Prediction of Drying Kinetics of Different Vegetables in a Fluidized Bed Drier

Abstract

A study has been conducted on the kinetics of drying of vegetables in a fluidized bed drier. The experiments had been conducted on vegetables in a fluidized bed drier with a conical bed. Various parameters like time of drying, temperature of air, flow velocity of air and material to be dried were varied and the drying rates were determined. The drying rates were then compared to two thin layer drying models ‘Page’ and ‘Wang and Singh). The coefficient of determination (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE) were evaluated. The models can appropriately describe the drying kinetics of vegetables considering the different experimental conditions. The effective diffusivity was determined using the Fick’s model. A correlation was developed between the moisture ratio and the parameters. The values obtained from the correlation were compared to the experimental values which gave deviation within experimental limits. Finally the effect of each parameter on the drying rate was determined