Evaluation of energy consumption in different drying methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Motevali, Ali; Minaei, Saeid; Khoshtagaza, Mohammad Hadi

2011-01-01

This study was conducted to evaluate energy consumption in various drying systems including hot-air convection, use of microwave pretreatment with convection dryer, microwave drying, vacuum drying and infrared drying. Tests were conducted using pomegranate arils under various experimental conditions as follows. In convection dryer at six temperature levels (45, 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 o C) and three air velocity levels (0.5, 1 and 1.5 m/s) at three pretreatments of control, 100 W microwave pretreatment for 20 min and 200 W microwave pretreatment for 10 min. Experiments in the microwave dryer were done at three power levels of 100, 200 and 300 W and in vacuum dryer at five temperature levels (50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 o C) under 250 kPa pressure. For infrared drying, there were four air velocity levels (0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 1 m/s) and three illumination levels (0.22, 0.31 and 0.49 W/cm 2 ). Experimental results showed that minimum and maximum energy consumption in pomegranate drying were associated with microwave and vacuum dryers, respectively. The use of microwave pretreatment in drying pomegranate arils in hot air dryer decreased drying time and energy consumption in comparison with pure convection drying. In infrared drying, it was found that drying time increased with air velocity which resulted in increased energy consumption.

Application of microwave to drying and blanching of tomatoes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ando, Y.; Orikasa, T.; Shiina, T.; Sotome, I.; Isobe, S.; Muramatsu, Y.; Tagawa, A.

2010-01-01

The applicability of microwave to the drying and blanching of tomatoes was examined. The changes of the drying rate and surface color were first measured and compared between drying by hot air (50degC) or microwave at three radiation powers. The drying rates using a microwave were higher than that using hot air. Both a constant-rate drying period and a falling-rate drying period were observed for each microwave radiation power. Compared to hot air drying, microwave drying resulted in an increase in lightness which is a preferable quality of tomatoes. Next, the changes in temperature, nutrients and surface color were measured and compared between blanching by microwave or boiling water. Microwave blanching required less time, resulted in higher retention of nutrients (ascorbic acid and lycopene) and caused less change in color in comparison with boiling water blanching. These results suggest that a microwave could be applied to drying and blanching tomatoes

Microwave-assisted drying of blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) fruits: Drying kinetics, polyphenols, anthocyanins, antioxidant capacity, colour and texture.

Science.gov (United States)

Zielinska, Magdalena; Michalska, Anna

2016-12-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of hot air convective drying (HACD), microwave vacuum drying (MWVD) and their combination (HACD+MWVD) on the drying kinetics, colour, total polyphenols, anthocyanins antioxidant capacity and texture of frozen/thawed blueberries. Drying resulted in reduction of total polyphenols content and antioxidant capacity (69 and 77%, respectively). The highest content of total polyphenols was noted after HACD at 90°C. Lower air temperature and prolonged exposure to oxygen resulted in greater degradation of polyphenols and antioxidant capacity. Drying processes caused a significant decrease (from 70 to 95%) in the content of anthocyanins. The highest content of anthocyanins and the strongest antioxidant capacity was found in blueberries dried using HACD at 90°C+MWVD. Among drying methods, HACD at 90°C+MWVD satisfied significant requirements for dried fruits i.e. short drying time and improved product quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microwave and hot air drying of garlic puree: drying kinetics and quality characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

İlter, Işıl; Akyıl, Saniye; Devseren, Esra; Okut, Dilara; Koç, Mehmet; Kaymak Ertekin, Figen

2018-02-01

In this study, the effect of hot air and microwave drying on drying kinetics and some quality characteristics such as water activity, color, optic index and volatile oil of garlic puree was investigated. Optic index representing browning of the garlic puree increased excessively with an increase in microwave power and hot air drying temperature. However, volatile oil content of the dried samples was decreased by increasing of temperature and microwave power. By increasing drying temperature (50, 60 and 70 °C) and microwave power (180, 360 and 540 W), the drying time decreased from 8.5 h to 4 min. In order to determine the kinetic parameters, the experimental drying data were fitted to various semi-empirical models beside 2nd Fick's diffusion equation. Among them, the Page model gave a better fit for microwave-drying, while Logarithmic model gave a better fit for hot air drying. By increasing the microwave power and hot air drying temperature, the effective moisture diffusivity, De values ranged from 0.76×10-8 to 2.85×10-8 m2/s and from 2.21×10-10 to 3.07×10-10 m2/s, respectively. The activation energy was calculated as 20.90 kJ/mol for hot air drying and 21.96 W/g for microwave drying using an Arrhenius type equation.

Comparison of carrot (Daucus carota drying in microwave and in vacuum microwave

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R. Béttega

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Drying is a single operation employed to prolong the life of a large quantity of vegetables. Carrot (Daucus carota drying has been the subject of many studies. This plant has been highlighted in the human diet for having high nutritional value, mainly due to the high content of β-carotene. In this work, carrot drying behavior was studied in a regular microwave dryer and a vacuum microwave dryer. A vacuum of 450 mmHg was applied for drying of carrot in different geometrical shapes (cubes, discs and sticks. The samples were dried at power ratings of 1.0 W/g, 1.5 W/g and 2.0 W/g for both methods of drying. The evolution of physical properties such as density, volume and porosity was monitored and related to the moisture content of the sample and to the method of drying and power rating used. The geometric shape of the sample influenced the drying kinetics and it was verified that the cubic form was responsible for a slower drying. The application of vacuum showed no major changes in the drying kinetics in microwave but influenced the physical properties of the material. The influence of power ratings on the content of β-carotene was also evaluated and discussed. The main difference observed was the lower shrinkage of the samples dried in the vacuum microwave compared to those dried only in microwave.

Rheological, Chemical and Physical Characteristics of Golden Berry (Physalis peruviana L.) after Convective and Microwave Drying

OpenAIRE

Nawirska-Olsza?ska, Agnieszka; St?pie?, Bogdan; Biesiada, Anita; Kolniak-Ostek, Joanna; Oziemb?owski, Maciej

2017-01-01

Studies on methods for fixing foods (with a slight loss of bioactive compounds) and obtaining attractive products are important with respect to current technology. The drying process allows for a product with highly bioactive properties. Drying of Physalis fruit was carried out in a conventional manner, and in a microwave under reduced pressure at 120 W and 480 W. After drying, the fruits were subjected to strength and rheological tests. Water activity, content of carotenoids and polyphenols ...

Effect of drying methods with the application of vacuum microwaves on the bioactive compounds, color, and antioxidant activity of strawberry fruits.

Science.gov (United States)

Wojdyło, Aneta; Figiel, Adam; Oszmiański, Jan

2009-02-25

The objective of this study was to evaluate the application of vacuum-microwave drying (240, 360, and 480 W) in the production process of dehydrated strawberry and to compare and contrast the quality of these dehydrated strawberries in terms of their polyphenol compounds, concentration of some heat liable components, and color to that of freeze-dried, convective, and vacuum-dried strawberry. Thus, the effect of vacuum-microwave drying and other drying methods on the antioxidant activity of berries was evaluated. Whole fresh and dried fruits were assessed for phenolics (anthocyanins, flavanols, hydroxycinnamic acids, and flavonols), ascorbic acid, and antioxidant activity (all parameters were calculated on a dry matter basis). Analysis of data shows that ellagic acid and flavanol changes were affected by drying techniques and cultivar. Drying destroyed anthocyanins, flavanols, and ascorbic acid, and there was a significant decrease in antioxidant activity. The most striking result was that conventional and vacuum drying decreased antioxidant activity in both cultivars, whereas contradictory results were found for vacuum-microwave processed strawberry. This study has demonstrated that vacuum-microwave drying, especially at 240 W, can produce high-quality products, with the additional advantage of reduced processing times, compared to other processes such as freeze-drying.

Studies on Microwave Heated Drying-rate Equations of Foods

OpenAIRE

呂, 聯通; 久保田, 清; 鈴木, 寛一; 岡崎, 尚; 山下, 洋右

1990-01-01

In order to design various microwave heated drying apparatuses, we must take drying-rate equations which are based on simple drying-rate models. In a previous paper (KUBOTA, et al., 1990), we have studied a convenient microwave heated drying instrument, and studied the simple drying-rate equations of potato and so on by using the simple empirical rate equations that have been reported in previous papers (KUBOTA, 1979-1, 1979-2). In this paper, we studied the microwave drying rate of the const...

The process research of drying UF4 by microwave

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen Guo; Wang Yunbo; Liu Long

2010-01-01

This paper make use of microwave to dry UF 4 filter cake, the aim is desorbed adsorption water. The research focus on such process conditions, boat material, thickness of filter cake, drying time, setting temperature, heating power and so on. the research of desorption crystal water of UF 4 that dried by microwave in fixed bed .When UF 4 drying by microwave and claiming by fixed bed, the qualified UF 4 powder is prepared. The research is shown that microwave can desorbs adsorption water which contain in UF 4 filter cake. There is a stable water contents in UF 4 after drying, and the sum of two members is less. After drying by microwave and claiming by fixed bed, the contents of water, UO 2 and UO 2 F 2 are all according to the quality standard. (authors)

Rehydration of freeze-dried and convective dried boletus edulis mushrooms: effect on some quality parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernando, I; Sanjuán, N; Pérez-Munuera, I; Mulet, A

2008-10-01

Quality of rehydrated products is a key aspect linked to rehydration conditions. To assess the effect of rehydration temperature on some quality parameters, experiments at 20 and 70 degrees C were performed with convective dried and freeze-dried Boletus edulis mushrooms. Rehydration characteristics (through Peleg's parameter, k(1), and equilibrium moisture, W(e)), texture (Kramer), and microstructure (Cryo-Scanning Electron Microscopy) were evaluated. Freeze-dried samples absorbed water more quickly and attained higher W(e) values than convective dried ones. Convective dehydrated samples rehydrated at 20 degrees C showed significantly lower textural values (11.9 +/- 3.3 N/g) than those rehydrated at 70 degrees C (15.7 +/- 1.2 N/g). For the freeze-dried Boletus edulis, the textural values also exhibited significant differences, being 8.2 +/- 1.3 and 10.5 +/- 2.3 N/g for 20 and 70 degrees C, respectively. Freeze-dried samples showed a porous structure that allows rehydration to take place mainly at the extracellular level. This explains the fact that, regardless of temperature, freeze-dried mushrooms absorbed water more quickly and reached higher W(e) values than convective dried ones. Whatever the dehydration technique used, rehydration at 70 degrees C produced a structural damage that hindered water absorption; consequently lower W(e) values and higher textural values were attained than when rehydrating at 20 degrees C.

Suitability of microwave drying for mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) as alternative to freeze drying: Impact on nutritional quality and colour.

Science.gov (United States)

Lenaerts, S; Van Der Borght, M; Callens, A; Van Campenhout, L

2018-07-15

Freeze drying represents the current practice to stabilize mealworms, even though it is an energy demanding technique. Therefore, it was examined in the present study whether microwave drying could be a proper alternative. To this end, the impact of both drying techniques on the proximate composition, vitamin B 12 content, fatty acid profile, oxidation status and colour parameters of mealworms was investigated. Furthermore, the influence of the application of vacuum during microwave drying was studied. The different drying technologies resulted in small differences in the proximate composition, while the vitamin B 12 content was only reduced by microwave drying. The fat fraction of freeze dried mealworms showed a higher oxidation status than the fat of microwave dried mealworms. Application of a vacuum during the microwave drying process did not appear to offer advantages. This research shows that for mealworms microwave drying can be a proper alternative to freeze drying. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microwave-Assisted Drying for the Conservation of Honeybee Pollen

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Angelo Canale

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Bee pollen is becoming an important product thanks to its nutritional properties, including a high content of bioactive compounds such as essential amino acids, antioxidants, and vitamins. Fresh bee pollen has a high water content (15%–30% wt %, thus it is a good substrate for microorganisms. Traditional conservation methods include drying in a hot air chamber and/or freezing. These techniques may significantly affect the pollen organoleptic properties and its content of bioactive compounds. Here, a new conservation method, microwave drying, is introduced and investigated. The method implies irradiating the fresh pollen with microwaves under vacuum, in order to reduce the water content without reaching temperatures capable of thermally deteriorating important bioactive compounds. The method was evaluated by taking into account the nutritional properties after the treatment. The analyzed parameters were phenols, flavonoids, with special reference to rutin content, and amino acids. Results showed that microwave drying offers important advantages for the conservation of bee pollen. Irrespective of microwave power and treatment time, phenol and flavonoid content did not vary over untreated fresh pollen. Similarly, rutin content was unaffected by the microwave drying, suggesting that the microwave-assisted drying could be a powerful technology to preserve bioprotective compounds in fresh pollen.

Sensory quality and energy use for scrambled eggs and beef patties heated in institutional microwave and convection ovens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cremer, M.L.

1982-05-01

Scrambled eggs (96 portions) and beef patties (96 portions) were heated in institutional microwave and convection ovens to determine energy use in heating and sensory quality of food. For both products, significantly (P < 0.01) more energy (BTU) was used for heating in the convection than in the microwave oven and respective amounts (BTU) were 28658.7 and 9385.7 for eggs; 31313.3 and 9365.0 for beef patties. All scores for sensory quality were significantly (P < 0.01) higher for eggs heated in the microwave than in the convection, but for beef patties, scores were higher for all characteristics and significantly (P < 0.01) higher for appearance, flavor, and general acceptability after heating in the convection rather than the microwave oven.

RESEARCH OF MICROWAVE DRYING OF NATURAL ZEOLITE GRANULES AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THE TECHNOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

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Rybachuk V.D.

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The wet granulation technique is often used in the preparation of free-flowing granules in the manufacture of tablets and capsules. It is very important that granules obtained by this technology be dried before further processing. And also, it is important that the method of drying is entirely controlled and managed and the result is quite predictable. In recent years, microwave drying of granules make a considerable interest. Microwave drying is especially useful for moisture sensitive materials which are mostly pharmaceutical substances. Microwave drying technology is useful for dosage forms with high purity, since this method provides the possibility of drying in the same container production, which reduces the chance of cross contamination of matter and its direct contact with staff. The aim of this work was to study the effect of microwave radiation on the technological properties of natural zeolite peets compared to traditional convection method and to determine the optimal drying modes and specific humidity of the material. Material & methods. Granules were prepared by wet granulation technology by using a laboratory granulator NG-12. As the humidifier we used potato starch gel and PVP in an amount of 25% by weight of the dry product. The resulting granules were divided into two equal parts and subjected to drying in a microwave oven (Delfa D20MW of installed capacity (119 W, 280 W, 336 W, 462 W, ​​595 W and 700 W and shelf dryer to a residual moisture level of 0.01 g.w./g.d.m. or less. Determination of the specific humidity of granules was carried out by mass loss on drying. Fractional composition of granules was determined using a standard set of sieves with the diameter of the holes 2.0; 1.0; 0.5 and 0.25 mm. The friability of the granules was determined using friabilator Pharma Test PTF 10E / ER, Germany. To characterize the fluidity of granule Carr`s indicator (IC and coefficient Hausnera (HR. Results & discussion

Mathematical Modeling of Thin Layer Microwave Drying of Taro Slices

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Vivek; Sharma, H. K.; Singh, K.

2016-03-01

The present study investigated the drying kinetics of taro slices precooked in different medium viz water (WC), steam (SC) and Lemon Solution (LC) and dried at different microwave power 360, 540 and 720 W. Drying curves of all precooked slices at all microwave powers showed falling rate period along with a very short accelerating period at the beginning of the drying. At all microwave powers, higher drying rate was observed for LC slices as compared to WC and SC slices. To select a suitable drying curve, seven thin-layer drying models were fitted to the experimental data. The data revealed that the Page model was most adequate in describing the microwave drying behavior of taro slices precooked in different medium. The highest effective moisture diffusivity value of 2.11 × 10-8 m2/s was obtained for LC samples while the lowest 0.83 × 10-8 m2/s was obtained for WC taro slices. The activation energy (E a ) of LC taro slices was lower than the E a of WC and SC taro slices.

Drying characteristics of zucchini and empirical modeling of its drying process

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Naciye Kutlu

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to dry zucchini (Cucurbita pepo by two different methods (convective hot-air (CHD and microwave-assisted drying (MWD. The effect of air temperature (60, 70 and 80°C, microwave (MW power (180, 360, 540 W and sample thickness (5 and 10 mm on some drying characteristics of zucchini were investigated. Thirteen mathematical models available in the literature were fitted to the experimental moisture ratio data. The coefficients of the models were determined by non-linear regression analysis. It was determined that the model that fits the moisture ratio data the best varies at different drying conditions. Increasing drying temperature and MW power and reducing sample thickness improved the drying rate and drying time. Drying in microwave has reduced the drying time by 52-64% for zucchini. It was found that the effective moisture diffusivities increased with increasing temperature and MW power. MWD samples had better rehydration ratios compared to ones dried only in tray drier for 5 mm thickness.  

Chemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and sensory quality of dried jujube fruits as affected by cultivar and drying method.

Science.gov (United States)

Wojdyło, Aneta; Figiel, Adam; Legua, Pilar; Lech, Krzysztof; Carbonell-Barrachina, Ángel A; Hernández, Francisca

2016-09-15

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different dying methods, such as convective drying (CD: 50, 60, 70 °C), vacuum-microwave drying (VMD: 120, 480, 480-120 W), a combination of convective pre-drying and vacuum-microwave finish drying [(CPD (60 °C)-VMFD (480-120 W)], and freeze-drying (FD) on key quality parameters of dried jujube fruits (cv. "GAL", "MSI", and "PSI"). The parameters studied included bioactive compounds (flavan-3-ols and flavonols, identified by LC-PDA-MS, and vitamin C), antioxidant capacity (ABTS and FRAP), and sensory attributes (e.g. hardness, jujube-ID, and sweetness). The best quality of the dried product (high contents of bioactive compounds and high intensity of key sensory attributes) was found in fruits treated by FD and VMD 480-120 W. The best cultivars were "PSI" and "GAL" from the point of view of bioactive content and sensory quality, respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

EVALUATION OF THERMAL EFFICIENCY OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL SCHEME OF APPLE CHIPS AND DRIED FRUITS PRODUCTION

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G. V. Kalashnikov

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The estimation of thermodynamic perfection of separate technological processes is executed at heat-moisture of handling of fruit and a line of manufacture of fruit apple chips and dried fruits. The technological scheme of a line of processing of fruits and manufactures of fruit chips on the basis of convection and the microwave-dryings suggested resource-saving. The technique is made and results of calculation of thermal expenses for various schemes of manufacture of apple chips are resulted. For the offered scheme material, thermal and power streams on the basis of balance parities of technological processes are certain. The comparative thermal production efficiency of apple chips for a base foreign variant and the offered technological scheme with the closed cycle of use of the heat-carrier and the combined convection-microwave-drying is shown. In this paper we define the thermal and energy flows for the processes of convective drying, pre-microwave drying, hydrothermal treatment and final microwave drying plant material, which are one of the main stages of the production of all kinds of fruit and vegetable concentrates, including fruit apple chips. Resource-saving ways moisture-heat of handling (hydration, blanching, drying, etc. produce raw materials in the production of food concentrates suggested a reduced water flow with a high degree of use of its potential power and microwave sources. To assess the thermal efficiency of the various processes and production schemes used as indicators of thermal efficiency and proposed value of specific heat (kJ / kg given mass productivity per unit of feedstock and translational moisture. The values of the mass fraction of the heat of material flows for the base and the proposed resource-saving production scheme fruit chips, for example, apple, based on a combination of convection-microwave drying each control surface.

Impact of Pretreatment and Drying Methods on Quality Attributes of Onion Shreds

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Nihar R. Sahoo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Experiments were conducted on dry untreated onion shreds (2 mm thickness or treated with salt (5 % solution and potassium metabisulphite (0.5 % solution in convective drier at 50 °C ((46±4 % relative humidity (RH, 55 °C ((35±4 % RH, 60 °C ((28±4 % RH and 65 °C ((20±4 % RH, heat pump-assisted convective drier at 35 °C ((32±2 % RH, 40 °C ((26±2 % RH, 45 °C ((19±2 % RH and 50 °C ((15±2 % RH and microwave-assisted convective drier at four microwave power levels, i.e. 120, 240, 360 and 480 W. The quality parameters of the dried onion shreds, namely rehydration ratio, colour diff erence, pyruvic and ascorbic acid contents and sensory scores were evaluated. The quality of dehydrated onion shreds was observed to be comparatively better when treated in heat pump drier at 50 °C, followed by that in microwave-assisted convective drier at 240 W and 50 °C, and last in convective drier at 60 °C. The onion shreds pretreated with potassium metabisulphite retained better colour of the dried product irrespective of drying methods. Therefore, heat pump drying may be recommended as one of the best drying methods for onion shreds, because it maintains the fi nal product quality, which has practical importance for the food industry.

