Design of Semisphere Solar-Microwave Hybrid Dryer and Drying Performance of Zucchini

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
S. Celen
S. Oguz Arda
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Namık Kemal University, 59860, Tekirdağ/Turkey.
Abstract
In this work, performance of a newly designed hybrid dryer was investigated. Drying was done with the support of solar energy to microwave conveyor dryer. By using collector, which was designed with semisphere shape for having high efficiency from solar energy, hot air was produced and moved through the tunnel with velocity of 3 m s-1 and by using 0.7, 1 and 1.4 kW microwave support, drying behavior of 5, 10, and 15 mm zucchini slices were examined. At the end of drying process, drying time, color changes of dried products, energy consumption, collector efficiency, and modelling of drying were determined. Considering the time required for drying the zucchini slices until reaching 10±1% (wb) moisture content and electrical energy consumption values, the most suitable results were obtained from 1 kW microwave power, air velocity of 0.245 m min-1, and 5 mm zucchini slice thickness, corresponding to total energy of 1.143 kWh. The collector efficiency was calculated as 24.3%, under the environmental conditions of our study.

Keywords

Subjects

Rabha, D. K., Muthukumar, P. and Somayaji, C. 2017. Energy and exergy analyses of the solar drying processes of ghost chilli
pepper and ginger. Renew Energ., 105: 764-773.
Mohammadi, B., Busaleyki, S., Modarres, R., Yarionsorudi, E.,Fojlaley, M. and Andik, S. 2014. Investigation of microwave application in agricultural production drying. IJTR., 2(1): 69-72.
Puligundla, P., Abdullah, S. A., Choi, W., Jun, S., Oh, S. and Ko, S. 2013. Potentials of Microwave Heating Technology for Select Food Processing Applications - a Brief Overview and Update. J Food Process Technol., 4(11): 278.
Bingöl, G. and Devres, Y. O. 2010. Fundamentals of Drying Technologies in Food Processing. Istanbul Chamber of Industry -İtü, III, İstanbul/Turkey.
Zang, M., Tang, J., Mujumdar, A. S. and Wang, S. 2006. Trends in microwavere lated drying of fruits and vegetables. Trends Food Sci. Technol., 17: 524-534.
Datta, A.K., Geedipalli, S. S. R. and Almeida, M. F., 2005. Microwave combination heating. Food Technol., 59: 36-40.
Karaaslan, S. and Tunçer, İ. K. 2009. Investigating of drying characteristics and determining of a drying model for microwave-fan assisted convection drying of red pepper. KSU J.of Nat. Sci., 12(2): 9-16.
Ekow, A.E., Haile, M. A., John, O., Narku, E.F. 2013. Microwave-vacuum drying effect on drying kinetics, lycopene and ascorbic acid content of tomato slices. J. Stored Prod. Postharvest Res., 4(1): 11 – 22.
Workneh, T. S., Oke, M. O. 2012. The influence of the combined microwave power and hot air ventilation on the drying kinetics and colour, quality of tomato slices, African Journal of Biotechnology 11(87): 15353-15364.
Jairaj, K.S., Singh, S. P., Srikant, K. 2009. A review of solar dryers developed for grape drying. Sol Energy., 83(9): 1698-1712.
Tosun, N., Bayındır, H. and Aydın, H. 2009. A research on the creation of multifunctional solar drying system in Diyarbakir city. Presented at Vth. Renewable Energy Resources Symposium, Turkey, June 19-20: 84-89 (in Turkish).
Aktaş, M., Şevik, S., Doğan, H. and Öztürk, M. 2012. Drying of tomato in a photovoltaic and thermal solar-powered continuous dryer. J. Agric. Sci., 18(4): 287-298.
Soysal, Y., Ayhan Z, Esturk, O. And Arikan, M. F. 2009. Intermittent microwave–convective drying of red pepper: drying kinetics, physical (colour and texture) and sensory quality. Bioprocess Eng., 103: 455-463.
Arda, S.O., 2016. Experimentally investigation of behaviour of drying by using combined microwave belt and solar energy dryer, M. Sc. Thesis, Namık Kemal University, Turkey.
Mazandarani, Z., Aghajani, N., Daraei Garmakhany, A., Bani Ardalan, M. J. and Nouri, M. 2017. Mathematical Modeling of Thin Layer Drying of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) Arils: Various Drying Methods. J. Agr. Sci. Tech., 19: 1527-1537.
