dried ones. The samples prepared by the current method exhibited very close rehydration capacity, color retention, and texture with those of the freeze-dried ones but with a little higher shrinkage. However, the samples still showed the attractive external appearance without marked warp.     

Combined Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) and Vacuum Freeze Drying of Sea Cucumber

A combination of electrohydrodynamic drying (EHD) and vacuum freeze drying (FD) is examined as an improved method for dehydrating sea cucumbers. The energy consumption, shrinkage and rehydration ratio, protein content, and sensory properties, such as the color and trimness, of the dried product in the EHD–FD method are measured. Compared with FD, the combined process consumes less drying time and has lower energy consumption than EHD drying alone. Also, the product processed by combined drying displays lower shrinkage, higher rehydration rate and higher protein content, along with better sensory qualities.     

Influence of Combined Hot Air Impingement and Infrared Drying on Drying Kinetics and Physical Properties of Potato Chips

Air jet impingement combined with infrared drying (IMIRD) was developed as an alternative processing method to produce health-friendly potato chips in place of conventional deep-fat frying. This article investigates the effects of IMIRD compared to air jet impingement drying alone (IMD) and conventional convective drying (CCVD) on potato being processed as potato chips in term of drying characteristics, quality attributes (shrinkage, color, and hardness), and specific energy consumption (SEC) of the dryer. The experiments were carried out at three different air velocities (5, 10, 15 m/s) and infrared intensities (0.16, 0.27, and 0.33 W/cm²) at a fixed air temperature of 85°C. The experimental results show that the drying air velocity and infrared intensity had a significant effect on the moisture removal from potato slices. IMIRD, compared to IMD and CCVD, provided a higher drying rate, less shrinkage, lower hardness, and less color deterioration. An increase in air velocity at each infrared intensity caused a decrease in the total SEC value.     

Effect of Electrohydrodynamic and Batch Drying on Rice Fissuring

The effects of high-voltage electrostatic field (10 kV), batch drying (45°C), and natural air-drying (26°C) on the impact strength of a brown rice kernel (Oryza Sativa L.) variety of Khazar were investigated under three levels of kinetic impact loading (10, 23, and 37 mJ) with 10 replications. Results showed that the effects of kinetic impact loading on the breakage susceptibility index (BSI) of artificially dried rice grains were significant at 1% confidence level. With increasing kinetic impact loading, the average value of BSI increased. The sound brown rice grains became stronger in natural air-drying as the drying duration increased at low drying temperatures. High-voltage electrostatic field and batch drying considerably increased the rate of breakage susceptibility but the EHD drying was inherently energy efficient with a low surface drying temperature.     

Effect of Microwave-Vacuum Drying on the Carotenoids Retention of Carrot Slices and Chlorophyll Retention of Chinese Chive Leaves

Microwave-vacuum drying, and combined microwave-vacuum with air or vacuum drying were investigated as potential methods for drying green and high-carotenoid vegetables of Chinese chive leaves and carrot slices. The samples were dried by microwave-vacuum until the moisture content reached about 20% (wet basis), and then by conventional air drying at the temperature of 45-50°C or conventional vacuum drying at the temperature of 55-60°C or by continued microwave-vacuum drying at lower power level to final moisture content about 6% (wet basis). The carotenoid retention of carrot slices and chlorophyll retention of Chinese chive leaves, dried by these methods, was evaluated and compared with those dried by freeze-drying and conventional hot-air drying. The comparison showed that the carotenoid retention of carrot slices and chlorophyll retention of chive leaves, dried by the current methods, was very close to or even as much as those dried by freeze-drying and much better than those dried by conventional hot-air. Blanching was not necessary when using microwave-vacuum drying or combined microwave-vacuum with conventional hot-air drying or vacuum drying, because the activity of enzymes which were responsible for the degradation of color was greatly reduced with extremely rapid decreasing of moisture, and because oxygen was absent in microwave-vacuum drying.     

Effect of Pulsed Electric Field and Osmotic Dehydration Pretreatment on the Convective Drying of Carrot Tissue

The influence of pulsed electric field (PEF) and subsequent centrifugal osmotic dehydration (OD) on the convective drying behavior of carrot is investigated. The PEF was carried out at an intensity of E = 0.60 kV/cm and a treatment duration of t_PEF = 50 ms. The following centrifugal OD was performed in a sucrose solution of 65% (w/w) at 40°C for 0, 1, 2, or 4 h under 2400 × g. The drying was performed after the centrifugal OD for temperatures 40-60°C and at constant air rate (6 m³/h).

