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

Drying characteristics of thin layer of potato (Solanum tuberosum): experimental and computational studies

Solar drying is a renewable energy-based technique which is widely used for food preservation purpose. In this study, various drying characteristics of the solar-dried Solanum tuberosum samples of different thicknesses have been investigated at variable climate condition of Lucknow. A mathematical model has also been developed to validate experimental results to predict the drying rate, free moisture content, and other parameters. Pre-treatment of the food samples was also done before the experimental runs on the fabricated solar dryer. Global radiation has also been monitored during the study to correlate the heat transfer rate in inner and outer sides of the solar drying chamber. SEM analysis has also been done to analyze the surface morphology of solar-dried samples. All solar dried food samples have uniformly heated. There was no hot-spot condition present on the surface of the samples. The drying efficiency and payback period of the fabricated solar dryer have also been calculated as 22.9% and 1.42 years, respectively. Model data have been found in good agreement with the experimental data within a 5% error. This modified model can be used for different agro-based food materials such as carrot, kiwifruit, and yam.

Experimental investigation of different-shaped microwave-heated potatoes: thermal and quality characteristics analysis for food preservation

Food materials are consumed for nutritional purposes in the form of fruits, vegetables, plants, and meat. These contain proteins, carbohydrates, and other useful nutritional compounds and these processed foods are a rich source of nutrition. The demand and supply of hygienic food for a particular population is possible only by food preservation. It can be done by various methods such as drying, freezing, chilling, chemical preservation, and pasteurization. Drying is a method of food preservation and it can be done by solar drying, microwave heating, vacuum drying, and some other methods. Microwave heating is a fast-drying method. It utilizes electrical energy to generate heat energy. The domestic microwave oven is not harmful but a commercial-level oven may be little bit harmful, when operated on high frequency. Potato is used as a sample material with different shapes such as slab, cylindrical, and spherical. The microwave oven has been operated at four different microwave powers such as 100 W, 300 W, 600 W, and 800 W. Slab-shaped (30 °C), cylindrical-shaped (31.5 °C), and spherical-shaped (30.5 °C) food materials achieved maximum temperatures of 83.9 °C, 110.6 °C, and 146.1 °C respectively. The temperature variations and drying characteristics of the food samples have been monitored. An oven has achieved maximum drying efficiency of 25.65% with a slab-shaped sample. For the detection of the cracks and chemical compositions in the food samples, SEM with EDS analysis has been performed. Economic analysis of microwave oven has also been done and payback period has been found as 3.27 years.