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The effects of drying conditions on the drying behavior of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) were investigated in a
cabinet dryer. The convective air drying was carried out under five air temperatures; 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 ◦ C, five
air velocities of 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5 and 5.5 m/s and three sweet potato cubes of 5, 8 and 12 mm thickness. Data were
analyzed to obtain diffusivity values from the period of falling drying rate. Results indicated that drying took place
in the falling rate period. Moisture transfer from sweet potato cubes was described by applying the Fick’s diffusion
model, and effective moisture diffusion coefficients were calculated. Effective diffusivity increased with increasing
temperature. An Arrhenius relation with an activation energy value of 11.38 kJ/mol expressed effect of temperature
on the diffusivity. Two mathematical models available in the literature were fitted to the experimental data. The page
model gave better prediction than the first order kinetics of Henderson and Pabis model and satisfactorily described
drying characteristics of sweet potato cubes.
© 2011 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
∗
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: dr rk pandey@yahoo.co.in (R.K. Pandey).
Received 21 April 2009; Received in revised form 2 May 2011; Accepted 11 June 2011
0960-3085/$ – see front matter © 2011 The Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.fbp.2011.06.006
318 food and bioproducts processing 9 0 ( 2 0 1 2 ) 317–322
2.2. Drying equipment Several empirical models, such as Page model and Hender-
son and Pabis equation were applied for best good fit. Page
The drying experiments were performed in the experimental model was found to produce good fits to describe drying of
high velocity cross flow hot air dryer, consisting principally of sweet potato as this model is suitable for drying of many foods
an air blower which is driven by a three phase electric motor and agricultural products (Doymaz, 2004; Sacilik and Elicin,
of 1.5 kW, heating section comprising of a three phase electric 2006).
heater of 12 kW, temperature controller (45–110 ◦ C) and drying
chamber. The speed of fan was fixed at desired air flow rate
MR = exp(−ztN ) (4)
inside the drying chamber. The samples were dried in batch
in the dryer.
The values of equilibrium moisture content, Me , are rela-
2.3. Drying procedure tively small compared to M or M0 . Thus (M − Me )/(M0 − Me ) is
simplified to M/M0
Drying experiments were conducted at 50, 60, 70, 80 and
90 ◦ C and air flow rate of 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5 and 5.5 m/s with M
MR = = k exp(−ct) (5)
three replications. The experimental system was operated at M0
ambient moisture conditions, i.e. average room air conditions
were 23 ± 2 ◦ C and 50 ± 3% relative humidity. On setting the M
MR = = exp(−ztN ) (6)
dryer to the desired conditions of air velocity-controlled out- M0
food and bioproducts processing 9 0 ( 2 0 1 2 ) 317–322 319
E1 5 2.5 50 220
E2 12 4.5 60 210
E3 8 2.5 50 200
E4 12 5.5 70 195
E5 12 4.5 60 190
E6 5 4.5 70 185
E7 12 2.5 70 180
E8 12 1.5 90 175
E9 12 2.5 90 170
E10 5 1.5 50 170
E11 8 3.5 60 165
E12 8 1.5 70 160
E13 8 5.5 50 160
E14 12 3.5 90 155
E15 8 3.5 80 150
E16 5 1.5 80 140
E17 8 4.5 70 130
E18 5 5.5 80 120
E19 5 3.5 70 110
3. Results and discussion rate period was observed in any of the experimental runs for
the entire duration (Diamante and Munro, 1991). Drying in
3.1. Influence of process parameters falling rate period indicates that, internal mass transfer has
occurred by diffusion. The cut surface of the sweet potato was
The drying times according to experimental conditions dried, with no free surface moisture evident either visually or
selected are presented in Table 1. The moisture ratio versus by touch. As drying air temperature was increased from 50 ◦ C
time curves for thin layer drying of sweet potato cubes as to 90 ◦ C, the drying time was reduced by about 28%. These
influenced by temperature (50–90 ◦ C) is shown in Fig. 1. As observations are consistent with the reports of other workers
can be observed, increasing the drying temperature caused
an important increase in the drying rate, thus the drying time
was decreased. The curves typically demonstrated smooth 14 50°C
Drying rate (kg H2O/kg DM)
1.0
1.0 5 mm, 4.5 m/s
T=60°C, d=5 mm, V=3.5 m/s
0.8 T=60°C, d=8 mm, V=3.5 m/s 8 mm, 4.5 m/s
0.8
T=60°C, d=12 mm, V=3.5 m/s
Moisture ratio
Moisture Ratio
0.6
0.6
0.4
0.4
0.2
0.2
0.0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 0.0
Drying time (min) 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
Drying time (min)
Fig. 4 – Effect of sample thickness on air drying of sweet
potato cubes 60 ◦ C. Fig. 5 – Effect of sample thickness on air drying of sweet
potato cubes at 70 ◦ C.
(Fumagalli and Freire, 2007; Shivhare et al., 2000; Vengaiah and
Pandey, 2007).