DEHYDRATION OF CHEESE BY HOT AIR, MICROWAVE AND FREEZE-DRYING

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ANA RITA C. PINHO

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to study the dehydration of skim cheese through different methods, in particular by hot air, microwave and freeze-drying, in order to assess which of these methods would be more suitable for the development of a new product (cheese snack. For the three processes of dehydration, several temperatures, powers and times were used, respectively. The drying time was optimized to allow the water activity of the final product to be between 0.3 and 0.4. The color and texture of the product obtained by the three processes were evaluated, and the nutritional analysis (protein, lipids, ash of the product dried by hot air at 52 ºC and by microwave at 750 W and 850 W was performed. The sensory analysis of the microwave dehydrated products was also carried out. The results obtained revealed that the temperature played a relevant role in the drying time and the hardness of the product. In the dehydration by microwave, the power of 850 W resulted in a lower drying time and a better color preservation, but in a high hardness of the samples. Among the three processes studied, the microwave drying was the fastest for the water removal from the cheese.

The influence of microwave-assisted drying techniques on the rehydration behavior of blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Zielinska, Magdalena; Markowski, Marek

2016-04-01

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of: (a) different drying methods, (b) hot air temperature in a convection oven, and (c) the moisture content of fruits dehydrated by multi-stage drying which involves a transition between different stages of drying, on the rehydration kinetics of dry blueberries. Models describing rehydration kinetics were also studied. Blueberries dehydrated by multi-stage microwave-assisted drying, which involved a hot air pre-drying step at 80 °C until the achievement of a moisture content of 1.95 kg H2O kg(-1)DM, were characterized by significantly higher rates of initial and successive rehydration as well as smaller initial loss of soluble solids in comparison with the samples dried by other methods. The highest initial rehydration rate and the smallest loss of soluble solids after 30 min of soaking were determined at 0.46 min(-1) and 0.29 kg DM kg(-1)DM, respectively. The Peleg model and the first-order-kinetic model fit the experimental data well. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determination of drying kinetics and convective heat transfer coefficients of ginger slices

Science.gov (United States)

Akpinar, Ebru Kavak; Toraman, Seda

2016-10-01

In the present work, the effects of some parametric values on convective heat transfer coefficients and the thin layer drying process of ginger slices were investigated. Drying was done in the laboratory by using cyclone type convective dryer. The drying air temperature was varied as 40, 50, 60 and 70 °C and the air velocity is 0.8, 1.5 and 3 m/s. All drying experiments had only falling rate period. The drying data were fitted to the twelve mathematical models and performance of these models was investigated by comparing the determination of coefficient ( R 2), reduced Chi-square ( χ 2) and root mean square error between the observed and predicted moisture ratios. The effective moisture diffusivity and activation energy were calculated using an infinite series solution of Fick's diffusion equation. The average effective moisture diffusivity values and activation energy values varied from 2.807 × 10-10 to 6.977 × 10-10 m2/s and 19.313-22.722 kJ/mol over the drying air temperature and velocity range, respectively. Experimental data was used to evaluate the values of constants in Nusselt number expression by using linear regression analysis and consequently, convective heat transfer coefficients were determined in forced convection mode. Convective heat transfer coefficient of ginger slices showed changes in ranges 0.33-2.11 W/m2 °C.

Simulation of energetic- and exergetic performance of microwave-assisted fluidized bed drying of soybeans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ranjbaran, M.; Zare, D.

2013-01-01

The performance of microwave-assisted fluidized bed drying of soybeans was simulated (using a previously validated mathematical model) and analyzed based on the first- and second law of thermodynamics. The energy and exergy analysis were carried out for several drying conditions. The effects of inlet air temperature, microwave power density, bed thickness and inlet air velocity on the efficiencies and inefficiencies of drying process have been simulated and discussed. Generally, application of microwave energy during fluidized bed drying enhanced the exergy efficiency of drying process. However, the results showed that it was more efficient not to apply microwave energy at the first stage of fluidized bed drying process. The application of higher levels of drying air temperature led in higher exergy efficiencies. The values of mean relative deviations for the predictions of efficiencies and inefficiencies of drying process were less than 14%, compared with those calculated using experimental data. - Highlights: • Introducing a mathematical model to predict the efficiency of microwave-assisted fluidized bed dryers. • Energy and exergy analysis in microwave-assisted fluidized bed drying of grains. • Providing practical recommendations for efficient use of microwave power during drying

Quality of dried cauliflower according to the methods and drying parameters

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Łapczyńska-Kordon Bogusława

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The quality of food products is a complex concept. It can be defined in many ways. The common element of most of these definitions is the condition of meeting the requirements of consumers. Quality determines product compliance with the requirements set by the normalized regulations. The paper attempts to determine the optimal method and parameters of cauliflower drying. In addition, a qualitative assessment of the obtained product was made. The results show that the method and parameters of drying significantly affect the quality of the dried cauliflower. Convection drying guarantees higher drought quality with respect to the color of the sample (higher brightness, taste and odor. Of the drying parameters accepted in the experiment, the most positive effect on the tested parameters was recorded using convection drying at a flow rate of 0.2 ms-1 and the least favorable for microwave drying 170 or 210 W.

Microwave drying characteristics of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) leaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarimeseli, Ayse

2011-01-01

Effect of microwave power output on effective moisture diffusivity, colour parameters and rehydration characteristics of coriander leaves (Coriandrum sativum L.) was investigated by using a microwave drier. Within the range of microwave power values, 180-360 W, effective moisture diffusivities were found to be 6.3 x 10 -11 -2.19 x 10 -10 m 2 /s and the result could successfully be presented with the model suggested by Midilli et al. No significant differences in the colour parameters were obtained between the fresh and dried samples and the changes in their values were not dependent on the power outputs of the microwave drier. The highest rehydration capacity was recorded for the samples dried at 180 W and lowest at 900 W.

Microwave drying characteristics of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) leaves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarimeseli, Ayse [Department of Chemical Engineering, Inonu University, 44069 Malatya (Turkey)

2011-02-15

Effect of microwave power output on effective moisture diffusivity, colour parameters and rehydration characteristics of coriander leaves (Coriandrum sativum L.) was investigated by using a microwave drier. Within the range of microwave power values, 180-360 W, effective moisture diffusivities were found to be 6.3 x 10{sup -11}-2.19 x 10{sup -10} m{sup 2}/s and the result could successfully be presented with the model suggested by Midilli et al. No significant differences in the colour parameters were obtained between the fresh and dried samples and the changes in their values were not dependent on the power outputs of the microwave drier. The highest rehydration capacity was recorded for the samples dried at 180 W and lowest at 900 W. (author)

Characteristics of Microwave Vacuum Baking and Drying of Oolong and Its Kinetic Model

OpenAIRE

Rongchuan Lin; Hetong Lin; Qingjiao Lin

2013-01-01

This paper studies the characteristics of microwave vacuum baking and drying of oolong and analyzes the influence of microwave power and vacuum degree in the drying process on the moisture in the tea. According to the variation law of moisture, it explores the relationship between time and wet base moisture contents under different microwave powers and vacuum degrees, as well as the kinetic mathematical model of vacuum drying for oolong using the microwave. Based on the energy balance between...

Drying characteristics of pumpkin ( Cucurbita moschata) slices in convective and freeze dryer

Science.gov (United States)

Caliskan, Gulsah; Dirim, Safiye Nur

2017-06-01

This study was intended to determine the drying and rehydration kinetics of convective and freeze dried pumpkin slices (0.5 × 3.5 × 0.5 cm). A pilot scale tray drier (at 80 ± 2 °C inlet temperature, 1 m s-1 air velocity) and freeze drier (13.33 kPa absolute pressure, condenser temperature of -48 ± 2 °C) were used for the drying experiments. Drying curves were fitted to six well-known thin layer drying models. Nonlinear regression analysis was used to evaluate the parameters of the selected models by using statistical software SPSS 16.0 (SPSS Inc., USA). For the convective and freeze drying processes of pumpkin slices, the highest R2 values, and the lowest RMSE as well as χ2 values were obtained from Page model. The effective moisture diffusivity (Deff) of the convective and freeze dried pumpkin slices were obtained from the Fick's diffusion model, and they were found to be 2.233 × 10-7 and 3.040 × 10-9 m2s-1, respectively. Specific moisture extraction rate, moisture extraction rate, and specific energy consumption values were almost twice in freeze drying process. Depending on the results, moisture contents and water activity values of pumpkin slices were in acceptable limits for safe storage of products. The rehydration behaviour of [at 18 ± 2 and 100 ± 2 °C for 1:25, 1:50, 1:75, 1:100, and 1:125 solid:liquid ratios (w:w)] dried pumpkin slices was determined by Peleg's model with the highest R2. The highest total soluble solid loss of pumpkin slices was observed for the rehydration experiment which performed at 1:25 solid: liquid ratio (w:w). Rehydration ratio of freeze dried slices was found 2-3 times higher than convective dried slices.

Comparison of microwave and conduction-convection heating autohydrolysis pretreatment for bioethanol production.

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Aguilar-Reynosa, Alejandra; Romaní, Aloia; Rodríguez-Jasso, Rosa M; Aguilar, Cristóbal N; Garrote, Gil; Ruiz, Héctor A

2017-11-01

This work describes the application of two forms of heating for autohydrolysis pretreatment on isothermal regimen: conduction-convection heating and microwave heating processing using corn stover as raw material for bioethanol production. Pretreatments were performed using different operational conditions: residence time (10-50 min) and temperature (160-200°C) for both pretreatments. Subsequently, the susceptibility of pretreated solids was studied using low enzyme loads, and high substrate loads. The highest conversion was 95.1% for microwave pretreated solids. Also solids pretreated by microwave heating processing showed better ethanol conversion in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process (92% corresponding to 33.8g/L). Therefore, microwave heating processing is a promising technology in the pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of different drying methods on the physicochemical properties of red beetroot (Beta vulgaris L. var. Cylindra).

Science.gov (United States)

Nistor, Oana-Viorela; Seremet Ceclu, Liliana; Andronoiu, Doina Georgeta; Rudi, Ludmila; Botez, Elisabeta

2017-12-01

There is an increased interest in preserving fruits and vegetables by drying. The novelty of this study consists in the combination of the following three drying methods: free convection (at 50, 60, and 70°C), forced convection at 40°C and 315W microwave power. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the drying conditions on red beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) in terms of betalain variance, and polyphenol, microstructure changes (SEM). A strong thermal shock, provided by convection at 60° followed by microwave wattage 315W/9min, leads to a better preservation of bioactive compounds content (0.631±0.0042mg/g of betacyanin and 0.795±0.0019mg/g betaxanthin) when compared to convection at 50, 60 and 70°C. The results showed that combined drying methods led to a significant preservation of the phytochemical content as compared to the traditional methods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of hot-air and hybrid hot air-microwave drying on drying kinetics and textural quality of nectarine slices

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Miraei Ashtiani, Seyed-Hassan; Sturm, Barbara; Nasirahmadi, Abozar

2018-04-01

Drying and physicochemical characteristics of nectarine slices were investigated using hot-air and hybrid hot air-microwave drying methods under fixed air temperature and air speed (50 °C and 0.5 m/s, respectively). Microwave power levels for the combined hot air-microwave method were 80, 160, 240, and 320 W. Drying kinetics were analyzed and compared using six mathematical models. For both drying methods the model with the best fitness in explaining the drying behavior was the Midilli-Kucuk model. The coefficient of determination ( R 2), root mean square error (RMSE) and reduced chi square ( χ 2) for this model have been obtained greater than 0.999 and less than 0.006 and 0.0001 for hybrid hot air-microwave drying while those values for hot-air drying were more than 0.999 and less than 0.003 and 0.0001, respectively. Results showed that the hybrid method reduced the drying time considerably and produced products with higher quality. The range of effective moisture diffusivity ( D eff ) of hybrid and hot-air drying was between 8.15 × 10-8 and 2.83 × 10-7 m2/s and 1.27 × 10-8 m2/s, respectively. The total color difference (ΔE) has also been obtained from 36.68 to 44.27 for hybrid method; however this value for hot-air drying was found 49.64. Although reduced microwave power output led to a lower drying rate, it reduced changes in product parameters i.e. total color change, surface roughness, shrinkage and microstructural change and increased hardness and water uptake.

Application of airborne ultrasound in the convective drying of fruits and vegetables: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Kai; Zhang, Min; Mujumdar, Arun S

2017-11-01

The application of airborne ultrasound is a promising technology in the drying of foods, particularly to fruits and vegetables. In this paper, designs of dryers using ultrasound to combine the convective drying process are described. The main factors affecting the drying kinetics with the ultrasound application are discussed. The results show that the ultrasound application accelerated the drying kinetics. Ultrasound application during the convective drying of fruits and vegetables shorten the drying time. Ultrasound application can produce an increase of the effective moisture diffusivity and the mass transfer coefficient. The influence of ultrasound on physical and chemical parameters evaluating the product quality is reviewed. Ultrasound application can decrease the total color change, reveal a low water activity and reduce the loss of some nutrient elements. Meanwhile, ultrasound application can also better preserve the microstructure of fruits and vegetables in comparison to convective drying. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of microwave freeze drying on quality and energy supply in drying of barley grass.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Xiaohuang; Zhang, Min; Mujumdar, Arun S; Zhong, Qifeng; Wang, Zhushang

2018-03-01

Young barley grass leaves are well-known for containing the antioxidant substances flavonoid and chlorophyll. However, low product quality and energy efficiency exist with respect to the dehydration of barley grass leaves. To improve energy supply and the quality of barley grass, microwave heating instead of contact heat was applied for the freeze drying of barley grass at a pilot scale at 1, 1.5 and 2 W g -1 , respectively; After drying, energy supply and quality parameters of color, moisture content, chlorophyll, flavonoids, odors of dried barley grass were determined to evaluate the feasibility of the study. Microwave freeze drying (MFD) allowed a low energy supply and high contents of chlorophyll and flavonoids. A lightness value of 60.0, a green value of -11.5 and an energy supply of 0.61 kW h -1  g -1 were observed in 1.5 W g -1 MFD; whereas drying time (7 h) decreased by 42% compared to contact heating. Maximum content of flavonoid and chlorophyll was 11.7 and 12.8 g kg -1 barley grass. Microwave heating leads to an odor change larger than that for contact heating observed for the freeze drying of barley grass. MFD retains chlorophyll and flavonoids, as well as colors and odors of samples, and also decreases energy consumption in the freeze drying of barley grass. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Selected chemical composition changes in microwave-convective dried parsley leaves affected by ultrasound and steaming pre-treatments - An optimization approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Dadan, Magdalena; Rybak, Katarzyna; Wiktor, Artur; Nowacka, Malgorzata; Zubernik, Joanna; Witrowa-Rajchert, Dorota

2018-01-15

Parsley leaves contain a high amount of bioactive components (especially lutein), therefore it is crucial to select the most appropriate pre-treatment and drying conditions, in order to obtain high quality of dried leaves, which was the aim of this study. The optimization was done using response surface methodology (RSM) for the following factors: microwave power (100, 200, 300W), air temperature (20, 30, 40°C) and pre-treatment variant (ultrasound, steaming and dipping as a control). Total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity, chlorophyll and lutein contents (using UPLC-PDA) were determined in dried leaves. The analysed responses were dependent on the applied drying parameters and the pre-treatment type. The possibility of ultrasound and steam treatment application was proven and the optimal processing conditions were selected. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microwave blanching and drying characteristics of Centella asiatica (L.) urban leaves using tray and heat pump-assisted dehumidified drying.

Science.gov (United States)

Trirattanapikul, W; Phoungchandang, S

2014-12-01

The appropriate stage of maturity of Centella asiatica (L.) Urban leaves was investigated. Mature leaves with large diameter contained high total phenolics and % inhibition. Microwave blanching for 30 s retained the highest total phenolics and the microwave blanching for 30 s and 45 s retained the highest % inhibition. Modified Henderson and Modified Chung-Pfost models showed the best fit to both fresh and blanched leaves for equilibrium moisture content, Xe = f(RHe, T) and equilibrium relative humidity, RHe = f(Xe, T), respectively. The Modified Page model was the most effective model in describing the leaf drying. All drying was in the falling rate period. The drying constant was related to drying air temperature using the Arrhenius model. Effective moisture diffusivities increased with increasing temperature and blanching treatments as well as dehumidification by heat pump-assisted dehumidified dryer. The heat pump-assited dehumidified drying incorporated by the microwave blanching could reduce the drying time at 40 °C by 31.2 % and increase % inhibition by 6.1 %. Quality evaluation by total phenolics, % inhibition and rehydration ratio showed the best quality for C. asiatica leaves pretreated by microwave blanching and dried at 40 °C in heat pump-assisted dehumidified dryer.

The roles of convection, extratropical mixing, and in-situ freeze-drying in the Tropical Tropopause Layer

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W. G. Read

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Mechanisms for transporting and dehydrating air across the tropical tropopause layer (TTL are investigated with a conceptual two dimensional (2-D model. The 2-D TTL model combines the Holton and Gettelman cold trap dehydration mechanism (Holton and Gettelman, 2001 with the two column convection model of Folkins and Martin (2005. We investigate 3 possible transport scenarios through the TTL: 1 slow uniform ascent across the level of zero radiative heating without direct convective mixing, 2 convective mixing of H₂O vapor at 100% relative humidity with respect to ice (RHi with no ice retention, and 3 convective mixing of extremely subsaturated air (100% RHi following the moist adiabatic temperature above the level of neutral buoyancy with sufficient ice retention such that total H₂O is 100%RHi. The three mechanisms produce similar seasonal cycles for H₂O that are in good quantitative agreement with the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS measurements. We use Aura MLS measurement of CO and Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment-Fourier Transform Spectrometer measurement of HDO to distinguish among the transport mechanisms. Model comparisons with the observations support the view that H₂O is predominantly controlled by regions having the lowest cold point tropopause temperature but the trace species CO and HDO support the convective mixing of dry air and lofted ice. The model provides some insight into the processes affecting the long term trends observed in stratospheric H₂O.

STATISTIC MODELING OF DRYING KINETHIC OF SPINACH LEAVES USING MICROWAVE AND HOT AIR METHODS

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Mojtaba Nouri

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The target of this study was to model of spinach leaves drying using microwave and hot air dryer. This test performed in combination treatment of temperatures (50°C, 60°C, and 70°C and microwave (90, 180, 360, 600 and 900w in 3 replications. Sample moisture measured within drying. All the results were fitted and analyzed with 8 mathematical models base on 3 parameters including determination (R2, Chi square(X2, root mean square errors(RSME. Results also revealed that temperature and microwave power effectively reduce the drying time when increase. Drying occurs in degrading stage; moreover the comparison of results exhibited that Page and Two sentences models were fitted appropriately to estimate moisture changing and drying description. Regarding all the results, it is cleared that microwave method is an appropriate method in spinach drying as a result of reducing drying temperature and its high efficiency.

High-frequency and microwave heating as a pretreatment to kiln drying of hollowed-out timber

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, N.; Okumura, S.; Taniguchi, Y.

2001-01-01

To dry hollowed-out timber without V-shaped drying checks, its inner part should be dried faster than the outer part. The feasibility of high frequency heating and microwave heating as a pretreatment of kiln drying of hollow timber was examined. During high frequency heating, the top and bottom parts of the timber were dried faster than the right and left parts because the central hollow acts as an air-gap. The outer part dried faster than the inner part during microwave heating, probably because of insufficient penetration of microwave energy into the inner part. The uneven heating of hollowed timber was improved by turning the specimen around its axis during high frequency heating and by setting the specimen upright in the microwave oven

Physicochemical properties of whole fruit plum powders obtained using different drying technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Michalska, Anna; Wojdyło, Aneta; Lech, Krzysztof; Łysiak, Grzegorz P; Figiel, Adam

2016-09-15

Physicochemical quality parameters of plum powders obtained by applying conventional drying methods and their combination devised to process plums were evaluated. The effect of freeze-drying (FD), vacuum drying (VD), convective drying (CD), microwave-vacuum drying (MVD) and combination of convective pre-drying and microwave finish-drying (CPD-MVFD) affected physical (bulk density, porosity, colour, solubility) and chemical (polyphenolic compounds determined by UPLC and antioxidant capacity by TEAC ABTS and FRAP methods) properties of plum powders. The MVD at 1.2 W g(-1) and a novel combination for plum powders production - CPD-MVFD at 70 °C/1.2 W g(-1) allowed the best preservation of phenolic compounds and increased the efficiency of production. Results obtained support the use of MVD and its combination for better quality of dried plum products. The study proved that the determination of the browning index and HMF level (formed via Maillard reaction) might be good tool for monitoring the thermal processing of plum powders. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental study of drying kinetics by forced convection of aromatic plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belghit, A; Boutaleb, B C [Laboratoire de Mecanique des Fluides et Energetique, Marrakech (Morocco). Faculte des Sciences Semlalia; Kouhila, M [Laboratoire d' Energie Solaire, Marrakech (Morocco). Ecole Normale Superieure

2000-08-01

This paper has the objectives to determine the isotherms of sorption and the drying kinetics of verbena, which is the most consumed aromatic plant in Morocco. The experiments undertaken consist of examining the effects of drying air velocity, temperature of drying air and air moisture content on the drying kinetics of verbena in a laboratory drying tunnel working by forced convection. The results verified, with good reproducibility, that temperature is the main factor in controlling the rate of drying. The expression of the drying rate is determined empirically from the characteristic curve of drying. (author)

Power ultrasound as a pretreatment to convective drying of mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaves: Impact on drying kinetics and selected quality properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Yang; Wang, Ping; Wang, Yilin; Kadam, Shekhar U; Han, Yongbin; Wang, Jiandong; Zhou, Jianzhong

2016-07-01

The effect of ultrasound pretreatment prior to convective drying on drying kinetics and selected quality properties of mulberry leaves was investigated in this study. Ultrasound pretreatment was carried out at 25.2-117.6 W/L for 5-15 min in a continuous mode. After sonication, mulberry leaves were dried in a hot-air convective dryer at 60 °C. The results revealed that ultrasound pretreatment not only affected the weight of mulberry leaves, it also enhanced the convective drying kinetics and reduced total energy consumption. The drying kinetics was modeled using a diffusion model considering external resistance and effective diffusion coefficient De and mass transfer coefficient hm were identified. Both De and hm during convective drying increased with the increase of acoustic energy density (AED) and ultrasound duration. However, De and hm increased slowly at high AED levels. Furthermore, ultrasound pretreatment had a more profound influence on internal mass transfer resistance than on external mass transfer resistance during drying according to Sherwood numbers. Regarding the quality properties, the color, antioxidant activity and contents of several bioactive compounds of dried mulberry leaves pretreated by ultrasound at 63.0 W/L for 10 min were similar to that of mulberry leaves without any pretreatments. Overall, ultrasound pretreatment is effective to shorten the subsequent drying time of mulberry leaves without damaging the quality of final product. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Vacuum-assisted microwave drying characteristics of green bell pepper

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Vivek Kumar

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Chopped green bell pepper pieces were blanched (95 °C, 5 min and chemically pretreated (1% potassium metabisulphite solution, 25 min at room temperature before drying in hot air dryer (HAD at various temperature ranges (60 – 80 °C. Three vacuum levels (200, 400, 600 mm Hg and microwave power levels (100, 200, 300 W were also used to dry green bell pepper samples in a vacuum assisted microwave (VAM (2.45 GHz, 0.8 kW dryer. VAM drying methods offered a maximum reduction by four to five times in drying time as compared to that in HAD. The logarithmic model was found to have the best fit based on high R2 and small values of reduced χ2 and RMSE.  VAM method has higher values for effective moisture diffusivity (Deff and lower values for activation energy (Ea, in comparison to the HAD method. 

