ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Computational studies of drying characteristics in thin-layer microwave-heated Solanum tuberosum

Deepak Singh, Suresh Kumar Patel, and Dhananjay Singh

Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Engineering and Technology, Lucknow, India

E-mail: dsa768008@gmail.com

Received: 14 July 2020  Accepted: 12 January 2021

Abstract:

Solanum tuberosum is a starchy crop material, used significantly in food and beverages. It belongs to Solanaceae family and is globally known as potato. In this research article, the detailed computational and experimental analyses of the drying characteristics, such as rate of evaporated moisture, energy efficiency at various powers, and drying time have been carried out. Moisture removal is a function of preservation process from food spoilage, and it can be done by microwave heating. To study the behavior of spoilage due to various affecting parameters, a mathematical model for potato sample has been developed. Key parameters for the prediction are moisture distribution and drying efficiency at various microwave powers. For numerical solution of the developed mathematical model, MATLAB software has been used. The obtained results show the values of moisture content throughout the potato sample and drying efficiency of the microwave oven. Experiments have been performed in microwave oven for potato samples to obtain the required parameters. Computational results were found in good agreement with the experimental data.

Keywords: Mass balance calculation; Moisture content; Energy efficiency; MATLAB software

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-021-01510-4

Chemical Papers 75 (6) 2727–2735 (2021)