With the increase of OD duration the air drying time is reduced spectacularly. The dimensionless moisture ratio Xr = 0.1 is reached for PEF-untreated carrots after 370 min of air drying at 60°C in absence of centrifugal OD against 90 min of air drying after the 240 min of centrifugal OD. The PEF treatment reduces additionally the air drying time. The total time of dehydration operations can be shortened when OD time is optimized. For instance, the minimal time required to dehydrate untreated carrots until Xr = 0.1 is 260 min (120 min of OD at 40°C and 140 min of drying at 60°C). It is reduced to 230 min with PEF-treated carrots.

The moisture effective diffusivity D_eff is calculated for the convective air drying based on Fick's law. The centrifugal OD pretreatment increases drastically the value of D_eff. For instance, 4 h of centrifugal OD permitted increasing the value of D_eff from 0.93 · 10^-9 to 3.85 · 10^-9 m²/s for untreated carrots and from 1.17 · 10^-9 to 5.10 · 10^-9 m²/s for PEF-treated carrots.     

Effect of Pulsed Electric Field and Osmotic Dehydration Pretreatment on the Convective Drying of Carrot Tissue

The influence of pulsed electric field (PEF) and subsequent centrifugal osmotic dehydration (OD) on the convective drying behavior of carrot is investigated. The PEF was carried out at an intensity of E = 0.60 kV/cm and a treatment duration of t _PEF  = 50 ms. The following centrifugal OD was performed in a sucrose solution of 65% (w/w) at 40°C for 0, 1, 2, or 4 h under 2400 × g. The drying was performed after the centrifugal OD for temperatures 40–60°C and at constant air rate (6 m³/h).

With the increase of OD duration the air drying time is reduced spectacularly. The dimensionless moisture ratio Xr = 0.1 is reached for PEF-untreated carrots after 370 min of air drying at 60°C in absence of centrifugal OD against 90 min of air drying after the 240 min of centrifugal OD. The PEF treatment reduces additionally the air drying time. The total time of dehydration operations can be shortened when OD time is optimized. For instance, the minimal time required to dehydrate untreated carrots until Xr = 0.1 is 260 min (120 min of OD at 40°C and 140 min of drying at 60°C). It is reduced to 230 min with PEF-treated carrots.

The moisture effective diffusivity D _eff is calculated for the convective air drying based on Fick's law. The centrifugal OD pretreatment increases drastically the value of D _eff . For instance, 4 h of centrifugal OD permitted increasing the value of D _eff from 0.93 · 10^?9 to 3.85 · 10^?9 m²/s for untreated carrots and from 1.17 · 10^?9 to 5.10 · 10^?9 m²/s for PEF-treated carrots.     

Freeze Drying of Apple Slices with and without Application of Microwaves

In this study, Fuji apple slices were dehydrated using freeze drying (FD) combined with microwave assisted with vacuum drying (VMD). The optimal parameter for the diversion point of moisture content from FD to VMD process was at the moisture level of 21%, and for VMD the optimal parameter for vacuum pressure was at 9.15 kPa and microwave power density was at a level of 3.18 w/g. The results show that the two-step technique can significantly reduce total FD time required by up to 40%, while the nutritional value of the dried apple chips remained unchanged compared to FD used alone.     

A Comparative Study of Low-Pressure Superheated Steam and Vacuum Drying of a Heat-Sensitive Material

Using carrot cubes as a model heat-sensitive material, experimental investigations were conducted to examine the drying kinetics and various quality parameters of the dried product undergoing both low-pressure superheated steam and vacuum drying. Effects of operating parameters such as pressure and temperature on the drying characteristics as well as quality attributes, i.e., volume, shrinkage, apparent density, color, and rehydration behavior, of the dried product underwent the two drying processes were also evaluated and compared. Although low-pressure steam drying required longer dwell time to achieve the same final moisture content than vacuum drying, some of the quality attributes were superior to those obtained in vacuum drying.     

A Comparative Study of Low-Pressure Superheated Steam and Vacuum Drying of a Heat-Sensitive Material

Abstract

Using carrot cubes as a model heat-sensitive material, experimental investigations were conducted to examine the drying kinetics and various quality parameters of the dried product undergoing both low-pressure superheated steam and vacuum drying. Effects of operating parameters such as pressure and temperature on the drying characteristics as well as quality attributes, i.e., volume, shrinkage, apparent density, color, and rehydration behavior, of the dried product underwent the two drying processes were also evaluated and compared. Although low-pressure steam drying required longer dwell time to achieve the same final moisture content than vacuum drying, some of the quality attributes were superior to those obtained in vacuum drying.     

