Modeling of Drying Kinetics of Chestnuts

 Abstract—Chestnuts (Castanea Sativa) are produced in Portugal in considerable amounts, thus providing an important economic trade. Furthermore, apart from being eaten in their natural state, they can be used for a multiplicity of industrial applications, either in their natural form or after dehydration. In this work the drying kinetics of different cultivars of chestnuts was investigated, and the experiments were carried out under isothermal conditions, using a convective drier set to a temperature of 60 oC. The experimental data obtained for the variations of moisture content along drying was fit to three thin layer models from literature with success. The experimental drying rate points were expressed as moisture ratio versus time. The results obtained allowed concluding that some chestnuts had higher initial moisture content than others and also that the presence or absence of the peel did not influence the initial moisture content of the chestnuts from the different cultivars tested. Regarding the drying curves observed for the cultivars tested, they show some differences. As to the mathematical modeling of the drying kinetics, the three models used show different performances, being the Vega-Lemus model slightly less adequate to fit the experimental sets of points.

[1]  C. Kiranoudis,et al.  MICROWAVE VACUUM DRYING KINETICS OF SOME FRUITS , 1997 .

[2]  Antonio López,et al.  SIMULATION OF DEEP BED DRYING OF HAZELNUTS , 1998 .

[3]  José A. Castro,et al.  PEAR DRYING PROCESS ANALYSIS: DRYING RATES AND EVOLUTION OF WATER AND SUGAR CONCENTRATIONS IN SPACE AND TIME , 2002 .

[4]  R. Guiné,et al.  Study of the drying kinetics of solar-dried pears , 2007 .

[5]  Dursun Pehlivan,et al.  Modelling of drying kinetics of single apricot , 2003 .

[6]  R. Guiné,et al.  Effcet of ripening stage on the solar drying kinetics and properties of S. Bartolomeu pears (Pirus Communis L.). , 2009 .

[7]  Kian Jon Chua,et al.  On The Drying of Food Products in a Tunnel Dryer , 1997 .

[8]  C. Hansmann.  DEHYDRATION OF PEACHES WITHOUT SULPHUR DIOXIDE , 1998 .

[9]  R. Guiné,et al.  Analysis of the drying kinetics of chestnuts , 2006 .

[10]  P. S. Madamba.  Optimization of the Drying Process: An Application to the Drying of Garlic , 1997 .

[11]  A. Lebert,et al.  DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHARACTERISTIC DRYING CURVE FOR CASSAVA CHIPS IN MONOLAYER , 1994 .

[12]  Timothy A. G. Langrish,et al.  Choosing an appropriate drying model for intermittent and continuous drying of bananas , 2007 .

[13]  K. Saçılık,et al.  Effect of drying methods on thin-layer drying characteristics of hull-less seed pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.) , 2007 .

[14]  J. Boatella,et al.  DRYING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HAZELNUT , 1998 .

[15]  G. Vázquez,et al.  GRAPE DRYING IN A PILOT PLANT WITH A HEAT PUMP , 1997 .

[16]  J. Westwater,et al.  The Mathematics of Diffusion. , 1957 .

[17]  John S. Roberts,et al.  Drying kinetics of grape seeds , 2008 .

[18]  R. Guiné,et al.  EFFECT OF RIPENING STAGE ON THE SOLAR DRYING KINETICS AND PROPERTIES OF S . BARTOLOMEU PEARS ( Pyrus communis L . ) , 2009 .

[19]  J. L. Woods,et al.  SIMULATION OF THE HEAT AND MOISTURE TRANSFER PROCESS DURING DRYING IN DEEP GRAIN BEDS , 1997 .