Numerical simulation of forced convection in a duct subjected to microwave heating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, J.; Kuznetsov, A.V. [North Carolina State University, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Campus Box 7910, Raleigh, NC (United States); Sandeep, K.P. [North Carolina State University, Department of Food Science, Raleigh, NC (United States)

2007-01-15

In this paper, forced convection in a rectangular duct subjected to microwave heating is investigated. Three types of non-Newtonian liquids flowing through the duct are considered, specifically, apple sauce, skim milk, and tomato sauce. A finite difference time domain method is used to solve Maxwell's equations simulating the electromagnetic field. The three-dimensional temperature field is determined by solving the coupled momentum, energy, and Maxwell's equations. Numerical results show that the heating pattern strongly depends on the dielectric properties of the fluid in the duct and the geometry of the microwave heating system. (orig.)

Evaluation of alternative drying techniques for the earthworm flour processing

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Laura Suárez Hernández

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Production of earthworm flour includes several steps, among which the most critical is the drying process due to factors such as time and energ y requirements. In addition, the information available about this process is relquite limited. Thus, this work evaluated four drying techniques likely to be implemented by lombricultores: sun drying, oven drying, drying tunnel and microwave assisted drying. Drying kinetics values were obtained for all drying techniques, and specific parameters as the following were evaluated: drying tray material (stainless and ceramic steel for sun drying, microwave power (30 %, 50 % and 80 % and amount of material to be dried (72 and 100 g for microwave assisted drying, temperature (50, 65, 90 and 100 °C for oven drying, and temperature (50 and 63 °C and air speed (2.9 to 3.6 m/s for tunnel drying. It was determined that the most efficient technique is the drying tunnel, because this allows the combination of heat transfer by conduction and convection, and enables controlling the operating parameters. Finally, nutritional analyzes were performed in samples obtained by each drying technique evaluated. The crude protein content for sun drying, microwave assisted drying, oven drying and tunnel drying were 66.36 %, 67.91 %, 60.35 % and 62.33 % respectively, indicating that the drying method and operating parameters do not significantly affect the crude protein content.

OPTIMIZATION OF MICROWAVE AND AIR DRYING CONDITIONS OF QUINCE (CYDONIA OBLONGA, MILLER USING RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY

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Cem Baltacioglu

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Effects of slice thickness of quince (Cydonia oblonga Miller , microwave incident power and air drying temperature on antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of quince were investigated during drying in microwave and air drying. Optimum conditions were found to be: i for microwave drying, 285 W and 4.14 mm thick (maximum antioxidant activity and 285 W and 6.85 mm thick (maximum total phenolic content, and ii for air drying, 75 ºC and 1.2 mm thick (both maximum antioxidant activity and total phenolic content. Drying conditions were optimized by using the response surface methodology. 13 experiments were carried out considering incident microwave powers from 285 to 795 W, air temperature from 46 to 74 ºC and slice thickness from 1.2 to 6.8 mm.

The effect of residual water on antacid properties of sucralfate gel dried by microwaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Gainotti, Alessandro; Losi, Elena; Colombo, Paolo; Santi, Patrizia; Sonvico, Fabio; Baroni, Daniela; Massimo, Gina; Colombo, Gaia; Del Gaudio, Pasquale

2006-03-01

The aim of this work was to study the acid neutralization characteristics of microwave-dried sucralfate gel in relation to the water content and physical structure of the substance. Several dried sucralfate gels were compared with humid sucralfate gel and sucralfate nongel powder in terms of neutralization rate and buffering capacity. Humid sucralfate gel and microwave-dried gel exhibited antacid effectiveness. In particular, the neutralization rate of dried gel powders was inversely related to the water content: as the water content of dried powders decreased, the acid reaction rate linearly increased. The relationship was due to the different morphology of dried sucralfate gels. In fact, the porosity of the dried samples increased with the water reduction. However, the acid neutralization equivalent revealed that the dried sucralfate gel became more resistant to acid attack in the case of water content below 42%. Then, the microwave drying procedure had the opposite effect on the reactivity of the aluminum hydroxide component of dried sucralfate gel powders, since the rate of the reaction increased whereas the buffering capacity decreased as the amount of water was reduced.

Sample preservation for determination of organic compounds: microwave versus freeze-drying

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popp, M.; Lied, W.; Meyer, A.J.; Richter, A.; Schiller, P.; Schwitte, H.

1996-01-01

In search of a reliable drying method, which might be used even under field conditions, microwave drying was compared to freeze-drying of plant material. Leaves of Ananas comosus and Avicennia germinans as well as buds and phloem of Acer pseudoplatanus were used and checked for one or more of the following substances: sugars, sugar alcohols, organic and amino acids, total nitrogen, and glycinebetaine. With most samples good agreement was achieved between the two drying methods. Only in the case of the Ananas comosus leaves, which exhibited low pH and high water content, did appreciable differences occur in organic and amino acids. Besides that, sucrose was the compound most susceptible to alterations, which was especially evident when leaves of Sambucus nigra were dried in the two different compartments (condenser compartment, drying bell jar) of the freeze-dryer in use. For Ananas comosus leaf samples it was shown that microwaving can also be used prior to extraction of tissue sap. (author)

Generalization of drying curves in conductive/convective drying of cellulose

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M. Stenzel

2003-03-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work is to analyze the possibility of applying the drying curves generalization methodology to the conductive/convective hot plate drying of cellulose. The experiments were carried out at different heated plate temperatures and air velocities over the surface of the samples. This kind of approach is very interesting because it permits comparison of the results of different experiments by reducing them to only one set, which can be divided into two groups: the generalized drying curves and the generalized drying rate curves. The experimental apparatus is an attempt to reproduce the operational conditions of conventional paper dryers (ratio of paper/air movement and consists of a metallic box heated by a thermostatic bath containing an upper surface on which the cellulose samples are placed. Sample material is short- and long-fiber cellulose sheets, about 1 mm thick, and ambient air was introduced into the system by a adjustable blower under different conditions. Long-fiber cellulose generalized curves were obtained and analyzed first individually and then together with the short-fiber cellulose results from Motta Lima et al. (2000 a,b. Finally, a set of equations to fit the generalized curves obtained was proposed and discussed.

Studies on the Prevention of Over Heating on Microwave Heated Drying of Foods

OpenAIRE

姫, 徳衡; 久保田, 清; 羽倉, 義雄

1992-01-01

In previous papers (KUBOTA et al., 1990; Lu et al, 1990B), we have studied a convenient microwave heated drying instrument, and studied the simple drying-rate equations of potato and so on by using some shapes of samples. The browning according the temperature rises increased by increasing size of potato samples, and the browning location depended on the shape of samples. And then, we have studied the relationships between the size andlor shape and the browning on microwave heated drying of p...

Simultaneous Microwave Drying and Disinfectionof Flooded Books

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hájek, Milan; Ďurovič, M.; Paulusová, H.; Weberová, L.

2011-01-01

Roč. 31, č. 1 (2011), s. 1-7 ISSN 0034-5806 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40720504 Keywords : drying * disinfection * microwave Subject RIV: CI - Industrial Chemistry, Chemical Engineering Impact factor: 0.206, year: 2011 http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/rest.2011.32.issue-1/rest.2011.001/rest.2011.001. xml

Effect of residual water content on the physico-chemical properties of sucralfate dried gel obtained by microwave drying.

Science.gov (United States)

Gainotti, Alessandro; Losi, Elena; Bettini, Ruggero; Colombo, Paolo; Sonvico, Fabio; Baroni, Daniela; Santi, Patrizia; Colombo, Gaia

2005-08-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the physico-chemical characteristics of sucralfate humid gel dried by microwaves, in relation to the residual water content. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) allowed for the determination of the water state in sucralfate samples. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to monitor the changes in sucralfate gel structure induced by the microwave drying. A boundary value of total water content for sucralfate gel samples was found at 42% (w/w). Below this value only bound water was present, whereas above this value, the increase in total water was due to free water. In the physical form of gel, the strength of the coordination between sulfate anions and the positively charged aluminum hydroxide was dependent on the residual water content. The study of the sedimentation behavior of water suspensions prepared with dried sucralfate allowed for the evaluation of the retention of gel properties. We found that the microwave drying process affected the sedimentation of sucralfate dried gel suspensions independent of the residual water content: when suspensions were prepared from sucralfate dried gel powders containing more than 42% (w/w) of residual water, the sedimentation ratio was higher than 0.9. The non-gel powder suspension showed a sedimentation ratio of 0.68 +/- 0.02, whereas the sucralfate humid gel suspension did not sediment.

Influence of drying conditions on the effective diffusivity and activation energy during convective air and vacuum drying of pumpkin

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Liliana SEREMET (CECLU

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of the work is to investigate the efficiency of convective air and vacuum processing on pumpkin drying kinetics. The pumpkin samples were of two different geometrical shapes (cylinder and cube and were dried in a laboratory scale hot air dryer using some specific parameters (constant air velocity of 1.0 m/s, three different temperatures 50, 60 and 70ºC suited to relative humidity (RH values of 9.8, 6.5, and 5.4% respectively. The vacuum drying was led at constant pressures of 5 kPa and accordance temperatures of 50, 60 and 70ºC. Moisture transfer from pumpkin slices was described by applying Fick’s diffusion model. Temperature dependence of the effective diffusivity was described by the Arrhenius-type equation. Cylindrical samples have a slightly better behaviour compared to cubic samples, due to the disposition of the tissues, and the mass and thermic transfer possibilities. Analysing the results of both drying methods, it was deduced that the most efficient method is convective air drying at 70ºC.

Measuring the global distribution of intense convection over land with passive microwave radiometry

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer, R. W.; Santek, D. A.

1985-01-01

The global distribution of intense convective activity over land is shown to be measurable with satellite passive-microwave methods through a comparison of an empirical rain rate algorithm with a climatology of thunderstorm days for the months of June-August. With the 18 and 37 GHz channels of the Nimbus-7 Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR), the strong volume scattering effects of precipitation can be measured. Even though a single frequency (37 GHz) is responsive to the scattering signature, two frequencies are needed to remove most of the effect that variations in thermometric temperatures and soil moisture have on the brightness temperatures. Because snow cover is also a volume scatterer of microwave energy at these microwavelengths, a discrimination procedure involving four of the SMMR channels is employed to separate the rain and snow classes, based upon their differences in average thermometric temperature.

Silk cocoon drying in forced convection type solar dryer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Panna Lal

2011-01-01

The thin layer silk cocoon drying was studied in a forced convection type solar dryer. The drying chamber was provided with several trays on which the cocoons loaded in thin layer. The hot air generated in the solar air heater was forced into drying chamber to avoid the direct exposure of sunlight and UV radiation on cocoons. The drying air temperature varied from 50 to 75 o C. The cocoon was dried from the initial moisture content of about 60-12% (wb). The drying data was fitted to thin layer drying models. Drying behaviour of the silk cocoon was best fitted with the Wang and Singh drying model. Good agreement was obtained between predicted and experimental values. Quality of the cocoons dried in the solar dryer was at par with the cocoons dried in the conventional electrical oven dryer in term of the silk yield and strength of the silk. Saving of electrical energy was about 0.75 kWh/kg cocoons dried. Economic analysis indicated that the NPV of the solar dryer was higher and more stable (against escalation rate of electricity) as compare to the same for electrical oven dryer. Due to simplicity in design and construction and significant saving of operational electrical energy, solar cocoon dryer seems to be a viable option.

EFFECT OF MICROWAVE DRYING ON THE GRINDABILITY OF LIGNITE COAL

OpenAIRE

Güngören, Can; Özkan, Şafak Gökhan; Hacıfazlıoğlu, Hasan

2016-01-01

In this study, the representative lignite coal samples supplied from Kastamonu-Tosya region were dried in a conventional drying oven and a microwave oven, and then they were ground by a laboratory rod mill. The particle size analyses of the ground samples at various grinding times (10, 20, 30, and 60 minutes) were carried out, and the results were compared. As a result, the d80 particle sizes of the samples, dried in the conventional drying oven, were determined as 350, 183, 180, and 100 µm a...

Influence of combined pretreatments on color parameters during convective drying of Mirabelle plum ( Prunus domestica subsp. syriaca)

Science.gov (United States)

Dehghannya, Jalal; Gorbani, Rasoul; Ghanbarzadeh, Babak

2017-07-01

Discoloration and browning are caused primarily by various reactions, including Maillard condensation of hexoses and amino components, phenol polymerization and pigment destruction. Convective drying can be combined with various pretreatments to help reduce undesired color changes and improve color parameters of dried products. In this study, effects of ultrasound-assisted osmotic dehydration as a pretreatment before convective drying on color parameters of Mirabelle plum were investigated. Variations of L* (lightness), a* (redness/greenness), b* (yellowness/blueness), total color change (ΔE), chroma, hue angle and browning index values were presented versus drying time during convective drying of control and pretreated Mirabelle plums as influenced by ultrasonication time, osmotic solution concentration and immersion time in osmotic solution. Samples pretreated with ultrasound for 30 min and osmotic solution concentration of 70% had a more desirable color among all other pretreated samples, with the closest L*, a* and b* values to the fresh one, showing that ultrasound and osmotic dehydration are beneficial to the color of final products after drying.

Thin layer convective solar drying and mathematical modeling of prickly pear peel (Opuntia ficus indica)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lahsasni, Siham; Kouhila, Mohammed; Mahrouz, Mostafa; Idlimam, Ali; Jamali, Abdelkrim

2004-01-01

This paper presents the thin layer convective solar drying and mathematical modeling of prickly pear peel. For these purposes, an indirect forced convection solar dryer consisting of a solar air collector, an auxiliary heater, a circulation fan and a drying cabinet is used for drying experiments. Moreover, the prickly pear peel is sufficiently dried in the ranges of 32 to 36 deg. C of ambient air temperature, 50 to 60 deg. C of drying air temperature, 23 to 34% of relative humidity, 0.0277 to 0.0833 m 3 /s of drying air flow rate and 200 to 950 W/m 2 of daily solar radiation. The experimental drying curves show only a falling drying rate period. The main factor in controlling the drying rate was found to be the drying air temperature. The drying rate equation is determined empirically from the characteristic drying curve. Also, the experimental drying curves obtained were fitted to a number of mathematical models. The Midilli-Kucuk drying model was found to satisfactorily describe the solar drying curves of prickly pear peel with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.9998 and chi-square (χ 2 ) of 4.6572 10 -5

Dry matter genotypes of Cynodon by microwave and conventional oven methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Euclides Reuter de Oliveira

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The aimed of this work was to comparing the drying process in a microwave oven and forced air ventilation, as well as their effects on the chemical composition of different genotypes of the genus Cynodon (Tifton 85, Jiggs, Russell, Tifton 68 and Vaquero collected at different ages cutting (28, 48, 63 and 79 days. The experimental design was a randomized block in a split-plot design, with 4 replicates. There was no difference (P>0.05 between the methods analyzed on the chemical composition of the genotypes studied. Increasing age cutoff negatively influenced (P<0.05 the crude protein content of the different plant parts. A significant increase (P<0.05 of dry matter, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber and dry matter production was observed with increasing age cut. The use of the microwave oven is a quick and precise method obtain the dry matter content of the fodder showing efficiency similar to the method of drying in an oven with forced air circulation. The genotypes showed better chemical composition results when handled at age 28 days.

Quality of pomegranate pomace as affected by drying method.

Science.gov (United States)

Cano-Lamadrid, Marina; Lech, Krzysztof; Calín-Sánchez, Ángel; Rosas-Burgos, Ema Carina; Figiel, Adam; Wojdyło, Aneta; Wasilewska, Malwina; Carbonell-Barrachina, Ángel A

2018-03-01

During the industrial manufacturing of pomegranate juice, large amounts of pomace are produced. The aim of this work was to find the effective method to dry pomegranate pomace to open new commercial applications for this co-product. The effects of three drying methods: (i) convective drying (CD) at 50, 60, and 70 °C; (ii) vacuum microwave drying (VMD) at 240, 360, and 480 W, and (iii) a combined method (CPD-VMFD); convective pre-drying (60 °C) followed by vacuum microwave finish drying (360 W), on drying kinetics and quality of PomP (pomegranate pomace obtained after preparing pomegranate juice by squeezing only arils) were evaluated. The shortest treatments were VMD at 240 and 360 W (52 and 33 min, respectively); besides, these treatments led to interesting values of the green-red coordinate, a *, (12.2 and 4.1, respectively), total phenolic content (4.0 and 4.1 mg eq gallic acid g -1  dry weight, respectively), and antioxidant activity (30.8 and 29.0 µmol g -1  dry weight, respectively). On the other hand, this study demonstrated that this co-product is a rich source of punicic acid (average value = 66.4%), being a good opportunity for the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries. Moreover, no significant changes in the fatty acid profile was observed as affected by the drying treatments, and no off-flavors were generated by any of the drying methods.

Effect of Thermophysical Properties on Coupled Heat and Mass Transfer in Porous Material during Forced Convective Drying

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Wei Cai

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The convective drying kinetics of porous medium was investigated numerically. A mathematical model for forced convective drying was established to estimate the evolution of moisture content and temperature inside multilayered porous medium. The set of coupled partial differential equations with the specified boundary and initial conditions were solved numerically using a MATLAB code. An experimental setup of convective drying had been constructed and validated the theoretical model. The temperature and moisture content of the potato samples were dynamically measured and recorded during the drying process. Results indicate that thermal diffusion coefficient has significant positive impact on temperature distribution and mass diffusion coefficient might directly affect the moisture content distribution. Soret effect has a significant impact on heat flux and temperature distribution in the presence of large temperature gradient.

Simultaneous application of microwave energy and hot air to whole drying process of apple slices: drying kinetics, modeling, temperature profile and energy aspect

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Horuz, Erhan; Bozkurt, Hüseyin; Karataş, Haluk; Maskan, Medeni

2018-02-01

Drying kinetics, modeling, temperature profile and energy indices were investigated in apple slices during drying by a specially designed microwave-hot air domestic hybrid oven at the following conditions: 120, 150 and 180 W microwave powers coupled with 50, 60 and 70 °C air temperatures. Both sources of energy were applied simultaneously during the whole drying processes. The drying process continued until the moisture content of apple slices reached to 20% from 86.3% (wet basis, w.b). Drying times ranged from 330 to 800 min and decreased with increasing microwave power and air temperatures. The constant rate period was only observed at low microwave powers and air temperatures. Two falling rate periods were observed. Temperature of apple slices sharply increased within the first 60 min, then reached equilibrium with drying medium and finally increased at the end of the drying process. In order to describe drying behavior of apple slices nine empirical models were applied. The Modified Logistic Model fitted the best our experimental data ( R 2 = 0.9955-0.9998; χ 2 = 3.46 × 10-5-7.85 × 10-4 and RMSE = 0.0052-0.0221). The effective moisture and thermal diffusivities were calculated by Fick's second law and ranged from 1.42 × 10-9 to 3.31 × 10-9 m2/s and 7.70 × 10-9 to 12.54 × 10-9 m2/s, respectively. The activation energy ( Ea) values were calculated from effective moisture diffusivity ( Deff), thermal diffusivity ( α) and the rate constant of the best model ( k). The Ea values found from these three terms were similar and varied from 13.04 to 33.52 kJ/mol. Energy consumption and specific energy requirement of the hybrid drying of apple slices decreased and energy efficiency of the drying system increased with increasing microwave power and air temperature. Apples can be dried rapidly and effectively by use of the hybrid technique.