Comparative Evaluation of Hot-Air and Superheated-Steam Impinging Stream Drying as Novel Alternatives for Paddy Drying

An investigation was conducted on impinging stream drying of moist paddy using hot air and superheated steam as the drying media. Drying experiments were divided into two parts: namely, one-pass and two-pass drying. The volumetric water evaporation rate, volumetric heat transfer coefficient, and specific energy consumption of the drying system at various conditions were assessed; in the case of superheated-steam drying, the effect of steam recycle was also assessed. The quality of dried paddy was evaluated in terms of color, head rice yield, and degree of starch gelatinization. In the case of one-pass drying, an increase in the drying temperature led to a significant increase in the volumetric water evaporation rate and volumetric heat transfer coefficient. On the other hand, in the case of two-pass drying, an increase in the drying temperature led to a significant decrease in the volumetric heat transfer coefficient; the volumetric water evaporation rate was not significantly affected, however. The specific energy consumption decreased with an increase in the drying temperature. At the same temperature, using superheated steam as the drying medium led to lower specific energy consumption; higher level of steam recycle also led to more energy conservation. The color of the dried paddy was not affected by the change in the drying temperature; superheated-steam-dried paddy was redder and more yellow than the hot-air-dried paddy. An increase in the drying temperature led to decreased percentage of head rice yield. Superheated-steam drying helped enhance the level of starch gelatinization in comparison with hot-air drying at the same temperature. Nevertheless, drying at the highest tested temperature led to a lower level of starch gelatinization.     

Effects of Air Velocity,Air Temperature,and Berry Diameter on Wild Blueberry Drying

Abstract:

In order to design, manufacture, and commission a commercial dryer to dry individually quick frozen (IQF) wild blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium), The Nova Scotian Fruit Company completed a series of experiments to characterize the effect of air velocity, air temperature, and packed bed depth on drying. Based on previous experience with forced air packed bed drying systems at air temperatures up to 65°C, the experiments focused on measuring the effect of air temperature and velocity during the first few hours of drying. The data collected suggest that drying occurs solely in the falling rate period. These data were used to successfully design, build, and commission a commercial dryer with a tenfold increase in production capacity over previous equipment.     

Optimization of the Drying Process of Carrot (Daucus carota v. Nantes) on the Basis of Quality Criteria

The drying curves and the degradation kinetics of three different quality attributes (total carotenoids (TC) and total polyphenols (TP) contents and antioxidant activity (AA)) of carrots during drying at different temperatures (from 40 to 90°C) have been experimentally evaluated and modeled. A diffusional model taking into account the solid shrinkage and both the external and internal water transfer resistances was used to accurately represent the water transfer in carrot during drying (average mean relative error (MRE) of 3.3 ± 0.6%). The effective moisture diffusivity was found to follow the Arrhenius relationship (E_a = 76.0 kJ/mol) and the mass transfer coefficient a linear dependence with air temperature. The Weibull model was used to satisfactorily simulate the degradation kinetics of the three quality attributes considered (average MRE of 2.8 ± 1.2% for TC content, 5.7 ± 1.0% for TP content, and 3.6 ± 1.8% for AA); these were the E_a of 52.7 kJ/mol for TC; 22.1 kJ/mol for TP; and 27.5 kJ/mol for AA kinetics. By using the proposed models, the estimated optimum drying temperature to best retain the total carotenoids content ranged between ca. 42–46°C; meanwhile, in order to maintain the TP content and the antioxidant activity at the highest levels, the drying needed to be carried out at temperatures of ca. 60–75°C. These results indicate that the TC retention is more influenced by the drying temperature, while the TP and AA retentions are more sensitive to drying time exposure. However, it was possible to establish a global optimum air temperature which ranged between 52.6 and 57.7°C, decreasing the TC, TP, and AA retentions by less than 2.2% from their respective optimal values.     

Effects of Magnetron Arrangement and Power Combination of Microwave on Drying Uniformity of Carrot

The effects of magnetron arrangement and microwave power combination on the drying uniformity of carrot were investigated in this study. The drying uniformity was influenced by magnetron location and quantity. Using one magnetron resuted in poor drying uniformity. However, when two magnetrons were applied, the drying uniformity was 80% after drying for 16 min, which was 93.49% when power combination of three magnetrons at powers of 400, 500, and 600 W were used. The optimal magnetron locations and a suitable microwave power combinations were determined to improve the drying uniformity of carrot.     

