Low Temperature Drying With Air Dehumidified by Zeolite for Food Products: Energy Efficiency Aspect Analysis

Abstract

Developments in low temperature drying of food products are still an interesting issue; especially with respect to the energy efficiency. This research studies the energy efficiency that can be achieved by a dryer using air which is dehumidified by zeolite. Experimental results are fitted to a dynamic model to find important variables for the drying operation. The results show that ambient air temperature as well as the ratio between air flow for drying and air flow for regeneration, affect the energy efficiency significantly. Relative humidity of used air, and shift time have a minor effect on the dryer performance. From the total work, it can be noted that the dryer efficiency operated at 50-60°C achieves 75 percent, which is attractive for drying of food products.

Economic and environmental benefits of converting industrial processes to district heating

“…However, drying processes and equipment might require higher temperatures [36]. The temperature required for wood drying depends of the drying technology available.…”

Kinetic of Anthocyanin Degradation in Roselle Extract Dried with Foaming Agent at Different Temperatures

“…With the drying, the moisture content in roselle extract is removed. Therefore, microbial activity can be inhibited [7].…”

“…With lower humidity, the driving force for water transfer from product to air can be enhanced. As consequences, the process can be more effective, even at low drying temperature [7].…”

Physical-chemical quality of onion analyzed under drying temperature

“…Drying is generally defined as the removal of moisture by introduction of heat. The process yields the product (supposed agriculture crops) with preferable moisture content for inhibitting micro bacteria activiy [3,5,6]. The sunlight drying is one of the most common methods for drying vegetable products.…”

“…The sunlight drying is one of the most common methods for drying vegetable products. The drying is simple and low energy cost [7,6]. Meanwhile, the convective drying using combustion of fuel or electricity was more reliable in term of moisture content in product.…”