Effects of steam-microwave blanching and different drying processes on drying characteristics and quality attributes of Thunbergia laurifolia Linn. leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Phahom, Traiphop; Phoungchandang, Singhanat; Kerr, William L

2017-08-01

Dried Thunbergia laurifolia leaves are usually prepared using tray drying, resulting in products that have lost substantial amounts of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity. The maturity of the raw material, blanching techniques and drying methods were investigated in order to select the best condition to produce high qualities of dried T. laurifolia leaves. The 1st stage of maturity was selected and steam-microwave blanching (SMB) for 4 min was adequate for blanching leading to the maximum recovery of bioactive compounds. The modified Halsey model was the best desorption isotherm model. A new drying model proposed in this study was the best to fit the drying curves as compared to five common drying models. Moisture diffusivities were increased with the increase of drying temperature when combining SMB and heat pump-dehumidified drying. Microwave heat pump-dehumidified drying (MHPD) provided the shortest drying time, high specific moisture extraction rate (SMER) and could reduce drying time by 67.5% and increase caffeic acid and quercetin by 51.24% and 60.89%, respectively. MHPD was found to be the best drying method and provided the highest antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds content, high SMER and short drying time. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Thin layer convective solar drying and mathematical modeling of prickly pear peel (Opuntia ficus indica)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lahsasni, S.; Mahrouz, M. [Unite de Chimie Agroalimentaire (LCOA), Faculte des Sciences Semlalia, Marrakech (Morocco); Kouhila, M.; Idlimam, A.; Jamali, A. [Ecole Normale Superieure, Marrakech (Morocco). Lab. d' Energie Solaire et Plantes Aromatiques et Medicinales

2004-02-01

This paper presents the thin layer convective solar drying and mathematical modeling of prickly pear peel. For these purposes, an indirect forced convection solar dryer consisting of a solar air collector, an auxiliary heater, a circulation fan and a drying cabinet is used for drying experiments. Moreover, the prickly pear peel is sufficiently dried in the ranges of 32 to 36 {sup o} C of ambient air temperature, 50 to 60 {sup o}C of drying air temperature, 23 to 34% of relative humidity, 0.0277 to 0.0833 m{sup 3}/s of drying air flow rate and 200 to 950 W/m{sup 2} of daily solar radiation. The experimental drying curves show only a falling drying rate period. The main factor in controlling the drying rate was found to be the drying air temperature. The drying rate equation is determined empirically from the characteristic drying curve. Also, the experimental drying curves obtained were fitted to a number of mathematical models. The Midilli-Kucuk drying model was found to satisfactorily describe the solar drying curves of prickly pear peel with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.9998 and chi-square ({chi}{sup 2}) of 4.6572 10{sup -5}. (Author)

Thin layer convective air drying of wild edible plant (Allium roseum) leaves: experimental kinetics, modeling and quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Ben Haj Said, Leila; Najjaa, Hanen; Farhat, Abdelhamid; Neffati, Mohamed; Bellagha, Sihem

2015-06-01

The present study deals with the valorization of an edible spontaneous plant of the Tunisian arid areas: Allium roseum. This plant is traditionally used for therapeutic and culinary uses. Thin-layer drying behavior of Allium roseum leaves was investigated at 40, 50 and 60 °C drying air temperatures and 1 and l.5 m/s air velocity, in a convective dryer. The increase in air temperature significantly affected the moisture loss and reduced the drying time while air velocity was an insignificant factor during drying of Allium roseum leaves. Five models selected from the literature were found to satisfactorily describe drying kinetics of Allium roseum leaves for all tested drying conditions. Drying data were analyzed to obtain moisture diffusivity values. During the falling rate-drying period, moisture transfer from Allium roseum leaves was described by applying the Fick's diffusion model. Moisture diffusivity varied from 2.55 × 10(-12) to 8.83 × 10(-12) m(2)/s and increased with air temperature. Activation energy during convective drying was calculated using an exponential expression based on Arrhenius equation and ranged between 46.80 and 52.68 kJ/mol. All sulfur compounds detected in the fresh leaves were detected in the dried leaves. Convective air drying preserved the sulfur compounds potential formation.

Convective model of a microwave discharge in a gas at atmospheric pressure in the form of a spatially localized plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skovoroda, A.A.

1997-01-01

Experiments and a theoretical model consistent with them are presented which show that a stationary microwave discharge in a gas at atmospheric pressure under the action of free convection due to the action of the buoyant force on the heated air can be spatially localized, taking a spheroidal shape. Vortex motion inside the spheroid gives this localized plasma formation some of the properties of a material body which are manifested in a distinct material isolation from the surrounding space, in the formation of a narrow thermal boundary layer and flow separation, and in the formation of secondary vortices in the wake region. The characteristic radius of the stationary localized plasma is governed mainly by the wavelength of the microwave radiation a∼0.137λ. Energy balance is established to a significant degree by convective cooling of the microwave-heated structure

Mathematical modeling of microwave dried celery leaves and determination of the effective moisture diffusivities and activation energy

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Ilknur Alibas

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Celery (Apium graveolens L. var. secalinum Alef leaves with 50±0.07 g weight and 91.75±0.15% humidity (~11.21 db were dried using 8 different microwave power densities ranging between 1.8-20 W g-1, until the humidity fell down to 8.95±0.23% (~0.1 db. Microwave drying processes were completed between 5.5 and 77 min depending on the microwave power densities. In this study, measured values were compared with predicted values obtained from twenty thin layer drying theoretical, semi-empirical and empirical equations with a new thin layer drying equation. Within applied microwave power density; models whose coefficient and correlation (R² values are highest were chosen as the best models. Weibull distribution model gave the most suitable predictions at all power density. At increasing microwave power densities, the effective moisture diffusivity values ranged from 1.595 10-10 to 6.377 10-12 m2 s-1. The activation energy was calculated using an exponential expression based on Arrhenius equation. The linear relationship between the drying rate constant and effective moisture diffusivity gave the best fit.

A New Freezing Method Using Pre-Dehydration by Microwave-Vacuum Drying

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuruta, Takaharu; Hamidi, Nurkholis

Partial dehydration by microwave-vacuum drying has been applied to tuna and strawberry in order to reduce cell-damages caused by the formation of large ice-crystals during freezing. The samples were subjected to microwave vacuum drying at pressure of 5 kPa and temperature less than 27°C to remove small amount of water prior to freezing. The tuna were cooled by using the freezing chamber at temperature -50°C or -150°C, while the strawberries were frozen at temperature -30°C or -80°C, respectively. The temperature transients in tuna showed that removing some water before freezing made the freezing time shorter. The observations of ice crystal clearly indicated that rapid cooling and pre-dehydration prior to freezing were effective in minimizing the size of ice crystal. It is also understood that the formation of large ice crystals has a close relation to the cell damages. After thawing, the observation of microstructure was done on the tuna and strawberry halves. The pre-dehydrated samples showed a better structure than the un-dehydrated one. It is concluded that the pre-dehydration by microwave-vacuum drying is one promising method for the cryo-preservation of foods.

New model for colour kinetics of plum under infrared vacuum condition and microwave drying.

Science.gov (United States)

Chayjan, Reza Amiri; Alaei, Behnam

2016-01-01

Quality of dried foods is affected by the drying method and physiochemical changes in tissue. The drying method affects properties such as colour. The colour of processed food is one of the most important quality indices and plays a determinant role in consumer acceptability of food materials and the processing method. The colour of food materials can be used as an indirect factor to determine changes in quality, since it is simpler and faster than chemical methods. The study focused on the kinetics of colour changes of plum slices, under infrared vacuum and microwave conditions. Drying the samples was implemented at the absolute pressures of 20 and 60 kPa, drying temperatures of 50 and 60°C and microwave power of 90, 270, 450 and 630 W. Colour changes were quantified by the tri-stimulus L* (whiteness/darkness), a* (redness/greenness) and b* (yellowness/blueness) model, which is an international standard for color measurement developed by the Commission Internationale d'Eclairage (CIE). These values were also used to calculate total colour change (∆E), chroma, hue angle, and browning index (BI). A new model was used for mathematical modelling of colour change kinetics. The drying process changed the colour parameters of L*, a*, and b*, causing a colour shift toward the darker region. The values of L* and hue angle decreased, whereas the values of a*, b*, ∆E, chroma and browning index increased during exposure to infrared vacuum conditions and microwave drying. Comparing the results obtained using the new model with two conventional models of zero-order and first-order kinetics indicated that the new model presented more compatibility with the data of colour kinetics for all colour parameters and drying conditions. All kinetic changes in colour parameters can be explained by the new model presented in this study. The hybrid drying system included infrared vacuum conditions and microwave power for initial slow drying of plum slices and provided the desired

Experimental Investigation of Solar Drying for Orange Peels by Forced convection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ben Slama, Romdhane; Mechlouch, Fethi; Ben Daoud, Houcine

2009-01-01

Solar drier does not degrade any more the dried products with the manner of the products dried at the natural sun. The drying unit is composed mainly of a solar air collector and an enclosure of drying. The transformation of the solar radiation into heat is done thanks to the solar collector whose effectiveness is increased by the addition of suitable baffles in the mobile air vein. The efficiency of the collector reaches then 80. The hot air on the outlet side of the collector arrives in the enclosure of drying where the heat transfer with the product to be dried is done by convection. The kinetics drying study shows that in addition to the dependence of the temperature and air velocity of drying, the speed of drying also depends on fragmentation on the product to dry, and mainly, of the product surface in contact with the drying air. Thus, the hygrometry is reduced from 76 to 13 pour cent in one day.. The total efficiency of the drier reached 28 pour cent

Microwave/vacuum drying treatment of radioactively contaminated animal carcasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Zongming; Zhang Yinsheng; Teng Hongdi; Zhu Chongde; Ge Lixin; Wang Jinliang

1994-01-01

The paper describes a microwave/vacuum drying process for the treatment of radioactively contaminated animal carcasses. The experiment demonstrated the feasibility of the process. The treatment process could completely remove the water from carcasses and effectively extend the preservation period. No radiological impact was found on workplace and environment

Drying behaviour, effective diffusivity and energy of activation of olive leaves dried by microwave, vacuum and oven drying methods

Science.gov (United States)

Elhussein, Elaf Abdelillah Ali; Şahin, Selin

2018-01-01

Drying is the crucial food processing for bioactive components from plant materials before strating extraction in addition to preservation of raw plant materials during storage period. Olive leaves were dried by various methods such as microwave drying (MD), oven drying (OD) and vacuum drying (VD) at several temperature values in the present study. Mathematical models allow to develop, design and control the processes. 14 emprical equations were used to estimate the drying behaviour and the time required for drying. Convenience of the models were evaluated according to the correlation coefficient (R 2 ), varience (S 2 ) and root mean square deviation (D RMS ). On the other hand, the effective diffusion coefficient and energy for activation were also calculated. Effects of the drying methods on the total phenolic (TPC), flavonoid (TFC) and oleuropein contents and free radical scavenging activity (FRSA) of the olive leaves were also investigated to take into considiration the quality of the dried product. MD has proved to be the fastest drying method having the highest effective diffusivity and the lowest activation energy with a more qualitive product.

Recent developments in high efficient freeze-drying of fruits and vegetables assisted by microwave: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Kai; Zhang, Min; Mujumdar, Arun S

2018-01-10

Microwave heating has been applied in the drying of high-value solids as it affords a number of advantages, including shorter drying time and better product quality. Freeze-drying at cryogenic temperature and extremely low pressure provides the advantage of high product quality, but at very high capital and operating costs due partly to very long drying time. Freeze-drying coupled with a microwave heat source speeds up the drying rate and yields good quality products provided the operating unit is designed and operated to achieve the potential for an absence of hot spot developments. This review is a survey of recent developments in the modeling and experimental results on microwave-assisted freeze-drying (MFD) over the past decade. Owing to the high costs involved, so far all applications are limited to small-scale operations for the drying of high-value foods such as fruits and vegetables. In order to promote industrial-scale applications for a broader range of products further research and development efforts are needed to offset the current limitations of the process. The needs and opportunities for future research and developments are outlined.

Investigation of microwave assisted drying of samples and evaporation of aqueous solutions in trace element analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maichin, B.; Knapp, G. [Technische Univ., Graz (Austria). Inst. fuer Analytische Chemie, Mikro- und Radiochemie; Kettisch, P. [Anton Paar GmbH, Graz (Austria)

2000-01-01

Investigations of microwave assisted drying of sample materials and microwave assisted evaporation of aqueous sample solutions and acidic digestion residues were accomplished by means of special rotors for the microwave digestion system MULTIWAVE. To check the results obtained by microwave assisted drying, the samples were also conventionally dried at 105 C in an oven. The following samples have been dried: 10 g each of meat, fish, apple, cucumber, potato, mustard, yogurt, clay and marl; 1 g each of certified reference material TORT 2 (lobster hepatopancreas), BCR 278 (mussel tissue) and BCR 422 (cod muscle); 500 g garden mould. Microwave assisted drying takes 40 min for organic samples and 30 min for inorganic material. Important is a slow increase of microwave power during the first 20 min. The results agree well with conventional drying at 105 C. Losses of As, Se and Hg have been investigated for 3 CRMs. Only Se shows losses in the range of 20%. Losses of As, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Se, Sr, Ti, Tl, V and Zn after evaporation of aqueous samples and acidic solutions after wet digestion, respectively, have been investigated. 50 mL aqueous solution was evaporated almost to dryness within 25 min. The recovery of Hg is 40-50%, of Se 90-95% and of the other elements 97-102%. 0.2 g each of TORT 2, BCR 278 and BCR 422 have been digested with 4 mL nitric acid and 1 mL hydrochloric acid by means of the microwave digestion system MULTIWAVE. The digestion residue was evaporated almost to dryness and dissolved again in 10 mL diluted nitric acid. In this case no element losses have been observed. The measured concentration of As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Hg, Pb, Mo, Ni, Se, Sr, V and Zn agree very well with the certified values. An important prerequisite for good recoveries is not to evaporate the solutions to complete dryness. (orig.)

Analysis of ginger drying inside a natural convection indirect solar dryer: An experimental study

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S. K. Sansaniwal

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a natural convection indirect solar cabinet dryer has been fabricated to study the drying behaviour of ginger rhizomes in terms of its convective heat transfer coefficient and moisture removing rate (% db. Various experiments were conducted during the months of March and April 2014 at Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar (29o5’5’’N, 75o45’55’’E, India. Experimental data obtained were used to evaluate the Nusselt number constants using linear regression method. Considering these constants, the average value of convective heat transfer coefficient was obtained and observed to decrease with increase in mass of ginger samples and progression of drying days with variation from 0.59 to 5.42 W/m2˚C for different mass of ginger samples. The moisture removing rate was reported to increase with increase in mass of ginger samples and decreases significantly with the progression of drying days. The average collector efficiency was also observed to vary from 14.97 to 16.14% under increasing and decreasing trends of solar radiations from morning to noon and noon to evening respectively. Modified page model was reported best for describing the drying behaviour of different mass of ginger samples. The experimental error in terms of percent uncertainty ranged from 29.19 to 46.25%.

Effects of intermittent CO2 convection under far-infrared radiation on vacuum drying of pre-osmodehydrated watermelon.

Science.gov (United States)

Chakraborty, Rajat; Mondal, Pijus

2017-08-01

Watermelon, a tropical seasonal fruit with high nutrient content, requires preservation through drying due to its perishable nature. Nevertheless, drying of watermelon through conventional processes has a negative impact either on the drying time or on the final product quality. In this work, osmotic dehydration of watermelon followed by far-infrared radiation-assisted vacuum drying (FIRRAVD) was optimized to develop dehydrated watermelon with minimum moisture content. Significantly, during FIRRAVD, an attempt was made to further intensify the drying rate by forced convection through intermittent CO 2 injection. Drying kinetics of each operation and physicochemical qualities of dried products were evaluated. FIRRAVD was a viable method of watermelon drying with appreciably high moisture diffusivity (D eff,m ) of 4.97 × 10 -10 to 1.49 × 10 -9 m 2 s -1 compared to conventional tray drying. Moreover, intermittent CO 2 convection during FIRRAVD (ICFIRRAVD) resulted in appreciable intensification of drying rate, with enhanced D eff,m (9.93 × 10 -10 to 1.99 × 10 -9 m 2 s -1 ). Significantly, ICFIRRAVD required less energy and approximately 16% less time compared to FIRRAVD. The quality of the final dehydrated watermelon was superior compared to conventional drying protocols. The novel CO 2 convective drying of watermelon in the presence of far-infrared radiation demonstrated an energy-efficient and time-saving operation rendering a dehydrated watermelon with acceptable quality parameters. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Kinetics, biocompounds, antioxidant activity, and sensory attributes of quinces as affected by drying method.

Science.gov (United States)

Szychowski, Przemysław J; Lech, Krzysztof; Sendra-Nadal, Esther; Hernández, Francisca; Figiel, Adam; Wojdyło, Aneta; Carbonell-Barrachina, Ángel A

2018-07-30

Quinces are attracting interest due to their health and nutritional benefits. Drying kinetics, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and the main sensory parameters were determined in dried quinces, cultivar Leskovač, as affected by the drying method. The highest total polyphenols content was observed in dried samples obtained after freeze drying and convective drying at 50 °C. The best drying treatment, considering only sensory attributes, was vacuum-microwave drying at 480 W, because it led to intermediate dark color and high intensities of basic tastes and key flavor attributes. The studied parameters were finally used to recommend convective drying at 60 °C as the most appropriate drying method for quinces, because it had a high content of total phenolic compounds (2nd best treatment out of 10), a good sensory profile, was cheap, and caused no negative effects on nutritional or sensory parameters; the only disadvantage was its long drying time. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Changes of hydrogen peroxide and radical-scavenging activity of raspberry during osmotic, convective, and freeze-drying.

Science.gov (United States)

Novaković, Miroslav M; Stevanović, Snežana M; Gorjanović, Stanislava Ž; Jovanovic, Predrag M; Tešević, Vele V; Janković, Miodrag A; Sužnjević, Desanka Ž

2011-05-01

This study was conducted to investigate the influence of different drying treatments on antioxidant (AO) activity and phenolic content of raspberry (Rubus idaeus), cultivar Willamette. Whole raspberry fruits were dried convectively (air-drying), osmotically, and freeze-dried. Acetone-water extracts of fresh and dried raspberries were assessed for total phenolic content by standard Folin-Ciocalteau method. Two AO assays were applied, a recently developed direct current (DC) polarographic assay based on decrease of anodic oxidation current of hydrogen peroxide and widely used radical scavenge against the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Strong correlation has been obtained between both AO assays and total phenolic content. In addition, some individual phenolic compounds present in raspberry have been assessed using DPPH and DC polarographic assay. Comparison and evaluation of drying methods has been based on preservation of AO activity and total phenolic content. Obtained results confirmed superiority of freeze-drying; convective drying caused slight changes while osmotic dehydration showed a significant decrease of phenolic compounds and AO activity. © 2011 Institute of Food Technologists®

Desorption isotherms, drying characteristics and qualities of glace tropical fruits undergoing forced convection solar drying

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jamradloedluk, Jindaporn; Wiriyaumpaiwong, Songchai [Mahasarakham Univ. Khamriang, Kantarawichai, Mahasarakham (Thailand)

2008-07-01

Solar energy, a form of sustainable energy, has a great potential for a wide variety of applications because it is abundant and accessible, especially for countries located in the tropical region. Drying process is one of the prominent techniques for utilization of solar energy. This research work proposes a forced convection solar drying of osmotically pretreated fruits viz. mango, guava, and pineapple. The fruit cubes with a dimension of 1cm x 1cm x 1cm were immersed in 35% w./w. sucrose solution prior to the drying process. Drying kinetics, color and hardness of the final products obtained from solar drying were investigated and compared with those obtained from open air-sun drying. Desorption isotherms of the osmosed fruits were also examined and five mathematical models were used to fit the desorption curves. Experimental results revealed that solar drying provided higher drying rate than natural sun drying. Color of glace fruit processed by solar drying was more intense, indicated by lower value of lightness and higher value of yellowness, than that processed by sun drying. Hardness of the products dehydrated by both drying methods, however, was not significantly different (p>0.05). Validation of the mathematical models developed showed that the GAB model was most effective for describing desorption isotherms of osmotically pretreated mango and pineapple whereas Peleg's model was most effective for describing desorption isotherms of osmotically pretreated guava. (orig.)

Convective drying of chilies using a concentrating solar collector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanif, M.; Khattak, M.K.; Aamir, M.

