Title: Investigation of kinetics of thin layer drying of fruits using computational fluid dynamics

Authors: Chukwunonso F. Nwoye; Chukwunenye Okoronkwo; Godswill Nwaji; Ezenwa N. Obiora

Addresses: Mechanical Engineering Department, Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana, Afikpo, Ebonyi State, Nigeria ' Mechanical Engineering Department, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State Nigeria ' Mechanical Engineering Department, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State Nigeria ' Mechanical Engineering Department, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria

Abstract: The roles of temperature and velocity of air and the limits of their influence in thin layer drying of fruits were studied using computational fluid dynamics code - ANSYS FLUENT 18. Unripe banana (Musa cavendishii) was used as sample and mass transport from the fruit to the drying air was simulated by solving specie transport equation without reaction. Velocity helped to regulate the concentration gradient between the chamber space and the fruits surface as it was responsible for the transportation of free H₂O molecules at the surface of the fruit to the environment. Temperature on the other hand was the major determinant of the rate at which species were transported from the fruit to the drying air and it is defined by mass diffusivity. The computed values of effective diffusivity at the test temperatures ranged between 1.62E-10-3.85E-10. However, these values dropped slightly when shrinkage effect was factored in.

Keywords: drying; fruits; CFD; turbulence; porous medium; shrinkage.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2024.135638

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2024 Vol.24 No.1, pp.54 - 64

Accepted: 30 Mar 2023
Published online: 20 Dec 2023 *

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