Experimental Study on Energy Consumption of Combined Conventional and Dehumidification Drying

Conventional drying, dehumidification drying, and combined conventional-dehumidification drying of wood were experimentally studied in this article. The results showed that the energy consumption in the dehumidification drying is the least but its drying time is the longest. The energy consumption in the combined drying is more than that in the dehumidification drying but less than that in the conventional drying, and the drying time is half of that in the dehumidification drying. The advantages of the combined conventional and dehumidification drying are discussed from the experiments results.     

Effective Diffusivities and Energy Consumption of Whole Fruit Chinese Jujube (Zizyphus jujuba Miller) in Microwave Drying

Microwave drying of whole fruit Chinese jujube was performed at 45, 90, and 135 W. Ten commonly used mathematical models of thin-layer drying were compared. The Midilli model was best in describing drying time dependency of product moisture ratios. The initial drying rate and drying rate constant are linearly proportional to microwave power level. An effective diffusivity model was presented and validated with the Renka-Cline algorithm. The model has very high predictive precision, suggested by the relative percentage error of 3.734% on average between the model and the Renka-Cline algorithm. The effective diffusivity was proved to be a linear function of microwave power level and a quadratic function of moisture content. Energy consumption in microwave drying of Chinese jujube decreased as microwave power increased from 45 to 135 W, but 90 W was adequate for high-quality products with less energy consumption.     

Experimental Study on Energy Consumption of Combined Conventional and Dehumidification Drying

Conventional drying, dehumidification drying, and combined conventional-dehumidification drying of wood were experimentally studied in this article. The results showed that the energy consumption in the dehumidification drying is the least but its drying time is the longest. The energy consumption in the combined drying is more than that in the dehumidification drying but less than that in the conventional drying, and the drying time is half of that in the dehumidification drying. The advantages of the combined conventional and dehumidification drying are discussed from the experiments results.     

Effects of Microwave-Assisted Hot Air Drying and Conventional Hot Air Drying on the Drying Kinetics,Color, Rehydration,and Volatiles of Moringa oleifera

In this study, the fresh Moringa oleifera pods (Drumsticks) were dehydrated by microwave-assisted hot air drying (MAHD) and conventional hot air drying methods. The samples were dried at three different temperatures, viz. 50, 60, and 70°C, with and without the application of microwaves. Microwave power density of 1 W/g was used for the MAHD. The final moisture content was targeted as 13% wb. The drying curves and drying rate curves were plotted and compared. The kinetics of drying obtained experimentally were correlated with the Page equation. The constants K and N of the Page equation were determined to predict the drying kinetics for varying conditions. The quality attributes, namely, color, rehydration ratio, and volatile compounds, were analyzed and compared with that of the fresh Moringa pods. The volatile compounds were analyzed using z-Nose (an electronic nose; Electronic Sensor Technology, Newbury Park, CA) and bioactive molecules were analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The results showed that the MAHD method had significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the loss of volatiles during drying. Also, MAHD preserved most of the bioactive molecules when compared to the conventional hot air drying method. The samples dried at 50°C using MAHD were the best in terms of all of the quality attributes tested in this study. Also, the results established that the z-Nose can be used as a quick and inexpensive means to assess the effect of different process parameters on the aromatic quality of the product and quantitatively classify quality based on aroma.     

A Comparative Study of Four Drying Methods on Drying Time and Quality Characteristics of Stem Lettuce Slices (Lactuca sativa L.)

This article presents experimental results and analysis of four drying methods, viz. hot air drying (AD), hot air-assisted radio frequency drying (ARFD), infrared drying (IRD), and microwave-assisted hot air drying (MAD), on color, microstructure, density, rehydration capacity, and texture after rehydration of stem lettuce slices (Lactuca sativa L.). The drying time required for these drying protocols was also compared. These four drying tests were conducted at fixed air temperature (60°C) and velocity (1 m/s), as well as identical sample load (300 g), bed depth (20 mm), and the power level for ARFD, IRD, and MAD, which was fixed at 4 W/g. The results showed that the drying time required for stem lettuce slices using ARFD was the shortest (120 min), followed by MAD (140 min) and IRD (180 min); AD required the longest time (360 min). Notably, ARFD yielded uniform drying and the quality of the dried samples using ARFD was also the best among these four drying methods.