2015-01-01

A concentrating solar collector was developed for convective drying of green chilies by providing optimum drying environment. A temperature in the range of 45-65 degree C and relative humidity of less than 10% was observed during the drying period provided by the solar collector from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Different levels of drying temperature and air mass flow rates were tested to find their effect on drying time of the chilies. The experiment was laid out as a randomized complete block design with a factorial arrangement of the treatments consisting of 3 levels of temperature and 3 levels of air mass flow rate, replicated 3 times. Drying temperature and air mass flow rates effected the drying time significantly. The means comparison showed that minimum drying time of 17.96 h was recorded at high temperature of 65 degree C followed by a drying time of 20.27 and 21.43 h at temperatures of 55 and 45 degree C. The means of air mass flow rates showed that minimum drying time of 18.49 h was noted at high air mass flow rate of 3.50 kg min-1 followed by 20.32 and 20.86 h at air mass flow rates of 1.5 and 2.30 kg min-l. Chilies dried at temperature of 65 degree C and air mass flow rate of 3.5 kg min-1 showed an average drying rate of 0.02 g(H20)hrl cm-2as compared to the slow drying rates at 55 and 45 degree C. It was concluded that chilies must be dried at high temperature and high air mass flow rates to get on time quality dried chilies. (author)

The Effect of Selected Fruit Juice Concentrates Used as Osmotic Agents on the Drying Kinetics and Chemical Properties of Vacuum-Microwave Drying of Pumpkin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krzysztof Lech

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The study examined the osmotic dehydration of pumpkin slices in chokeberry, flowering quince, and raspberry concentrated juices. Products obtained were subjected to vacuum-microwave finish drying (VMD. The objective of the study was to evaluate the drying kinetics and the chemical properties, that is, total polyphenolics content and antioxidant capacity of the vacuum-microwave-dried pumpkin products. The concentration and temperature of the juices were 40°Brix and 45°C, respectively. The pumpkin slices were pretreated in concentrated juices for 0.5, 1, 2, 3, and 6 hours. Vacuum-microwave finish drying was carried out at the power of magnetrons that ensured the maintenance of the safe temperature (below 90°C of the slices measured with the use of infrared camera. The results of the study showed that the moisture content of samples during the pretreatment in concentrated juices was decreasing until the equilibrium stage. The logarithmic model was used to describe the drying kinetics of pumpkin during VMD. Osmotic pretreatment resulted in a decrease in colour coordinates, improved the antioxidant activity of dried product, and prolonged the duration of VMD.

PERFORMANCE OF A FORCED CONVECTION SOLAR DRIER INTEGRATED WITH GRAVEL AS HEAT STORAGE MATERIAL FOR CHILI DRYING

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M. MOHANRAJ

2009-09-01

Full Text Available An indirect forced convection solar drier integrated with different sensible heat storage maternal has been developed and tested its performance for drying chili under the metrological conditions of Pollachi, India. The system consists of a flat plate solar air heater with heat storage unit, a drying chamber and a centrifugal blower. Drying experiments have been performed at an air flow rate of 0.25 kg/s. Drying of chili in a forced convection solar drier reduces the moisture content from around 72.8% (wet basis to the final moisture content about 9.1% in 24 h. Average drier efficiency was estimated to be about 21%. The specific moisture extraction rate was estimated to be about 0.87 kg/kWh.

Effect of different drying methods on moisture ratio and rehydration of pumpkin slices.

Science.gov (United States)

Seremet Ceclu, Liliana; Botez, Elisabeta; Nistor, Oana-Viorela; Andronoiu, Doina Georgeta; Mocanu, Gabriel-Danut

2016-03-15

This study was carried to determine the influence of hot air drying process and combined methods on physicochemical properties of pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) samples. The experiments in hot air chamber were lead at 50, 60 and 70 °C. The combined method consists of a triple combination of the main drying techniques. Thus, in first stage the samples were dried in hot air convection at 60 °C followed by hot air ventilation at 40 °C simultaneous with microwave. The time required to reduce the moisture content to any given level was highly dependent on the drying conditions. So, the highest value of drying time in hot air has been 540 min at 50 °C, while the lowest time has been 189 min in hot air combined by microwave at 40 °C and a power of 315 W. The samples dried by hot air shows a higher rehydration capacity than samples dried by combined method. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

STATISTIC MODELING OF DRYING KINETHIC OF SPINACH LEAVES USING MICROWAVE AND HOT AIR METHODS

OpenAIRE

Mojtaba Nouri; Marzieh Vahdani; Shilan Rashidzadeh; Lukáš Hleba; Mohammad Ali Shariati

2015-01-01

The target of this study was to model of spinach leaves drying using microwave and hot air dryer. This test performed in combination treatment of temperatures (50°C, 60°C, and 70°C) and microwave (90, 180, 360, 600 and 900w) in 3 replications. Sample moisture measured within drying. All the results were fitted and analyzed with 8 mathematical models base on 3 parameters including determination (R2), Chi square(X2), root mean square errors(RSME). Results also revealed that temperature and micr...

Low temperature hot air drying of potato cubes subjected to osmotic dehydration and intermittent microwave: drying kinetics, energy consumption and product quality indexes

Science.gov (United States)

Dehghannya, Jalal; Bozorghi, Somayyeh; Heshmati, Maryam Khakbaz

2018-04-01

Hot-air drying is a slow energy-extensive process. Use of intermittent microwave (IM) in hot-air (HA) drying of food products is characterized with advantages including reduced process time, energy saving, and improved final quality. In this study, the effect of IM-HA drying following an osmotic dehydration (OD) pretreatment was analyzed on qualitative and quantitative properties of the output (i.e. effective moisture diffusion coefficient (Deff), shrinkage, bulk density, rehydration and energy consumption). Temperature and airflow velocity were fixed at 40°C and 1 m/s, respectively. The process variables included sucrose solution concentration at five levels (0 or control, 10, 30, 50 and 70 w/w%), microwave output power at four levels (0 or control, 360, 600 and 900 W), and pulse ratio at four levels (1, 2, 3 and 4). Use of osmotic dehydration in combination with IM-HA drying reduced the drying time by up to about 54%. Increasing the osmotic solution concentration to 30% and using higher pulse ratios increased the Deff. The lowest shrinkage and bulk density as well as the highest rehydration belonged to the 900 W microwave power and pulse ratio of 4. The lowest energy consumption was observed when using the 900 W power level, showing 63.27% less consumption than the HA drying method.

Mediterranean hurricanes: large-scale environment and convective and precipitating areas from satellite microwave observations

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C. Claud

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Subsynoptic scale vortices that have been likened to tropical cyclones or polar lows (medicanes are occasionally observed over the Mediterranean Sea. Generated over the sea, they are usually associated with strong winds and heavy precipitation and thus can be highly destructive in islands and costal areas. Only an accurate forecasting of such systems could mitigate these effects. However, at the moment, the predictability of these systems remains limited.

Due to the scarcity of conventional observations, use is made of NOAA/MetOp satellite observations, for which advantage can be taken of the time coverage differences between the platforms that carry it, to give a very complete temporal description of the disturbances. A combination of AMSU-B (Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-B/MHS (Microwave Humidity Sounder observations permit to investigate precipitation associated with these systems while coincident AMSU-A (Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A observations give insights into the larger synoptic-scale environment in which they occur.

Three different cases (in terms of intensity, location, trajectory, duration, and periods of the year – May, September and December, respectively were investigated. Throughout these time periods, AMSU-A observations show that the persisting deep outflow of cold air over the sea together with an upper-level trough upstream constituted a favourable environment for the development of medicanes. AMSU-B/MHS based diagnostics show that convection and precipitation areas are large in the early stage of the low, but significantly reduced afterwards. Convection is maximum just after the upper-level trough, located upstream of cold mid-tropospheric air, reached its maximum intensity and acquired a cyclonic orientation.

Performance of a Forced-Convection Greenhouse Dryer for Fish Drying

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Martunis Martunis

2013-04-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT. This research present experimental performance of a forced convection greenhouse dryer for drying of fish. The greenhouse dryer was installed at Aceh province, Indonesia. It has a concrete floor with the area of 6×4 m2. The roof of dryer is built in semi-cylindrical shape and covered with transparent polycarbonate sheets. Two axial flow fans powered by a 50-watt solar cell module was used to generate forced convection for ventilating the dryer.To investigate its performance, the dryer was used to dry two batches of fish. The Results showed that to dry 50 kg fish with initial moisture 68 % required 11 hours. Incontrast, to dry the same amount of fish using sun drying take a time about 2 days. The air temperature inside greenhouse dryer at noon in the clear day was 45-55°C. Kinerja Pengering Rumah Kaca Dengan Metode Konveksi Paksa Untuk Pengeringan Ikan ABSTRAK. Penelitian ini memperlihatkan hasil percobaan terhadap kinerja pengering rumah kaca dengan metode konveksi udara secara paksa pada pengeringan ikan. Penelitian pengering rumah kaca ini dilakukan di Propinsi Aceh, Indonesia. Pengering ini berlantaikan beton dengan luas sebesar 6x4 m2. .Atapnya dibuat berbentuk semi-selinder dan ditutup dengan lembaran plastik transparan berbahan polikarbonat. Dua buah kipas dengan aliran udara secara aksial dipasang dengan sumber daya berasal dari panel surya sebesar 50 Watt dan dipakai untuk menghasilkan konveksi udara paksa pada ventilasi pengering. Untuk menginvestigasi kinerja rumah kaca ini, pengering ini digunakan untuk mengeringkan dua tumpukan ikan. Hasilnya menunjukkan bahwa untuk mengeringkan sebanyak 50 kg ikan dengan kadar air awalnya sebesar 68% membutuhkan waktu selama 11 jam. Sebaliknya, dengan menggunakan sinar matahari secara langsung, untuk mengeringkan ikan dengan jumlah yang sama, maka waktu yang dibutuhkan lebih lama yaitu sekitar 2 hari. Suhu udara di dalam rumah pengering tepat pada siang hari yang cerah berkisar antara 45

Microwave Heating of a Liquid Stably Flowing in a Circular Channel Under the Conditions of Nonstationary Radiative-Convective Heat Transfer

Science.gov (United States)

Salomatov, V. V.; Puzyrev, E. M.; Salomatov, A. V.

2018-05-01

A class of nonlinear problems of nonstationary radiative-convective heat transfer under the microwave action with a small penetration depth is considered in a stabilized coolant flow in a circular channel. The solutions to these problems are obtained, using asymptotic procedures at the stages of nonstationary and stationary convective heat transfer on the heat-radiating channel surface. The nonstationary and stationary stages of the solution are matched, using the "longitudinal coordinate-time" characteristic. The approximate solutions constructed on such principles correlate reliably with the exact ones at the limiting values of the operation parameters, as well as with numerical and experimental data of other researchers. An important advantage of these solutions is that they allow the determination of the main regularities of the microwave and thermal radiation influence on convective heat transfer in a channel even before performing cumbersome calculations. It is shown that, irrespective of the heat exchange regime (nonstationary or stationary), the Nusselt number decreases and the rate of the surface temperature change increases with increase in the intensity of thermal action.

Physical quality characteristics of the microwave-dried breadfruit powders due to different processing conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Taruna, I.; Hakim, A. L.; Sutarsi

2018-03-01

Production of breadfruit powder has been an option to make easy its uses in various food processing. Accordingly, there is a need recently to apply advanced drying method, i.e. microwave drying, for improving quality since conventional methods produced highly variable product quality and required longer process. The present work was aimed to study the effect of microwave power and grinding time on physical quality of breadfruit powders. The experiment was done initially by drying breadfruit slices in a microwave dryer at power level of 420, 540, and 720 W and then grinding for 3, 5, and 7 min to get powdery product of less than 80 mesh. The physical quality of breadfruit powders were measured in terms of fineness modulus (FM), average particle size (D), whiteness (WI), total color difference (ΔE), water absorption (Wa), oil absorption (La), bulk density (ρb) and consistency gel (Gc). The results showed that physical quality of powders and its ranged-values included the FM (2.08-2.62), D (0.44-0.68 mm), WI (75.2-77.9), ΔE (7.4-10.5), Wa (5.5-6.2 ml/g), La (0.7-0.9 ml/g), ρb (0.62-0.70 g/cm3) and Gc (41.3-46.8 mm). The experiment revealed that variation of microwave power and grinding time affected significantly the quality of the breadfruit powders. However, microwave power was more dominant factor to affect quality of breadfruit powder in comparison to the grinding time.

Advanced Drying Process for Lower Manufacturing Cost of Electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmad, Iftikhar [Lambda Technologies, Inc., Morrisville, NC (United States); Zhang, Pu [Lambda Technologies, Inc., Morrisville, NC (United States)

2016-11-30

For this Vehicle Technologies Incubator/Energy Storage R&D topic, Lambda Technologies teamed with Navitas Systems and proposed a new advanced drying process that promised a 5X reduction in electrode drying time and significant reduction in the cost of large format lithium batteries used in PEV's. The operating principle of the proposed process was to use penetrating radiant energy source Variable Frequency Microwaves (VFM), that are selectively absorbed by the polar water or solvent molecules instantly in the entire volume of the electrode. The solvent molecules are thus driven out of the electrode thickness making the process more efficient and much faster than convective drying method. To evaluate the Advanced Drying Process (ADP) a hybrid prototype system utilizing VFM and hot air flow was designed and fabricated. While VFM drives the solvent out of the electrode thickness, the hot air flow exhausts the solvent vapors out of the chamber. The drying results from this prototype were very encouraging. For water based anodes there is a 5X drying advantage (time & length of oven) in using ADP over standard drying system and for the NMP based cathodes the reduction in drying time has 3X benefit. For energy savings the power consumption measurements were performed to ADP prototype and compared with the convection standard drying oven. The data collected demonstrated over 40% saving in power consumption with ADP as compared to the convection drying systems. The energy savings are one of the operational cost benefits possible with ADP. To further speed up the drying process, the ADP prototype was explored as a booster module before the convection oven and for the electrode material being evaluated it was possible to increase the drying speed by a factor of 4, which could not be accomplished with the standard dryer without surface defects and cracks. The instantaneous penetration of microwave in the entire slurry thickness showed a major advantage in rapid drying of

Effect of microwave and air drying of parboiled rice on stabilization of rice bran oil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rizk, Laila F.

1995-06-01

Full Text Available Two rice varieties, Giza 175 (short grain and Giza 181 (long grain were partDoiled by soaking the grains at room temperature for 20 hours and steaming for 15 min then dried either at room temperature or by microwave. The results indicated that air and microwave drying significantly increased oil extraction in both rice bran varieties. Parboiling followed by air or microwave drying produced a slight change on protein, fiber and ash content of rice bran and reduced the development of free fatty acids (F.F.A. In oil bran. Microwave samples have less F.F.A. content than the corresponding samples air dried. Oils from the cold stored rice bran presented lower F.F.A. than the corresponding oil bran stored at room temperature. The ratio between total unsaturated fatty acids and total saturated ones (Tu/Ts decreased after air and microwave drying. Results also show that air drying increased the ratio of total hydrocarbons and total sterols (Tu/Ts in both varieties while microwave decreased it.

Dos variedades de arroz, Giza 175 (grano corto y Giza 181 (grano largo se precocieron mediante la puesta en remojo de los granos a temperatura ambiente durante 20 horas y cocimiento al vapor durante 15 minutos, luego se secaron a temperatura ambiente o por microondas. Los resultados indicaron que el secado al aire y en microondas aumentó significativamente la extracción del aceite en ambas variedades de salvado de arroz. El precocido seguido del secado al aire o en microondas produjo un cambio pequeño en el contenido en proteína, fibra y ceniza y redujo el desarrollo de ácidos grasos libres (F.F.A. en el aceite de salvado. Las muestras secadas en microondas tuvieron un menor contenido en F.F.A. que las muestras correspondientes al secado en aire. Aceites de salvado de arroz almacenado en frió presentaron menor F.F.A. que los almacenados a temperatura ambiente. La relación entre ácidos grasos insaturados totales y los saturados totales (Tu/Ts disminuy

Overall Quality of Fruits and Vegetables Products Affected by the Drying Processes with the Assistance of Vacuum-Microwaves

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Adam Figiel

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The seasonality of fruits and vegetables makes it impossible to consume and use them throughout the year, thus numerous processing efforts have been made to offer an alternative to their fresh consumption and application. To prolong their availability on the market, drying has received special attention as currently this method is considered one of the most common ways for obtaining food and pharmaceutical products from natural sources. This paper demonstrates the weakness of common drying methods applied for fruits and vegetables and the possible ways to improve the quality using different drying techniques or their combination with an emphasis on the microwave energy. Particular attention has been drawn to the combined drying with the assistance of vacuum-microwaves. The quality of the dried products was ascribed by chemical properties including the content of polyphenols, antioxidant capacity and volatiles as well as physical parameters such as color, shrinkage, porosity and texture. Both these fields of quality classification were considered taking into account sensory attributes and energy aspects in the perspective of possible industrial applications. In conclusion, the most promising way for improving the quality of dried fruit and vegetable products is hybrid drying consisting of osmotic dehydration in concentrated fruit juices followed by heat pump drying and vacuum-microwave finish drying.

Overall Quality of Fruits and Vegetables Products Affected by the Drying Processes with the Assistance of Vacuum-Microwaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Figiel, Adam; Michalska, Anna

2016-12-30

The seasonality of fruits and vegetables makes it impossible to consume and use them throughout the year, thus numerous processing efforts have been made to offer an alternative to their fresh consumption and application. To prolong their availability on the market, drying has received special attention as currently this method is considered one of the most common ways for obtaining food and pharmaceutical products from natural sources. This paper demonstrates the weakness of common drying methods applied for fruits and vegetables and the possible ways to improve the quality using different drying techniques or their combination with an emphasis on the microwave energy. Particular attention has been drawn to the combined drying with the assistance of vacuum-microwaves. The quality of the dried products was ascribed by chemical properties including the content of polyphenols, antioxidant capacity and volatiles as well as physical parameters such as color, shrinkage, porosity and texture. Both these fields of quality classification were considered taking into account sensory attributes and energy aspects in the perspective of possible industrial applications. In conclusion, the most promising way for improving the quality of dried fruit and vegetable products is hybrid drying consisting of osmotic dehydration in concentrated fruit juices followed by heat pump drying and vacuum-microwave finish drying.

Convectively Driven Tropopause-Level Cooling and Its Influences on Stratospheric Moisture

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Joowan; Randel, William J.; Birner, Thomas

2018-01-01

Characteristics of the tropopause-level cooling associated with tropical deep convection are examined using CloudSat radar and Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) GPS radio occultation measurements. Extreme deep convection is sampled based on the cloud top height (>17 km) from CloudSat, and colocated temperature profiles from COSMIC are composited around the deep convection. Response of moisture to the tropopause-level cooling is also examined in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere using microwave limb sounder measurements. The composite temperature shows an anomalous warming in the troposphere and a significant cooling near the tropopause (at 16-19 km) when deep convection occurs over the western Pacific, particularly during periods with active Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO). The composite of the tropopause cooling has a large horizontal scale ( 6,000 km in longitude) with minimum temperature anomaly of -2 K, and it lasts more than 2 weeks with support of mesoscale convective clusters embedded within the envelope of the MJO. The water vapor anomalies show strong correlation with the temperature anomalies (i.e., dry anomaly in the cold anomaly), showing that the convectively driven tropopause cooling actively dehydrate the lower stratosphere in the western Pacific region. The moisture is also affected by anomalous Matsuno-Gill-type circulation associated with the cold anomaly, in which dry air spreads over a wide range in the tropical tropopause layer (TTL). These results suggest that convectively driven tropopause cooling and associated transient circulation play an important role in the large-scale dehydration process in the TTL.

Ultrasonic Spray Drying vs High Vacuum and Microwaves Technology for Blueberries

Science.gov (United States)

Candia-Muñoz, N.; Ramirez-Bunster, M.; Vargas-Hernández, Y.; Gaete-Garretón, L.

Interest in high quality foods: good taste and a high content of nutrients with healthy beneficial effects are increasing. Fruits have good properties but, they are lost because the oxidation process, additionally, for different reasons a 40% of harvested fruit are lost. To conserve the fruit properties an ultrasonic assisted spray dryer was developed and tested, comparing its results with microwave-vacuum drying technology. Results did shown taste, color, smell, particle shape and size distribution better than the conventional one. The antioxidants conservation were quite good except in the anthocyanins, in which the microwave and vacuum technology shown best results.

77 FR 33106 - Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedure for Microwave Ovens

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-05

... on a review of the cooking manuals and recipe books supplied with convection microwave ovens that a significant portion of the recipes included cooking procedures that used the convection microwave cooking... portion of the convection microwave cooking cycle. Based on a review of the cooking manuals and recipe...

Volatile composition and sensory profile of shiitake mushrooms as affected by drying method.

Science.gov (United States)

Politowicz, Joanna; Lech, Krzysztof; Lipan, Leontina; Figiel, Adam; Carbonell-Barrachina, Ángel A

2018-03-01

One of the best preservation method for long-term storage is drying. In this work, the influence of different drying methods on aroma and sensory profile of shiitake mushroom was evaluated. The drying methods tested were: convective drying (CD), freeze-drying (FD), vacuum-microwave drying (VMD), and a combination of convective pre-drying and vacuum-microwave finish-drying (CPD-VMFD). The volatile composition of fresh and dried shiitake mushrooms was analysed by SPME, GC-MS and GC-FID, and showed the presence of 71 volatile compounds, most of them present in all dried samples but with quantitative variation. The major volatile compounds in fresh shiitake were 1-octen-3-ol (20.2%), 2-octanone (20.7%), 1,2,4-trithiolane (9.8%), and 1,2,3,5,6-pentathiepane (8.2%). Drying of shiitake mushrooms caused significant losses of C8 compounds and cyclic sulfur compounds, such as 1,2,4-trithiolane (V31) and 1,2,4,5-tetrathiane (V57). Samples dried at CD 80 °C implied a relative short drying time (120 min), had the highest contents of total volatiles (1594 μg 100 g -1 ) and cyclic sulfur compounds (e.g. V57 126 μg 100 g -1 ), and the highest intensity of most of the key positive sensory attributes, such as inner colour (7.0), fresh shiitake flavour (6.7), and sponginess (6.2). The best dehydration methods, resulting in the highest total concentrations of volatile compounds and high intensity of key sensory attributes were FD (if vacuum and liquid nitrogen facilities are available) and CD at 80 °C (for companies with vacuum and liquid nitrogen facilities). © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Volatile composition and sensory profile of Cantharellus cibarius Fr. as affected by drying method.

