STUDY OF THE DEHYDRATION KINETICS OF THE DRYING OF BREADFRUIT BY INFRARED ASSISTED HEAT PUMP DRYING

Abstract

This study focused on the dehydration kinetics of the thin layer drying of breadfruit slices using infrared-assisted heat pump drying. The experimental thin-layer drying of breadfruit slices was implemented under different drying modes with different drying input variables including the drying air velocity of 2.5 m/s, the drying air temperature of 40, 45, and 50°C, and the infrared power of 150, 250 and 350 W. The experimental drying data showed that the process of thin-layer drying of breadfruit slices by infrared-assisted heat pump occurred entirely within the falling rate period. The increase in the drying air temperature and the IR power enhanced the moisture removal rate, thereby reducing the drying time significantly. The results of the non-linear regression analysis using SPSS Statistics software for the selected drying models (Lewis, Page, Modified Page, Henderson and Pabis, Wang and Singh, and Midilli) confirmed that the Midilli model provided the best fit for the experimental drying data. The increase in the drying air temperature and the IR power within the investigated range significantly accelerated the effective moisture diffusivity within breadfruit in the range from $4.308 \times 10^{-9} \text{m}^2$/s to $8.395 \times 10^{-9} \text{m}^2$/s, and reduced the activation energy of moisture within breadfruit from 23.55 to 19.46 kJ/mol.