Dinani, S. T., Hamdami, N., Shahedi, M. and Havet, M. 2014. Mathematical modeling of hot air/electrohydrodynamic (EHD) drying kinetics of mushroom slices. Energy Convers. Manage., 86: 70-80.
Simha, P., Mathew, M. and Ganesapillai, M. 2016. Empirical modeling of drying kinetics and microwave assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from Adathoda vasica and Cymbopogon citratus. Alexandria Engineering Journal, 55(1): 141-150.
Kahveci, K. and Cihan, A., 2008. Drying of food materials. In “Transport phenomena.” Nova Science, United States, 65-144.
Zomorodian, A. and Moradi, M., 2010. Mathematical modeling of forced convection thin layer solar drying for cuminum cyminum. J. Agr. Sci. Tech., 12: 401-408.
Kutlu, N., İşci, A., and Demirkol, Ö. Ş. 2015. Thin layer drying models in food systems. Food, 40(1): 39-46.
Çelen, S., Kahveci, K., Akyol, U. and Haksever, A. 2010. Drying behavior of cultured mushrooms. J. Food Process. Preserv., 34(1): 27-42.
Bala, B. K. and Hossain, M. A. 2012. Solar Drying of Fishery Products. In “Solar drying: Fundamentals,” Applications and Innovations, ed. By Hii, C.L., S.P. Ong, S.V. Jangam and A.S. Mujumdar, Singapore.
Ulloa, J. A., Escalona, H. and Diaz, L. 2008. Colour behaviour on mango (Mangifera indica) slices self stabilized in glass jars by hurdle technology during storage. Afr. J. BiotechnoL., 7(4): 487-494.
Polatcı, H. and Tarhan, S. 2009. The effects of various drying methods on the drying time and quality of basil (Ocimum Basilicum). JAFAG., 26(1): 61-70.
Soleimanifard, S., Shahedi, M., Emam-Djomeh, Z. and Askari, G. R. 2018. Investigating Textural and Physical Properties of Microwave-Baked Cupcake. J. Agr. Sci. Tech., 20: 265-276.
Safary, M. and Chayjan, R. A. 2016. Optimization of Almond Kernels Drying under Infraredvacuum Condition with Microwave Pretreatment using Response Surface Method and Genetic Algorithm. J. Agr. Sci. Tech., 18: 1543-1556.
Enteria, N. and Akbarzadeh, A. (2017). Solar energy sciences and engineering applications, CRC, London.
Bulut, H. and Durmaz, A. F. 2006. Design, manufacturing and experimental analysis of an air solar collector, UGHEK’2006: I. National Solar and Hydrogen Energy Congress, Turkey, June 21-23: 168-175.
Metaxas, R. C. and Meredith, R. J. 1983. Industrial Microwave Heating, Peter Peregrinus Ltd, London.
Boldor, D., Danders, T. H. , Swartzel, K. R. and Farkas, B. E. 2005. A model for temperature and moisture distribution during continuous microwave drying. J. Food Process Eng., 28: 68-87.
Litvin, S., Mannheim, C. H. and Miltz, J. 1998. Dehydration of carrots by a combination of freeze drying, microwave heating and air or vacuum drying. J. Food Eng., 36: 103-111.
Dimitrios, T., Achilleas, B., Alexandros, V., Dionysios, T., Andronikos, F. and Dionissios, M. 2014. An experimental study on convective drying of quince. Revista Romana de Inginerie Civila, 5(1): 79.
Alibas, İ., 2012. Selection of the best suitable thin-layer drying mathematical model for vacuum dried red chili pepper. JBES., 6(17): 161-170.
Ertekin, C. and Yaldız, O. 2010. Thin layer drying of sliced squash by forced convection. Presented at 17th World Congress of the International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (CIGR), Canada, June 13-17: 1-10.
Zarein, M., Samadi, S. H. and Ghobadian, B. 2015. Investigation of microwave dryer effect on energy efficiency during drying of apple slices. Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences, 14: 41–47.
Wang, W. C. and Sastry S. K. 2000. Effects of thermal and electrothermal pretreatments on hot air drying rate of vegetable tissue. J. Food Process Eng., 23(4): 299-319.
Mujumdar, A. S. and Zhonghua, W. 2008. Thermal drying technologies cost effective innovation aided by mathematical modeling approach. Drying Technol., 26: 145-153.
Aktaş, M. and Kara, M. Ç. 2013. Sliced kiwi drying in a solar energy and heat pump dryer. J Fac Eng Archit Gaz, 28(4): 733-741.
Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology
Volume 21, Issue 5
September and October 2019
Pages 1131-1143