Science.gov (United States)

Politowicz, Joanna; Lech, Krzysztof; Sánchez-Rodríguez, Lucía; Szumny, Antoni; Carbonell-Barrachina, Ángel A

2017-12-01

In this work, the influence of different drying methods on the aroma composition and sensory quality of chanterelle mushrooms (Cantharellus cibarius Fr.) was evaluated. The drying methods tested were convective drying (CD), freeze drying (FD), vacuum microwave drying (VMD) and a combination of convective pre-drying and vacuum microwave finish drying (CPD-VMFD). Analyses of fresh and dried chanterelle samples by HS-SPME and GC/MS and GC-FID showed the presence of 39 volatile compounds at different concentrations. The most abundant compounds in fresh chanterelle were 1-hexanol (33.4 μg per 100 g dry basis (db)), 1-octen-3-ol (80.2 μg per 100 g db) and 2-octen-1-ol (19.3 μg per 100 g db). The results showed that fresh and dried chanterelle contained very low levels of aroma compounds; however, the highest contents of volatile compounds were found in samples after (i) CD at 80 °C (129 μg per 100 g db), (ii) CPD-VMFD at 70 °C-480/240 W (136 μg per 100 g db) and (iii) CPD-VMFD at 80 °C-480/240 W (136 μg per 100 g db). The best dehydration methods, which resulted in high contents of volatile compounds and appropriate sensory quality, according to descriptive sensory analysis and PCA tools, were CD at 70 and 80 °C. Besides, these methods led to spongy dried mushrooms with high intensities of fresh, mushroom ID, with proper color and without intense shrinkage. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of freezing, freeze drying and convective drying on in vitro gastric digestion of apples.

Science.gov (United States)

Dalmau, Maria Esperanza; Bornhorst, Gail M; Eim, Valeria; Rosselló, Carmen; Simal, Susana

2017-01-15

The influence of processing (freezing at -196°C in liquid N2, FN sample; freeze-drying at -50°C and 30Pa, FD sample; and convective drying at 60°C and 2m/s, CD sample) on apple (var. Granny Smith) behavior during in vitro gastric digestion was investigated. Dried apples (FD and CD samples) were rehydrated prior to digestion. Changes in carbohydrate composition, moisture, soluble solids, acidity, total polyphenol content (TPC), and antioxidant activity (AA) of apple samples were measured at different times during digestion. Processing resulted in disruption of the cellular structure during digestion, as observed by scanning electron microscopy, light microscopy, and changes in carbohydrate composition. Moisture content increased (6-11% dmo), while soluble solids (55-78% dmo), acidity (44-72% dmo), total polyphenol content (30-61% dmo), and antioxidant activity (41-87%) decreased in all samples after digestion. Mathematical models (Weibull and exponential models) were used to better evaluate the influence of processing on apple behavior during gastric digestion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electron-beam and combined e-b and microwave processing of dried food ingredients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferdes, O.; Minea, R.; Martin, D.; Tirlea, A.; Badea, M.; Oproiu, C.

1998-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. There are summarized and presented the results on the irradiated dried food ingredients, as starches, flour, spices, enzymes, pigments. It has investigated the electron-beam and microwave processing to achieve the hygienic and microbiological quality requirements for these materials. There are presented the results regarding the e-b and microwave effects on the main specific parameters (nutritional; microbiological; physical and chemical) for each item. Irradiation has carried out to different electron accelerators, mainly to ALIN-7 linac (W e ∼6 MeV) and using a special designed microwave equipment (2.45 GHz magnetron of 850 W maximum output power). The samples have been irradiated up to 25 kGy (dose rate ∼ 2.0 kGy/min) and there were treated by microwaves (250 W-550 W) for different exposure time. There have analyzed and presented the influence of these two physical fields on some common physical, biochemical and microbiological properties (mainly the total germ count, CFU/g) of these food materials. The main technological and physical characteristics of the materials are preserved, under irradiation up to 10 kGy and microwave treatment in the case of satisfying the national requirements for food and food grade additives microbiological load. The combined treatment seems to be present a synergistic effect arising on non-thermal basis. From these results it could be pointed out that electron-beam and microwave treatment is feasible and represents an alternative to other hygienization techniques for the dried food ingredients. It should be considered that combined treatments lead to reducing irradiation dose without losing the microbicidal effects

Determination of drying characteristics and quality properties of eggplant in different drying conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gözde Bayraktaroglu Urun

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Drying is the most traditional process used for preserving eggplant a long time. The aim of this study was to determining drying characteristics and quality properties of eggplant dried by sun drying, hot air convective drying and infrared assisted convective drying. Convective drying and infrared assisted convective were carried out in a convective dryer at three different temperatures(40°, 50°, 60°C and air velocity at 5 m/s.The increasing of temperatures during the drying of eggplant led to a significant reduction of the drying time. However loss of nutrition was observed in eggplant samples dried at higher temperature.The biggest change in colour parameters was observed in samples dried with sun drying.So it was thought that sun drying had a negative effect on quality properties of eggplant samples.

Convective drying of hawthorn fruit (Crataegus spp.): Effect of experimental parameters on drying kinetics, color, shrinkage, and rehydration capacity.

Science.gov (United States)

Aral, Serdar; Beşe, Ayşe Vildan

2016-11-01

Thin layer drying characteristics and physicochemical properties of hawthorn fruit (Crataegus spp.) were investigated using a convective dryer at air temperatures 50, 60 and 70°C and air velocities of 0.5, 0.9 and 1.3m/s. The drying process of hawthorn took place in the falling rate period, and the drying time decreased with increasing air temperature and velocity. The experimental data obtained during the drying process were fitted to eleven different mathematical models. The Midilli et al.'s model was found to be the best appropriate model for explaining the drying behavior of hawthorn fruit. Effective moisture diffusion coefficients (Deff) were calculated by Fick's diffusion model and their values varied from 2.34×10(-10)m(2)/s to 2.09×10(-9)m(2)/s. An Arrhenius-type equation was applied to determine the activation energies. While the shrinkage decreased, the rehydration ratio increased with increasing air temperature and air velocity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1D-Var temperature retrievals from microwave radiometer and convective scale model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pauline Martinet

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper studies the potential of ground-based microwave radiometers (MWR for providing accurate temperature retrievals by combining convective scale numerical models and brightness temperatures (BTs. A one-dimensional variational (1D-Var retrieval technique has been tested to optimally combine MWR and 3-h forecasts from the French convective scale model AROME. A microwave profiler HATPRO (Humidity and Temperature PROfiler was operated during 6 months at the meteorological station of Bordeaux (Météo France. MWR BTs were monitored against simulations from the Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Simulator 2 radiative transfer model. An overall good agreement was found between observations and simulations for opaque V-band channels but large errors were observed for channels the most affected by liquid water and water vapour emissions (51.26 and 52.28 GHz. 1D-Var temperature retrievals are performed in clear-sky and cloudy conditions using a screening procedure based on cloud base height retrieval from ceilometer observations, infrared radiometer temperature and liquid water path derived from the MWR observations. The 1D-Var retrievals were found to improve the AROME forecasts up to 2 km with a maximum gain of approximately 50 % in root-mean-square-errors (RMSE below 500 m. They were also found to outperform neural network retrievals. A static bias correction was proposed to account for systematic instrumental errors. This correction was found to have a negligible impact on the 1D-Var retrievals. The use of low elevation angles improves the retrievals up to 12 % in RMSE in cloudy-sky in the first layers. The present implementation achieved a RMSE with respect to radiosondes within 1 K in clear-sky and 1.3 K in cloudy-sky conditions for temperature.

The effect of variety and maturity on the quality of freeze-dried carrots. The effect of microwave blanching on the nutritional and textural quality of freeze-dried spinach

Science.gov (United States)

1979-01-01

Using carrots, the quality of freeze-dried products was studied to determine the optimum varieties and maturation stages for quality attributes such as appearance, flavor, texture, and nutritive value. The quality of freeze-dried carrots is discussed in terms of Gardner color, alcohol insoluble solids, viscosity, and core/cortex ratio. Also, microwave blanching of freeze-dried spinach was studied to determine vitamin interrelationships, anatomical changes, and oxidative deteriorations in terms of preprocessing microwave treatments. Statistical methods were employed in the gathering of data and interpretation of results in both studies.

Microwave assisted air drying of osmotically treated pineapple with variable power programmes

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Botha, GE

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Variable power programmes for microwave assisted air drying of pineapple were studied. The pineapple pieces were pre-treated by osmotic dehydration in a 55º Brix sucrose solution at 40ºC for 90 minutes. Variable power output programmes were designed...

Evidence of Convective Redistribution of Carbon Monoxide in Aura Tropospheric Emission Sounder (TES) and Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Manyin, Michael; Douglass, Anne; Schoeberl, Mark

2010-01-01

Vertical convective transport is a key element of the tropospheric circulation. Convection lofts air from the boundary layer into the free troposphere, allowing surface emissions to travel much further, and altering the rate of chemical processes such as ozone production. This study uses satellite observations to focus on the convective transport of CO from the boundary layer to the mid and upper troposphere. Our hypothesis is that strong convection associated with high rain rate regions leads to a correlation between mid level and upper level CO amounts. We first test this hypothesis using the Global Modeling Initiative (GMI) chemistry and transport model. We find the correlation is robust and increases as the precipitation rate (the strength of convection) increases. We next examine three years of CO profiles from the Tropospheric Emission Sounder (TES) and Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instruments aboard EOS Aura. Rain rates are taken from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) 3B-42 multi-satellite product. Again we find a correlation between mid-level and upper tropospheric CO, which increases with rain rate. Our result shows the critical importance of tropical convection in coupling vertical levels of the troposphere in the transport of trace gases. The effect is seen most clearly in strong convective regions such as the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone.

INVESTIGATION OF THE KINETICS OF DRYING SEEDS THISTLE IN VORTEX CHAMBER WITH MICROWAVE ENERGY SUPPLY

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D. A. Kazartsev

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In the study of the current state of the theory, techniques and technologies for processing of milk thistle showed up a number of problems. One of those moments - the need to promptly provide quality and efficient process for drying seeds, but Russia has not produced special equipment for postharvest processing of seeds of milk thistle, and used for drying grain domestic appliances, represented mainly by mining and drum dryers, it is not suitable for thistle. This is due to the fact that, firstly, in the dewatering process is necessary to provide a relatively low final moisture drying product (5-6 %, and, secondly, to keep their beneficial substance in full, which imposes additional restrictions on the conditions of drying. One way of creating a new drying technology development and implementation in the industry of high-intensive devices with active hydrodynamic regimes with microwave energy supply, providing in many cases, higher technical and economic indicators. Therefore, the use of devices with swirling flow of heat-carrier for the intensification of the process of drying of dispersed materials is both theoretical interest and practical value. Microwave drying is based on the fact that the dielectric properties of water and dry food substances are different: the wet material is heated much faster than dry. During the microwave drying temperature wetter internal layers higher than the exterior more dehydrated (which creates a "right" - from the inner to the outer layers of the product - the gradient of moisture mass transfer is not realizable in any of the other known methods of drying. Milk thistle seeds have a unique composition: 25-32 % fatty oil, 15-17 % protein, 26 % fat, in the-soluble (B group and fat-soluble (A, D, E, K, F vitamins, mono- and disaccharides, macro- and trace elements (copper, zinc, selenium, dietary fiber and enzymes, mucus, up to 5 % (glucose, etc., phenolic compounds including flaviolignans 2-3% (silibinin

Thermal modeling of the forced convection Sandwich Greenhouse drying system for rubber sheets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanwanichkul, B.; Thepa, S.; Rordprapat, W.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Sandwich Greenhouse is designed for better quality and efficiency of rubber sheet drying. • Thermal models are developed to predict the convection heat transfer coefficient. • The models are validated and show good agreement with the actual experimental data. • The proposed greenhouse can maintain 40–60 °C, suitable for rubber sheet drying. • This greenhouse can bring down the moisture content to 2.8% in fewer than 2 days. - Abstract: In this paper, a novel “Sandwich Greenhouse” for rubber sheet drying is proposed. Using solar energy as the only heat source instead of traditional smoke house that requires firewood, it eliminates shortcomings such as skilled labor monitoring requirement, possible fire hazard, and darken-color rubber sheets due to soot particle contamination. Our greenhouse is specially designed to retain solar energy within, while minimizing the heat loss to the outside environment. The mathematical models are developed to predict the convection mass transfer coefficient and to study the thermal behavior during the drying of rubber sheets under our proposed greenhouse design. Validated with experimental observations, the models show good agreement with the actual experimental data. The experiment demonstrates an effectiveness of our proposed Sandwich Greenhouse, as the temperature of the rubber sheet is 15 °C and 5 °C higher than the ambient temperature during the daytime and nighttime, respectively. As a result, the moisture content of the rubber sheets can decrease from 36.4% to 2.8% in fewer than 2 days

Comparison of different drying methods on Chinese ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe): Changes in volatiles, chemical profile, antioxidant properties, and microstructure.

Science.gov (United States)

An, Kejing; Zhao, Dandan; Wang, Zhengfu; Wu, Jijun; Xu, Yujuan; Xiao, Gengsheng

2016-04-15

Nowadays, food industry is facing challenges in preserving better quality of fruit and vegetable products after processing. Recently, many attentions have been drawn to ginger rhizome processing due to its numerous health promoting properties. In our study, ginger rhizome slices were subjected to air-drying (AD), freeze drying (FD), infrared drying (IR), microwave drying (MD) and intermittent microwave & convective drying (IM&CD). Quality attributes of the dried samples were compared in terms of volatile compounds, 6, 8, 10-gingerols, 6-shogaol, antioxidant activities and microstructure. Results showed that AD and IR were good drying methods to preserve volatiles. FD, IR and IM&CD led to higher retention of gingerols, TPC, TFC and better antioxidant activities. However, FD and IR had relative high energy consumption and drying time. Therefore, considering about the quality retention and energy consumption, IM&CD would be very promising for thermo sensitive material. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study of microwave drying of wet materials based on one-dimensional two-phase model

Science.gov (United States)

Salomatov, Vl V.; Karelin, V. A.

2017-11-01

Currently, microwave is one of the most interesting ways to conduct drying of dielectric materials, in particular coal. In this paper, two processes were considered - heating and drying. The temperature field of the coal semi-mass in the heating mode is found analytically strictly with the use of integral transformations. The drying process is formulated as a nonlinear Stephen problem with a moving boundary of the liquid-vapor phase transformation. The temperature distribution, speed and drying time in this mode are determined approximately analytically. Parametric analysis of the influence of the material and boundary conditions on the dynamics of warming up and drying is revealed.

Enhancing Oxidative Stability of Sunflower Oil during Convective and Microwave Heating Using Grape Seed Extract

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Mariana-Atena Poiana

2012-07-01

Full Text Available This study was performed to investigate the effectiveness of grape seed extract (GSE compared to butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT on retarding lipid oxidation of sunflower oil subjected to convection and microwave heating up to 240 min under simulated frying conditions. The progress of lipid oxidation was assessed in terms of peroxide value (PV, p-anisidine value (p-AV, conjugated dienes and trienes (CD, CT, inhibition of oil oxidation (IO and TOTOX value. In addition, total phenolic content (TP was evaluated in samples before and after heating in order to assess the changes in these compounds relative to the extent of lipid oxidation. The results of this study highlight that GSE showed a significantly inhibitory effect on lipid oxidation during both treatments, although to a different extent. This ability was dose-dependent; therefore, the extent of lipid oxidation was inversely related to GSE level. Convective heating, respective microwave exposure for 240 min of samples supplemented by GSE to a level of 1000 ppm, resulted in significant decreases of investigated indices relative to the control values as follows: PV (48%; 30%, p-AV (29%; 40%, CD (45%; 30%, CT (41%; 36%, TOTOX (35%; 37%. GSE to a level of 600–800 ppm inhibited the lipid oxidation in a similar manner to BHT. These results suggested that GSE can be used as a potential natural extract for improving oxidative stability of sunflower oil during thermal applications.

Kinetic thermal degradation of vitamin C during microwave drying of okra and spinach.

Science.gov (United States)

Dadali, Gökçe; Ozbek, Belma

2009-01-01

In this present study, the effect of microwave output power and sample amount on vitamin C loss in okra (Hibiscus esculenta L.) and spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) were investigated using the microwave drying technique. The procedure is based on the reaction between l-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and 2,6-dichloroindophenol. The proposed method was applied successfully to both okra and spinach for the determination of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) content. It was observed that as the microwave output power increased or as the sample amount decreased, the vitamin C in okra and spinach decreased as well. The activation energy for degradation of vitamin C for both okra and spinach was calculated using an exponential expression based on the Arrhenius equation.

Efficacy of Microwave Disinfection on Moist and Dry Dental Stone Casts with Different Irradiation Times

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Mahmood Robati Anaraki

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Dental practice contains the use of instruments and multiuse items that should be sterilized or disinfected properly. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of microwave irradiation on dental stone cast disinfection in moist and dry condition. Materials and Methods: In this in vitro study, 76 stone casts were prepared by a sterile method. The casts were contaminated by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 9027, Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538, Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212 as well as Candida albicans (ATCC 10231. Half the samples were dried for two hours and the other half was studied while still moist. The samples were irradiated by a household microwave at 600 W for 3, 5 and 7 minutes. The microorganisms on the samples were extracted by immersion in tryptic soy broth and .001 ml of that was cultured in nutrient agar media, incubated overnight and counted and recorded as colony forming unit per milliliter (CFU/mL. Results: The findings showed that microorganisms reduced to 4.87 logarithm of CFU/mL value on dental cast within seven minutes in comparison with positive control. Although microbial count reduction was observed as a result of exposure time increase, comparison between moist and dried samples showed no significant difference. Conclusions: Seven-minute microwave irradiation at 600 W can effectively reduce the microbial load of dental stone casts. Wetting the casts does not seem to alter the efficacy of irradiation.   Keywords: Microwave Disinfection; Dental Stone Casts; Irradiation Times

Piroxicam loaded alginate beads obtained by prilling/microwave tandem technique: morphology and drug release.

Science.gov (United States)

Aquino, Rita P; Auriemma, Giulia; d'Amore, Matteo; D'Ursi, Anna Maria; Mencherini, Teresa; Del Gaudio, Pasquale

2012-07-01

This paper presents a tandem technique, based on the combination of prilling and microwave (MW) assisted treatments, to produce biodegradable alginate carriers of piroxicam with different drug controlled release behaviours. Results showed that alginate/piroxicam beads demonstrated high encapsulation efficiency and very narrow dimensional distribution. Beads dried by MW retained shape and size distribution of the hydrated particles while drying rate was strongly increased compared to convective drying processes. Moreover, different MW irradiation regimes promoted interactions between the drug and alginate matrix, affected drug polymorphism as well as inner and surface matrix structure leading to different piroxicam release profiles. High level MW irradiation led to beads with highly porous and swellable matrix able to release piroxicam in few minutes in the intestine while convective drying produced gastro-resistant beads that exhibit sustained piroxicam release (total release in 5.5h) in intestinal environment. On these results the tandem technique prilling/MW irradiation appears to be promising to obtain alginate carrier with tailored NSAIDs release depending on drug characteristics and MW irradiation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microwave heating device for internal heating convection experiments, applied to Earth's mantle dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Surducan, E; Surducan, V; Limare, A; Neamtu, C; Di Giuseppe, E

2014-12-01

We report the design, construction, and performances of a microwave (MW) heating device for laboratory experiments with non-contact, homogeneous internal heating. The device generates MW radiation at 2.47 GHz from a commercial magnetron supplied by a pulsed current inverter using proprietary, feedback based command and control hardware and software. Specially designed MW launchers direct the MW radiation into the sample through a MW homogenizer, devised to even the MW power distribution into the sample's volume. An adjustable MW circuit adapts the MW generator to the load (i.e., the sample) placed in the experiment chamber. Dedicated heatsinks maintain the MW circuits at constant temperature throughout the experiment. Openings for laser scanning for image acquisition with a CCD camera and for the cooling circuits are protected by special MW filters. The performances of the device are analyzed in terms of heating uniformity, long term output power stability, and load matching. The device is used for small scale experiments simulating Earth's mantle convection. The 30 × 30 × 5 cm(3) convection tank is filled with a water‑based viscous fluid. A uniform and constant temperature is maintained at the upper boundary by an aluminum heat exchanger and adiabatic conditions apply at the tank base. We characterize the geometry of the convective regime as well as its bulk thermal evolution by measuring the velocity field by Particle Image Velocimetry and the temperature field by using Thermochromic Liquid Crystals.

INVESTIGATION OF THE KINETICS OF BLACK CURRANT BERRIES DRYING INSIDE THE VACUUM APPARATUS WITH MICROWAVE ENERGY SUPPLY

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S. T. Antipov

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Results of the conducted pilot researches of drying of fruits of black currant in the vacuum apparatus with microwave energy supply are presented. The new way of drying and installation for its implementation is offered. The influence of major factors on kinetics of drying and temperature of heating of black currant is studied.