(Eq. (6)) equations were fitted and correlation coefficients (R2 )
The increase in the drying rate was apparently due to the
were established. The coefficients of correlation and esti-
increased heat transfer potential between the surrounding air
mated parameters for the two models are presented in Table 2.
and sweet potato cubes as well as the higher moisture diffusiv-
The values of R2 obtained from Page equation were higher
ity, thus enhancing the evaporation of water from sweet potato
than those attained by first order kinetics of Henderson and
cubes. This observation of temperature effect on the drying
Pabis equation. The R2 values of Page equation varied between
rate of sweet potato is in good agreement with the findings
0.978 and 0.998, and between 0.964 and 0.992 for Henderson
of Akpinar et al. (2003), Mohammadi et al. (2008) and Saeed
and Pabis equation (Table 2). Figs. 6–10 showed the variations
et al. (2008). However, at higher than 90 ◦ C, the dried product
between the calculated versus the experimental moisture
was partially lost its fresh product characteristics (Ozdemir
data. Good agreement between the variables was observed.
and Devres, 1999).
Similar findings were reported by Madamba et al. (1996) for
The results obtained in runs E2, E6, E11 and E17 were used
garlic slices.
to analyze the effect of sample thickness on moisture ratio.
The effect of sample thickness on moisture ratio is presented
3.3. Calculation of moisture diffusivity and activation
in Figs. 4 and 5. As the thickness of sample increased, the
energy
drying time increased due to increased diffusion path. The
drying time for the E2 run was 210 min whereas E6 run was
From Eq. (7), a plot of ln MR versus time gives a straight line
180 min. These results demonstrated that the drying time was
with a slope of:
decreased less than 16% dependence on higher air-flow rate.
As a result, the drying rate increased with the air-flow rate.
2 Deff
Slop = (7)
3.2. Evaluation of the models 4L2
In order to determine the moisture content as a function Values of effective diffusivity (Deff ) for different tempera-
of drying, empirical Henderson and pabis (Eq. (5)) and Page tures are presented in Table 1. Drying at higher temperature
Table 2 – Results of diffusion coefficients and regression analysis for constants and correlation coefficients of the page
with the Henderson and Pabis equations.
Run Page equation Henderson and Pabis equation Deff × 10−9 (m2 /s)
z N R2 k a R2
1.0 1.0
0.8 0.8
Calculated
Calculated
0.6 0.6
0.4 0.4
1.0 1.0
0.8 0.8
Calculated 0.6
Calculated
0.6
0.4 0.4
0.2 Page
0.2 Page Henderson and Pabis
Henderson and Pabis 0.0
0.0
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
Experimental
Experimental
Fig. 10 – Comparison of experimental and calculated
Fig. 7 – Comparison of experimental and calculated
moisture ratios of sweet potato cubes (d = 12 mm, T = 90 ◦ C,
moisture ratios of sweet potato cubes (d = 8 mm, T = 50 ◦ C,
v = 2.5 m/s).
v = 3.5 m/s).
0.6
air temperature (R2 > 0.990).
0.4
3.4. Activation energy
0.2 Page
Activation energy (Ea ) was calculated using Arrhenius equa-
Henderson and Pabis
tion (Eq. (8)). The logarithm of Deff as a function of the
0.0
reciprocal of absolute temperature (Ta ) was plotted which
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
resulted in a linear relationship between (ln Deff ) and (1/Ta ) as
Experimental depicted in Fig. 11.
Activation energy of diffusion was estimated by using the
Fig. 8 – Comparison of experimental and calculated
following equation:
moisture ratios of sweet potato cubes (d = 12 mm, T = 70 ◦ C,
v = 2.5 m/s). Ea
Deff = D0 exp − (8)
R · Ta
gave highest Deff value. The values ranged from 1.26 × 10−9 to
8.80 × 10−9 m2 /s which are comparable to 1.37 × 10−7 m2 /s for where D0 is the pre-exponential factor (m2 /s), Ea is the acti-
drying of 4 mm thick fresh carrot slices in air temperature at vation energy (kJ/mol), Ta is the temperature (K) and R is gas
60 ◦ C (Markowski, 1997), 1.5 × 10−9 m2 /s for raisin (Lomoauro constant (kJ/mol K).
et al., 1985), 2 × 10−9 m2 /s for blanched mushroom in temper- The plot is found to be essentially straight line in the range
ature range of 40 ◦ C and 70 ◦ C (Sahbaz et al., 2000). These values of temperature investigated, indicating Arrhenius depen-
are consistent with the present estimated Deff values for sweet dence using Eq. (8).
potato cubes. Effective diffusivity increased as the tempera- From the slope of the straight line described by the Arrhe-
ture increased. Similar results are reported by Karabulut et al. nius equation, the activation energy, Ea was determined as
(2007). 11.38 kJ/mol. The minimum activation energy was 6.180 kJ/mol
322 food and bioproducts processing 9 0 ( 2 0 1 2 ) 317–322
-19.8 Gazor, H.R., Saeid, M., 2005. Influence of temperature and air
velocity on drying and quality parameters of pistachio
-19.9 (Pistacia vera L.). Drying Technol. 23, 2463–2475.
R2 = 0.9904
-19.9 Henderson, S.M., Pabis, S., 1961. Grain drying theory. Temperature
effect on drying coefficient. J. Agric. Eng. Res. 6 (3), 169–174.
-20.0
Jayaraman, K.S., Gupta, D.K., 2006. Dehydration of fruits and
In (Deff)