Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

Solar drying of Ayaş tomato using a natural convection solar tunnel dryer

Author(s):

Köksal Demir ¹, Kamil Sacilik ^2*

Recieved Date: 2009-10-10, Accepted Date: 2010-01-02

Abstract:

An experimental study was conducted to determine the thin layer drying characteristics of Ayaş tomato in a natural convection solar tunnel dryer. Open sun drying runs were also performed for comparison at the same time. The dryer was 20 m long and 5.4 m wide. This system can be used for drying various agricultural products. Also, it is simple in construction and can be constructed at a low cost with locally obtainable materials. Moisture content of tomato was reduced from 11.71 to 0.10 kg [H₂O]/kg [DM] in about 101 h for open sun drying, whereas the solar tunnel dryer took only about 86 h. Depending on weather conditions, the solar tunnel dryer was found to be more efficient than the open sun drying and resulted in saving to extent of about 17.4% of drying time. Samples dried in the solar tunnel dryer were completely protected from insects, rain and dusts and the dried samples were of high quality in terms of colour and hygienic. In falling rate period, moisture transfer from the test samples was described by applying the Fick’s diffusion model and the effective diffusivity was calculated. The experimental drying data of tomato were used to fit the Page, Logarithmic, Approximation of diffusion, Two-term and Midilli et al. models, and drying rate constants and coefficients of models tested were determined by non-linear regression analysis. Among the various models tested to interpret the drying behaviour of tomato, the Midilli et al. model was in good agreement with the experimental data obtained.

Keywords:

Ayaş tomato, solar tunnel drying, open sun drying, mathematical model, moisture content, effective diffusivity

---

Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2010
Volume: 8
Issue: 1
Category: Food and Health
Pages: 7-12

---

Full text for Subscribers

---

Information:

Note to users

The requested document is freely available only to subscribers/registered users with an online subscription to the Journal of Food, Agriculture & Environment. If you have set up a personal subscription to this title please enter your user name and password. All abstracts are available for free.

Article purchasing

If you like to purchase this specific document such as article, review or this journal issue, contact us. Specify the title of the article or review, issue, number, volume and date of the publication. Software and compilation, Science & Technology, all rights reserved. Your use of this website details or service is governed by terms of use. Authors are invited to check from time to time news or information.

---

Purchase this Article:   20 Purchase PDF Order Reprints for 15

---

Share this article :