Osmotic dehydration and convective drying of coconut slices: Experimental determination and description using one-dimensional diffusion model

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Wilton Pereira da Silva

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Mass migrations in coconut slices during osmotic dehydration and drying are described using a diffusion model with boundary condition of the third kind. The osmotic dehydration experiment was performed at 35°Brix (water and sucrose and 40 °C. The convective drying experiments were performed at 50, 60 and 70 °C. The one-dimensional solution of the diffusion equation for an infinite slab was coupled with an optimizer to determine the effective mass diffusivities D and convective mass transfer coefficients h of the five processes studied. The analyses of the obtained results indicate that there is a good agreement between each experimental dataset and the corresponding simulation using D and h determined by optimization.

The effect of microwave drying on polymer electrolyte conductivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Latham, R.J. (Dept. of Chemistry, De Montfort Univ., Gateway, Leicester (United Kingdom)); Linford, R.G. (Dept. of Chemistry, De Montfort Univ., Gateway, Leicester (United Kingdom)); Pynenburg, R.A.J. (Dept. of Chemistry, De Montfort Univ., Gateway, Leicester (United Kingdom))

1993-03-01

The morphology and conductivity of polymer electrolytes based on PEO are often substantially modified by the presence of water. A number of different approaches have commonly been used to eliminate water from polymer electrolyte films. The work reported here extends our earlier investigations of the use of microwaves for the rapid drying of solvent cast polymer electrolyte films. Films of PEO[sub n]:NiBr[sub 2] and PEO[sub n]:ZnCl[sub 2] have been prepared by normal casting techniques and then studied using EXAFS, DSC and ac conductivity measurements. (orig.)

Drying characteristic, enzyme inactivation and browning pigmentation kinetics of controlled humidity-convective drying of banana slices

Science.gov (United States)

Sarpong, Frederick; Yu, Xiaojie; Zhou, Cunshan; Oteng-Darko, Patricia; Amenorfe, Leticia Peace; Wu, Bengang; Bai, Junwen; Ma, Haile

2018-04-01

Investigating the kinetics of enzyme activities and browning indexes in food are very essential in understanding the enzyme inactivation and browning pigmentation reaction during drying processing. In order to understand and predict accurately the enzyme inactivation and browning pigmentation of banana slices using Relative Humidity (RH)-convective hot air dryer aided by ultrasound (US) pretreatment, this study was conducted. Drying was carried out with 20 kHz frequency of US-pretreatment using three durations (10 20 and 30 min) and RH (10 20 and 30%) conditions at 70 °C and 2.0 m/s air velocity. The kinetic study of both enzyme inactivation and browning pigmentation results were compared to their relevance of fit in terms of coefficient of correlation (R2), the root mean square error (RMSE) and the reduced chi-square (χ 2). First order and second-order polynomial kinetic model fitted well for enzyme inactivation and browning indexes respectively. Both enzymes inactivation kinetics and enzymatic browning index (EBI) declined significantly (p drying time in all drying conditions and rate of decrease intensified in longer US-pretreatment duration and lower RH conditions. However, shorter US-pretreatment duration and higher RH conditions reduced the non- enzymatic browning index (NBI) significantly. Again, longer US-pretreatment duration and lower RH shortened the drying time but adversely created more microspores from the micrograph study. Longer US pretreatment and lower RH decrease significantly (p < 0.05) the L* and b* values whereas the a* values was increased.

Empirical modeling of drying kinetics and microwave assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from Adathoda vasica

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Prithvi Simha

2016-03-01

Full Text Available To highlight the shortcomings in conventional methods of extraction, this study investigates the efficacy of Microwave Assisted Extraction (MAE toward bioactive compound recovery from pharmaceutically-significant medicinal plants, Adathoda vasica and Cymbopogon citratus. Initially, the microwave (MW drying behavior of the plant leaves was investigated at different sample loadings, MW power and drying time. Kinetics was analyzed through empirical modeling of drying data against 10 conventional thin-layer drying equations that were further improvised through the incorporation of Arrhenius, exponential and linear-type expressions. 81 semi-empirical Midilli equations were derived and subjected to non-linear regression to arrive at the characteristic drying equations. Bioactive compounds recovery from the leaves was examined under various parameters through a comparative approach that studied MAE against Soxhlet extraction. MAE of A. vasica reported similar yields although drastic reduction in extraction time (210 s as against the average time of 10 h in the Soxhlet apparatus. Extract yield for MAE of C. citratus was higher than the conventional process with optimal parameters determined to be 20 g sample load, 1:20 sample/solvent ratio, extraction time of 150 s and 300 W output power. Scanning Electron Microscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy were performed to depict changes in internal leaf morphology.

Convective drying of osmo-dehydrated apple slices: kinetics and spatial behavior of effective mass diffusivity and moisture content

Science.gov (United States)

de Farias Aires, Juarez Everton; da Silva, Wilton Pereira; de Almeida Farias Aires, Kalina Lígia Cavalcante; da Silva Júnior, Aluízio Freire; da Silva e Silva, Cleide Maria Diniz Pereira

2018-04-01

The main objective of this study is the presentation of a numerical model of liquid diffusion for the description of the convective drying of apple slices submitted to pretreatment of osmotic dehydration able of predicting the spatial distribution of effective mass diffusivity values in apple slabs. Two models that use numerical solutions of the two-dimensional diffusion equation in Cartesian coordinates with the boundary condition of third kind were proposed to describe drying. The first one does not consider the shrinkage of the product and assumes that the process parameters remain constant along the convective drying. The second one considers the shrinkage of the product and assumes that the effective mass diffusivity of water varies according to the local value of the water content in the apple samples. Process parameters were estimated from experimental data through an optimizer coupled to the numerical solutions. The osmotic pretreatment did not reduce the drying time in relation to the fresh fruits when the drying temperature was equal to 40 °C. The use of the temperature of 60 °C led to a reduction in the drying time. The model that considers the variations in the dimensions of the product and the variation in the effective mass diffusivity proved to be more adequate to describe the process.

Freeze drying vs microwave drying–methods for synthesis of sinteractive thoria powders

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Annie, D.; Chandramouli, V. [Materials Chemistry Division, Chemistry Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, 602103 (India); Anthonysamy, S., E-mail: sas@igcar.gov.in [Materials Chemistry Division, Chemistry Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, 602103 (India); Ghosh, Chanchal; Divakar, R. [Materials Synthesis and Structural Characterization Division, Materials and Metallurgy Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, 602103 (India)

2017-02-15

Thoria powders were synthesized by oxalate precipitation from an aqueous solution of the nitrate. The filtered precipitates were freeze dried or microwave dried before being calcined at 1073 K. The thoria powders obtained were characterized for crystallite size, specific surface area, bulk density, particle size distribution and residual carbon. Microstructure of the product was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Sinterability of the synthesized powders was studied by measuring the density of the sintered compacts. Powders that can be consolidated and sintered to densities ∼96% theoretical density (TD) at 1773 K were obtained.

On the Land-Ocean Contrast of Tropical Convection and Microphysics Statistics Derived from TRMM Satellite Signals and Global Storm-Resolving Models

Science.gov (United States)

Matsui, Toshihisa; Chern, Jiun-Dar; Tao, Wei-Kuo; Lang, Stephen E.; Satoh, Masaki; Hashino, Tempei; Kubota, Takuji

2016-01-01

A 14-year climatology of Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) collocated multi-sensor signal statistics reveal a distinct land-ocean contrast as well as geographical variability of precipitation type, intensity, and microphysics. Microphysics information inferred from the TRMM precipitation radar and Microwave Imager (TMI) show a large land-ocean contrast for the deep category, suggesting continental convective vigor. Over land, TRMM shows higher echo-top heights and larger maximum echoes, suggesting taller storms and more intense precipitation, as well as larger microwave scattering, suggesting the presence of morelarger frozen convective hydrometeors. This strong land-ocean contrast in deep convection is invariant over seasonal and multi-year time-scales. Consequently, relatively short-term simulations from two global storm-resolving models can be evaluated in terms of their land-ocean statistics using the TRMM Triple-sensor Three-step Evaluation via a satellite simulator. The models evaluated are the NASA Multi-scale Modeling Framework (MMF) and the Non-hydrostatic Icosahedral Cloud Atmospheric Model (NICAM). While both simulations can represent convective land-ocean contrasts in warm precipitation to some extent, near-surface conditions over land are relatively moisture in NICAM than MMF, which appears to be the key driver in the divergent warm precipitation results between the two models. Both the MMF and NICAM produced similar frequencies of large CAPE between land and ocean. The dry MMF boundary layer enhanced microwave scattering signals over land, but only NICAM had an enhanced deep convection frequency over land. Neither model could reproduce a realistic land-ocean contrast in in deep convective precipitation microphysics. A realistic contrast between land and ocean remains an issue in global storm-resolving modeling.

Thin layer convective air drying of wild edible plant (Allium roseum) leaves: experimental kinetics, modeling and quality

OpenAIRE

Ben Haj Said, Leila; Najjaa, Hanen; Farhat, Abdelhamid; Neffati, Mohamed; Bellagha, Sihem

2014-01-01

The present study deals with the valorization of an edible spontaneous plant of the Tunisian arid areas: Allium roseum. This plant is traditionally used for therapeutic and culinary uses. Thin-layer drying behavior of Allium roseum leaves was investigated at 40, 50 and 60 °C drying air temperatures and 1 and l.5 m/s air velocity, in a convective dryer. The increase in air temperature significantly affected the moisture loss and reduced the drying time while air velocity was an insignificant f...

Optimality in Microwave-Assisted Drying of Aloe Vera ( Aloe barbadensis Miller) Gel using Response Surface Methodology and Artificial Neural Network Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Chandan; Das, Arijit; Kumar Golder, Animes

2016-10-01

The present work illustrates the Microwave-Assisted Drying (MWAD) characteristic of aloe vera gel combined with process optimization and artificial neural network modeling. The influence of microwave power (160-480 W), gel quantity (4-8 g) and drying time (1-9 min) on the moisture ratio was investigated. The drying of aloe gel exhibited typical diffusion-controlled characteristics with a predominant interaction between input power and drying time. Falling rate period was observed for the entire MWAD of aloe gel. Face-centered Central Composite Design (FCCD) developed a regression model to evaluate their effects on moisture ratio. The optimal MWAD conditions were established as microwave power of 227.9 W, sample amount of 4.47 g and 5.78 min drying time corresponding to the moisture ratio of 0.15. A computer-stimulated Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model was generated for mapping between process variables and the desired response. `Levenberg-Marquardt Back Propagation' algorithm with 3-5-1 architect gave the best prediction, and it showed a clear superiority over FCCD.

The Impact of a Amazonian Deforestation on Dry-Season Rainfall

Science.gov (United States)

Negri, Andrew J.; Adler, Robert F.; Xu, Liming; Surratt, Jason

2003-01-01

Many modeling studies have concluded that widespread deforestation of Amazonia would lead to decreased rainfall. We analyze geosynchronous infrared satellite data with respect to percent cloudiness, and analyze rain estimates from microwave sensors aboard the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite. We conclude that in the dry-season, when the effects of the surface are not overwhelmed by synoptic-scale weather disturbances, shallow cumulus cloudiness, deep convective cloudiness, and rainfall occurrence all are larger over the deforested and non-forested (savanna) regions than over areas of dense jungle. This difference is in response to a local circulation initiated by the differential heating of the region s varying forestation. Analysis of the diurnal cycle of cloudiness reveals a shift in the onset of convection toward afternoon hours in the deforested and towards the morning hours in the savanna regions when compared to the neighboring forested regions. Analysis of 14 years of monthly estimates from the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager data revealed that in only in August was there a pattern of higher monthly rainfall amounts over the deforested region.

CONVECTIVE DRYING OF CHERRY TOMATO: STUDY OF SKIN EFFECT

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R. KHAMA

2016-03-01

Full Text Available A whole single cherry tomato was dried in a forced convective micro-dryer. The experiments were carried out at constant air velocity and humidity and temperatures of 50, 60, 70 °C. In order to study the effect of the skin, two sets of experiments were performed using a tomato with and without skin (easily removed. Shorter drying times were obtained when increasing drying temperatures as well as when removing sample skin. X-ray microtomography, a non-destructive 3D imaging technique was used to follow shrinkage of the samples. This phenomenon was introduced in the modelling part of this study. Analytical solutions of the Fick’law were used to determine the diffusion coefficient at the three temperatures studied, and then the activation energy was obtained through fitting the Arrhenius equation. The skin effect was clearly evidenced by showing that the mass transfer parameter values of an original tomato with skin were largely smaller than the one without skin. Indeed, the moisture effective diffusivity ranged from 2.56×10-11 to 7.67×10-11 m2·s-1 with activation energy of 50430 J·mol-1 for tomato with skin an ranged from 4.59×10-10 m2·s-1 to 6.73×10-10 m2·s-1 with activation energy of 17640 J.mol-1 for tomato without skin.

Mathematical modeling of a convective textile drying process

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G. Johann

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This study aims to develop a model that accurately represents the convective drying process of textile materials. The mathematical modeling was developed from energy and mass balances and, for the solution of the mathematical model, the technique of finite differences, in Cartesian coordinates, was used. It transforms the system of partial differential equations into a system of ordinary equations, with the unknowns, the temperature and humidity of both the air and the textile material. The simulation results were compared with experimental data obtained from the literature. In the statistical analysis the Shapiro-Wilk test was used to validate the model and, in all cases simulated, the results were p-values greater than 5 %, indicating normality of the data. The R-squared values were above 0.997 and the ratios Fcalculated/Fsimulated, at the 95 % confidence level, higher than five, indicating that the modeling was predictive in all simulations.

Study of chemical and physical properties of apples dried in a convective drier.

OpenAIRE

Cruz, AC; Guiné, Raquel; Gonçalves, JC; Correia, AC

2012-01-01

The present study evaluates the effects of drying on apple slices from two varieties, Golden Delicious and Granny Smith, which were analyzed in terms of physical and chemical properties. The tests involved the determination of moisture, acidity, soluble solids, colour and texture. Trials were performed in a convective hot air dryer for different temperatures of 30, 40, 50 and 60 ° C. The results showed that the final moisture of the two varieties of...

Evaluation of drying methods with respect to drying kinetics, mineral content and colour characteristics of rosemary leaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arslan, Derya; Musa Ozcan, M.

2008-01-01

Rosemary leaves (Rosmarinus officinalis L., Lamiaceae) were dried by using sun, oven (50 deg. C) and microwave oven (700 W, 2450 MHz) drying methods. Microwave oven drying shortened the drying time more than 99% when compared to the sun and oven drying methods. K, Ca, Na, Mg and P were the most abundant elements in the rosemary samples. The mineral content of oven dried rosemary leaves was higher than that of the sun and microwave dried samples. The logarithmic and Midilli and Kuecuek models were shown to give a good fit to the sun and oven drying. The Page, Modified Page and Midilli and Kuecuek models have shown a better fit to the experimental microwave oven drying data of rosemary leaves. Microwave oven drying revealed optimum colour values. Oven drying resulted in a considerable decrease in the colour quality of the rosemary leaves

Simultaneous Heat and Mass Transfer Model for Convective Drying of Building Material

Science.gov (United States)

Upadhyay, Ashwani; Chandramohan, V. P.

2018-04-01

A mathematical model of simultaneous heat and moisture transfer is developed for convective drying of building material. A rectangular brick is considered for sample object. Finite-difference method with semi-implicit scheme is used for solving the transient governing heat and mass transfer equation. Convective boundary condition is used, as the product is exposed in hot air. The heat and mass transfer equations are coupled through diffusion coefficient which is assumed as the function of temperature of the product. Set of algebraic equations are generated through space and time discretization. The discretized algebraic equations are solved by Gauss-Siedel method via iteration. Grid and time independent studies are performed for finding the optimum number of nodal points and time steps respectively. A MATLAB computer code is developed to solve the heat and mass transfer equations simultaneously. Transient heat and mass transfer simulations are performed to find the temperature and moisture distribution inside the brick.

Biodiesel Production from Dry Microalga Biomass by Microwave-Assisted In-Situ Transesterification

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Qadariyah Lailatul

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Microalga is one of the potential feedstocks in the manufacture of biodiesel because it contains high oil content. In this study, Chlorella sp. was selected because its high oil content about 28-32% of oil (based on its dry weight and its presence is abundant among other green algae. In situ transesterification was carried out in round neck flask under microwave irradiation. Microwave irradiation can facilitate the in situ transesterification by extracted the lipid of microalga and simultaneous convert to FAME. The purposes of this study are to investigate the effect of acid catalyst concentration, microwave power, reaction time and the addition of co-solvent (n-hexane on the yield of biodiesel, to get optimum operating conditions and to know the fatty acid compounds of biodiesel from Chlorella sp. The results of oil extraction and biodiesel were analyzed by GC-MS analysis. Based on the experiment, the yield of microalga oil was 11.37%. The optimum yield of biodiesel by in-situ transesterification was 75.68%. It was obtained at the microwave power of 450 watts, the reaction time of 60 minutes, an acid catalyst concentration of 0,2M of H2SO4, and the co-solvent addition of 10 ml.

Analysis and evaluation of WRF microphysical schemes for deep moist convection over south-eastern South America (SESA) using microwave satellite observations and radiative transfer simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Sol Galligani, Victoria; Wang, Die; Alvarez Imaz, Milagros; Salio, Paola; Prigent, Catherine

2017-10-01

In the present study, three meteorological events of extreme deep moist convection, characteristic of south-eastern South America, are considered to conduct a systematic evaluation of the microphysical parameterizations available in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model by undertaking a direct comparison between satellite-based simulated and observed microwave radiances. A research radiative transfer model, the Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Simulator (ARTS), is coupled with the WRF model under three different microphysical parameterizations (WSM6, WDM6 and Thompson schemes). Microwave radiometry has shown a promising ability in the characterization of frozen hydrometeors. At high microwave frequencies, however, frozen hydrometeors significantly scatter radiation, and the relationship between radiation and hydrometeor populations becomes very complex. The main difficulty in microwave remote sensing of frozen hydrometeor characterization is correctly characterizing this scattering signal due to the complex and variable nature of the size, composition and shape of frozen hydrometeors. The present study further aims at improving the understanding of frozen hydrometeor optical properties characteristic of deep moist convection events in south-eastern South America. In the present study, bulk optical properties are computed by integrating the single-scattering properties of the Liu(2008) discrete dipole approximation (DDA) single-scattering database across the particle size distributions parameterized by the different WRF schemes in a consistent manner, introducing the equal mass approach. The equal mass approach consists of describing the optical properties of the WRF snow and graupel hydrometeors with the optical properties of habits in the DDA database whose dimensions might be different (Dmax') but whose mass is conserved. The performance of the radiative transfer simulations is evaluated by comparing the simulations with the available coincident

Experimental study of pistachio drying behavior in a mixed-mode PV operated forced convection solar dryer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zangiabadi, B [Univ. of Stavanger, Stavanger (Norway); Ameri, M; Mahmoudabadi, M M [Shahid Bahonar Univ., Kerman (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2008-07-01

According to FAO statistics, Iran is the largest exporter of pistachios. Kerman province -south east of Iran- has approximately 200000 hectares of pistachio orchards, which provides practically 80% of whole country production of pistachios. After harvesting the pistachio, nuts must be washed to prevent staining. Therefore the nuts have almost 40% moisture content and it must be decreased to storage moisture of 6% or below. Simply decreasing in the moisture content of the products is called drying. In some areas where the environment conditions meet the minimum standard, solar drying can be an alternative approach for drying agricultural products. This work deals with the design, construction and testing a mixed-mode forced convection PV operated solar dryer. (orig.)

Experimental investigation on energy and exergy analysis of coriander (Coriadrum sativum L.) leaves drying in natural convection solar dryer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panwar, N.L.

2014-01-01

This study deals with thin layer drying characteristics of Coriandrum sativum L. leaves in a natural convection solar dryer. The Coriandrum sativum L. leaves were dried from a moisture content of 88% (w.b.) to 4.5% (w.b.) in 7.5 hours. The obtained drying data were fitted to eight different drying kinetics models. Of these, the model suggested by Midilli et al. [20] had the best fit with the drying behavior of Coriandrum sativum L. leaves. In addition, the thermodynamic behaviour of a solar dryer was evaluated. The energy efficiency during the study varied from 7.81 to 37.93%. The exergy efficiency of the drying process ranged between 55.35 and 79.39%. (author)

Evaluation of microwave cavity gas sensor for in-vessel monitoring of dry cask storage systems

Science.gov (United States)

Bakhtiari, S.; Gonnot, T.; Elmer, T.; Chien, H.-T.; Engel, D.; Koehl, E.; Heifetz, A.

2018-04-01

Results are reported of research activities conducted at Argonne to assess the viability of microwave resonant cavities for extended in-vessel monitoring of dry cask storage system (DCSS) environment. One of the gases of concern to long-term storage in canisters is water vapor, which appears due to evaporation of residual moisture from incompletely dried fuel assembly. Excess moisture could contribute to corrosion and deterioration of components inside the canister, which would in turn compromise maintenance and safe transportation of such systems. Selection of the sensor type in this work was based on a number of factors, including good sensitivity, fast response time, small form factor and ruggedness of the probing element. A critical design constraint was the capability to mount and operate the sensor using the existing canister penetrations-use of existing ports for thermocouple lances. Microwave resonant cavities operating at select resonant frequency matched to the rotational absorption line of the molecule of interest offer the possibility of highly sensitive detection. In this study, two prototype K-band microwave cylindrical cavities operating at TE01n resonant modes around the 22 GHz water absorption line were developed and tested. The sensors employ a single port for excitation and detection and a novel dual-loop inductive coupling for optimized excitation of the resonant modes. Measurement of the loaded and unloaded cavity quality factor was obtained from the S11 parameter. The acquisition and real-time analysis of data was implemented using software based tools developed for this purpose. The results indicate that the microwave humidity sensors developed in this work could be adapted to in-vessel monitoring applications that require few parts-per-million level of sensitivity. The microwave sensing method for detection of water vapor can potentially be extended to detection of radioactive fission gases leaking into the interior of the canister through

Microwave heating device for internal heating convection experiments, applied to Earth's mantle dynamics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Surducan, E.; Surducan, V.; Neamtu, C., E-mail: camelia.neamtu@itim-cj.ro [National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies (INCDTIM), 67-103 Donat St., 400293, Cluj‑Napoca (Romania); Limare, A.; Di Giuseppe, E. [Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP), Univ. Paris Diderot, UMR CNRS 7154, 1 rue Jussieu, 75005, Paris (France)

2014-12-15

We report the design, construction, and performances of a microwave (MW) heating device for laboratory experiments with non-contact, homogeneous internal heating. The device generates MW radiation at 2.47 GHz from a commercial magnetron supplied by a pulsed current inverter using proprietary, feedback based command and control hardware and software. Specially designed MW launchers direct the MW radiation into the sample through a MW homogenizer, devised to even the MW power distribution into the sample's volume. An adjustable MW circuit adapts the MW generator to the load (i.e., the sample) placed in the experiment chamber. Dedicated heatsinks maintain the MW circuits at constant temperature throughout the experiment. Openings for laser scanning for image acquisition with a CCD camera and for the cooling circuits are protected by special MW filters. The performances of the device are analyzed in terms of heating uniformity, long term output power stability, and load matching. The device is used for small scale experiments simulating Earth's mantle convection. The 30 × 30 × 5 cm{sup 3} convection tank is filled with a water‑based viscous fluid. A uniform and constant temperature is maintained at the upper boundary by an aluminum heat exchanger and adiabatic conditions apply at the tank base. We characterize the geometry of the convective regime as well as its bulk thermal evolution by measuring the velocity field by Particle Image Velocimetry and the temperature field by using Thermochromic Liquid Crystals.

Optimization of microwave-assisted drying of Jerusalem artichokes (Helianthus tuberosus L. by response surface methodology and genetic algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. KARACABEY

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The objective of the present study was to investigate microwave-assisted drying of Jerusalem artichoke tubers to determine the effects of the processing conditions. Drying time (DT and effectivemoisture diffusivity (EMD were determined to evaluate the drying process in terms of dehydration performance, whereas the rehydration ratio (RhR was considered as a significant quality index. A pretreatment of soaking in a NaCl solution was applied before all trials. The output power of the microwave oven, slice thickness and NaCl concentration of the pretreatment solution werethe three investigated parameters. The drying process was accelerated by altering the conditions while obtaining a higher quality product. For optimization of the drying process, response surface methodology (RSM and genetic algorithms (GA were used. Model adequacy was evaluated for each corresponding mathematical expression developed for interested responses by RSM. The residual of the model obtained by GA was compared to that of the RSM model. The GA was successful in high-performance prediction and produced results similar to those of RSM. The analysis and results of the present study show that both RSM and GA models can be used in cohesion to gain insight into the bioprocessing system.

THE LINE FOR PRODUCTION OF DRIED APPLES, PEARS, CARROTS, PUMPKIN AND CHIPS

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G. V. Kalashnikov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The line is intended for processing of fruit and vegetable raw materials and receiving dried apples, pears, carrots, pumpkins and the fruit-and-vegetable of chips. The line solves problems of improvement of quality of a ready-made product and thermal production efficiency due to more rational alternation of the technological modes of a moisture increment and dehumidification with high extent of use of an energy potential of the heat carrier, use of the inert heat carrier (steam identical by the form for technological thermal processes, decrease in specific energy consumption and metal consumption, and also an intensification of moisture evaporation and creation of the compact multipurpose technological line for production of fruit and vegetable products with the expanded range. The technological production line of dried apples, pears, carrots, pumpkin and fruit and vegetable chips contains the jet washer, the inspection conveyor, the size grader, the car for removal of a seed nest and the device are sharp fruits and vegetables on plates, the sulfiter, the dryer and the packing automatic packing machine. Thus the line contains the combined toroidal device for heatmoisture of handling continuous action divided into sections: section of heating of raw materials, section of convective drying, section of preliminary hydration, which is located between microwave drying sections, and the section of cooling of the dried-up product intended for bringing a product to final readiness. The equipment complex from the drum car with the washing block and multipurpose installation with crushing of raw materials and office of sunflower seeds taking into account raw materials type is provided in lines. Are used recirculation a contour, the heating of the initial raw material fulfilled after drying of pairs and a condensate in the closed contour for creation energy-saving of the "know-how" of a ready product. The line represents modular blocks and is recustomized

Enhancement of convective drying by application of airborne ultrasound - a response surface approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, Svenja M; Sabarez, Henry; Gaukel, Volker; Knoerzer, Kai

2014-11-01

Drying is one of the oldest and most commonly used processes in the food manufacturing industry. The conventional way of drying is by forced convection at elevated temperatures. However, this process step often requires a very long treatment time, is highly energy consuming and detrimental to the product quality. Therefore, an investigation of whether the drying time and temperature can be reduced with the assistance of an airborne ultrasound intervention is of interest. Previous studies have shown that contact ultrasound can accelerate the drying process. It is assumed that mechanical vibrations, creating micro channels in the food matrix or keeping these channels from collapsing upon drying, are responsible for the faster water removal. In food samples, due to their natural origin, drying is also influenced by fluctuations in tissue structure, varying between different trials. For this reason, a model food system with thermo-physical properties and composition (water, cellulose, starch, fructose) similar to those of plant-based foods has been used in this study. The main objective was, therefore, to investigate the influence of airborne ultrasound conditions on the drying behaviour of the model food. The impact of airborne ultrasound at various power levels, drying temperature, relative humidity of the drying air, and the air speed was analysed. To examine possible interactions between these parameters, the experiments were designed with a Response Surface Method using Minitab 16 Statistical Software (Minitab Inc., State College, PA, USA). In addition, a first attempt at improving the process conditions and performance for better suitability and applicability in industrial scale processing was undertaken by non-continuous/intermittent sonication. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of drying methods with respect to drying parameters, some nutritional and colour characteristics of peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arslan, Derya; Ozcan, M. Musa; Menges, Hakan Okyay

2010-01-01

Peppermint leaves (Mentha x piperita L.) were dried by using sun, oven (50 deg. C) and microwave oven (700 W) drying methods. Page, Modified page, Midilli and Kuecuek models adequately described the oven, sun and microwave oven drying behaviours of peppermint leaves. The drying process was explicated through the diffusional model in order to obtain effective diffusivity values, which were determined as 3.10 x 10 -12 , 2.68 x 10 -12 and 4.09 x 10 -10 for the sun, oven and microwave oven drying process, respectively. Fresh and dried herbs had high amounts of K, Ca, P, Mg, Fe and Al minerals. Microwave oven drying method leaded to the lowest increase in Ag, Al, B, Na, Mn, Mg and Zn values than the other drying methods. Microwave oven drying shortened the drying time, revealed the highest phenolic content and optimum colour values.

Convectively-driven cold layer and its influences on moisture in the UTLS

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, J.; Randel, W. J.; Birner, T.

2016-12-01

Characteristics of the cold anomaly in the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) that is commonly observed with deep convection are examined using CloudSat and Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) GPS radio occultation measurements. Deep convection is sampled based on the cloud top height (>17 km) from CloudSat 2B-CLDCLASS, and then temperature profiles from COSMIC are composited around the deep convection. The composite temperature shows anomalously warm troposphere (up to 14 km) and a significantly cold layer near the tropopause (at 16-18 km) in the regions of deep convection. Generally in the tropics, the cold layer has very large horizontal scale (2,000 - 6,000 km) compared to that of mesoscale convective cluster, and it lasts one or two weeks with minimum temperature anomaly of - 2K. The cold layer shows slight but clear eastward-tilted vertical structure in the deep tropics indicating a large-scale Kelvin wave response. Further analyses on circulation patterns suggest that the anomaly can be explained as a part of Gill-type response in the TTL to deep convective heating in the troposphere. Response of moisture to the cold layer is also examined in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere using microwave limb sounder (MLS) measurements. The water vapor anomalies show coherent structures with the temperature and circulation anomalies. A clear dry anomaly is found in the cold layer and its outflow region, implying a large-scale dehydration process due to the convectively driven cold layer in the upper TTL.

Changes in non-volatile taste components of button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) during different stages of freeze drying and freeze drying combined with microwave vacuum drying.

Science.gov (United States)

Pei, Fei; Shi, Ying; Gao, Xingyang; Wu, Fangning; Mariga, Alfred Mugambi; Yang, Wenjian; Zhao, Liyan; An, Xinxin; Xin, Zhihong; Yang, Fangmei; Hu, Qiuhui

2014-12-15

Button mushroom slices were dehydrated using freeze drying (FD) or FD combined with microwave vacuum drying (FMVD), and the non-volatile component profiles were studied. The results showed that the level of non-volatile components in button mushroom firstly increased during sublimation of FD/FMVD process and then fell during desorption in FD process and MVD in FMVD process. Compared to FD products, the contents of soluble sugars and polyols in FMVD products were relatively low, whereas the contents of total free amino acids were significantly higher, close to the level of fresh mushroom. However, there was no significant difference in the contents of 5'-nucleotides and organic acids between FD and FMVD products. The equivalent umami concentration (EUC) values for FD and FMVD products did not differ from fresh, indicating that both drying methods could effectively preserve MSG (monosodium glutamate)-like components in button mushroom. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Freeze drying reduces the extractability of organochlorine pesticides in fish muscle tissue by microwave-assisted method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yanyan; Lin, Nan; Su, Shu; Shen, Guofeng; Chen, Yuanchen; Yang, Chunli; Li, Wei; Shen, Huizhong; Huang, Ye; Chen, Han; Wang, Xilong; Liu, Wenxin; Tao, Shu

2014-01-01

Samples of animal origin are usually dried before solvent extraction for analysis of organic contaminants. The freeze drying technique is preferred for hydrophobic organic compounds in practice. In this study, it was shown that the concentration of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) extracted from fish muscle tissue significantly decreased after the samples were freeze dried. And the reason for this reduced extractability seemed to be the resistance of OCPs associated with freeze-dried muscle protein to solvent extraction. The extractability can be recovered by adding water prior to extraction. It suggests that the dietary exposure risk of OCPs from fish might be underestimated if freeze-dried samples are used. - Highlights: • Freeze drying significantly reduces extractability of OCPs in fish muscle sample. • It is the protein that causes the reduction in extractability of OCPs. • The extractability can be recovered by adding water before extraction. - Freeze drying significantly decreases the concentrations of OCPs extracted from fish muscle samples by microwave-assisted method

Application of microwave radiometer and wind profiler data in the estimation of wind gust associated with intense convective weather

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chan, P W; Wong, K H

2008-01-01

Estimates of the wind gusts associated with intense convective weather could be obtained using empirical relationships such as GUSTEX based on radiosonde measurements. However, such data are only available a couple of times a day and may not reflect the rapidly changing atmospheric condition in spring and summer times. The feasibility of combining the thermodynamic profiles from a ground-based microwave radiometer and wind profiles given by radar wind profilers in the continuous estimation of wind gusts is studied in this paper. Based on the results of a 4-month trial of a microwave radiometer in Hong Kong in 2004, the estimated and the actual gusts are reasonably well correlated. It is also found that the wind gusts so estimated provide better indications of the strength of squalls compared with those based on radiosonde measurements and with a lead time of about one hour

The Impact of Amazonian Deforestation on Dry-Season Rainfall

Science.gov (United States)

Negri, Andrew J.; Adler, Robert F.; Xu, Li-Ming; Surratt, Jason; Starr, David OC. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Many modeling studies have concluded that widespread deforestation of Amazonia would lead to decreased rainfall. We analyze geosynchronous infrared satellite data with respect percent cloudiness, and analyze rain estimates from microwave sensors aboard the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite. We conclude that in the dry-season, when the effects of the surface are not overwhelmed by synoptic-scale weather disturbances, deep convective cloudiness, as well as rainfall occurrence, all increase over the deforested and non-forested (savanna) regions. This is in response to a local circulation initiated by the differential heating of the region's varying forestation. Analysis of the diurnal cycle of cloudiness reveals a shift toward afternoon hours in the deforested and savanna regions, compared to the forested regions. Analysis of 14 years of data from the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager data revealed that only in August did rainfall amounts increase over the deforested region.

Distribution of temperature and moisture content fields in a rectangular beet pulp particle during convection drying

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. N. Ostrikov

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The mathematical model describing distribution of fields of temperatures and moisture contents in a particle of a squared beet press at convective drying is given. As the initial equations the differential equations of material and thermal balances in which transfer of warmth and weight is caused by phase transformations have been accepted. The algorithm of the numerical solution of a non-stationary regional problem of heat conductivity with variable heat and mass transfer coefficients of the dried-up product, boundary and entry conditions and also phase transition with mobile limit of the section of phases is developed for the solution of mathematical model. At the same time the initial system of the equations is given to a dimensionless look. For the solution of a problem of non-stationary heat conductivity the zone method of calculation of temperature fields when drying a beet press is used. Process of drying broke into some time intervals. Within each interval geometrical form of a particle, its density, heatphysical and mass-exchanged characteristics; initial distribution of temperature and moisture content on particle volume and also density of a mass and thermal stream with the evaporated moisture are constant. The zone method of the solution of a problem of the non-stationary three-dimensional equation of heat conductivity for a parallelepiped taking into account internal sources of warmth has been checked on experimental data of stationary drying of a beet press with use of basic data. For realization of a zone method dependences of change of the linear size of a particle of a beet press on spatial coordinate x and its moisture content in the course of drying are received. At constant values of moisture content and the sizes of the party of the dried-up particle on each step the method of a machine experiment has found the current values of coefficient of phase transformation on condition of the maximum rapprochement of settlement and

Fusing Multiple Satellite Datasets Toward Defining and Understanding Organized Convection

Science.gov (United States)

Elsaesser, G.; Del Genio, A. D.

2017-12-01

How do we differentiate unorganized from organized convection? We might think of organized convection as being long lasting (at least longer than the lifetime of any individual cumulus cell), clustered at larger spatial scales (>100 km), and responsible for substantial rainfall accumulation. Organized convection is sustained on such scales due to the arrangement of moist/dry and buoyant/non-buoyant mesoscale circulations. The nature of these circulations is tied to system diabatic heating profiles; in particular, the 2nd baroclinic (top-heavy), stratiform heating mode is thought to be important for organized convection maintenance/propagation. We investigate the extent to which these characteristics are jointly found in propagating convective systems. Lifecycle information comes from hi-res IR data. Diabatic heating profiles, convective fractions and rainfall are provided by GPM retrievals mapped to convective system tracks. Moisture is provided by AIRS/AMSU and passive microwave retrievals. Instead of compositing heating profile information along a system track, where information is smoothed out, we sort system heating profile structures according to their "top heaviness" and then analyze PDFs of system rainfall, system sizes, durations, convective/stratiform ratios, etc. as a function of diabatic heating structure. Perhaps contrary to expectation, we find only small differences in PDFs of rainfall rates, system sizes, and system duration for different heating profile structures. If organization is defined according to heating structures, then one possible interpretation of these results is that organization is independent of system size, duration, and many times, even lifecycle stage. Is it possible that most systems "hobble" along and exhibit varying degrees of organization, dependent on local environment moisture/buoyancy variations, unlike the archetypical MCS paradigm? This presentation will also discuss the questions posed above within the context of

Combination microwave ovens: an innovative design strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tinga, Wayne R; Eke, Ken

2012-01-01

Reducing the sensitivity of microwave oven heating and cooking performance to load volume, load placement and load properties has been a long-standing challenge for microwave and microwave-convection oven designers. Conventional design problem and solution methods are reviewed to provide greater insight into the challenge and optimum operation of a microwave oven after which a new strategy is introduced. In this methodology, a special load isolating and energy modulating device called a transducer-exciter is used containing an iris, a launch box, a phase, amplitude and frequency modulator and a coupling plate designed to provide spatially distributed coupling to the oven. This system, when applied to a combined microwave-convection oven, gives astounding performance improvements to all kinds of baked and roasted foods including sensitive items such as cakes and pastries, with the only compromise being a reasonable reduction in the maximum available microwave power. Large and small metal utensils can be used in the oven with minimal or no performance penalty on energy uniformity and cooking results. Cooking times are greatly reduced from those in conventional ovens while maintaining excellent cooking performance.

The impact of convective drying on the color, phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of noni (Morinda citrifolia L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Isabel MIRELES-ARRIAGA

Full Text Available Abstract The effect of thin-layer drying temperature on color, phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of noni slices was investigated. Noni slices were air-dried at 50, 60 and 70 °C under natural convection conditions. Drying curves were fitted to thin-layer drying models in order to evaluate the drying characteristics of the product. In addition, an unsteady-state diffusion equation was numerically solved considering both product shrinkage and a variable mass Biot number in boundary condition to accurately estimate water diffusivity in a process with external resistance to mass transfer. Results revealed that the Aghbashlo model accurately reproduced the experimental behavior. As expected, water diffusivities, corrected for shrinkage, increased with the use of higher drying temperatures, with values in the range of 1.80-3.19 to ×10-9 m2/s. On the other hand, while drying caused a reduction in product lightness (24-31% and total phenolic content (20-28%, the antioxidant capacity of dried noni was high (82-93% DPPH inhibition, which is advantageous for the further storage or processing of this fruit.

Comparison of mathematical models and artificial neural networks for prediction of drying kinetics of mushroom in microwave vacuum dryer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghaderi A.

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Drying characteristics of button mushroom slices were determined using microwave vacuum drier at various powers (130, 260, 380, 450 W and absolute pressures (200, 400, 600, 800 mbar. To select a suitable mathematical model, 6 thin-layer drying models were fitted to the experimental data. The fitting rates of models were assessed based on three parameters; highest R2, lowest chi square ( and root mean square error (RMSE. In addition, using the experimental data, an ANN trained by standard back-propagation algorithm, was developed in order to predict moisture ratio (MR and drying rate (DR values based on the three input variables (drying time, absolute pressure, microwave power. Different activation functions and several rules were used to assess percentage error between the desired and the predicted values. According to our findings, Midilli et al. model showed a reasonable fitting with experimental data. While, the ANN model showed its high capability to predict the MR and DR quite well with determination coefficients (R2 of 0.9991, 0.9995 and 0.9996 for training, validation and testing, respectively. Furthermore, their predictions Mean Square Error were 0.00086, 0.00042 and 0.00052, respectively.

Modulation of surface structure and catalytic properties of cerium oxide nanoparticles by thermal and microwave synthesis techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

He, Jian [College of Pharmacy, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038 (China); Zhou, Lan; Liu, Jie; Yang, Lu; Zou, Ling; Xiang, Junyu; Dong, Shiwu [School of Biomedical Engineering, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038 (China); Yang, Xiaochao, E-mail: xcyang@tmmu.edu.cn [School of Biomedical Engineering, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038 (China)

2017-04-30

Highlights: • The CNPs synthesized by microwave irradiation have more reactive hot spots than that synthesized by convective heating. • The CNPs synthesized by microwave irradiation exhibited higher SOD activity than that synthesized by convective heating. • The CNPs synthesized by microwave irradiation heating could better protect cells from oxidative stress. - Abstract: Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) have been intensively explored for biomedical applications in recent few years due to the versatile enzyme mimetic activities of the nanoparticles. However, the control of CNPs quality through the optimization of synthesis conditions remains largely unexplored as most of the previous studies only focus on utilizing the catalytic activities of the nanoparticles. In the present study, CNPs with size about 5 nm were synthesized by thermal decomposition method using traditional convective heating and recently developed microwave irradiation as heating source. The quality of CNPs synthesized by the two heating manner was evaluated. The CNPs synthesized by convective heating were slightly smaller than that synthesized by microwave irradiation heating. The cores of the CNPs synthesized by the two heating manner have similar crystal structure. While the surface subtle structures of the CNPs synthesized by two heating manner were different. The CNPs synthesized by microwave irradiation have more surface reactive hot spot than that synthesized by convective heating as the nanoparticles responded more actively to the redox environment variation. This difference resulted in the higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic activity of CNPs synthesized by microwave irradiation heating than that of the convective heating. Preliminary experiments indicated that the CNPs synthesized by microwave irradiation heating could better protect cells from oxidative stress due to the higher SOD mimetic activity of the nanoparticles.

Modulation of surface structure and catalytic properties of cerium oxide nanoparticles by thermal and microwave synthesis techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Jian; Zhou, Lan; Liu, Jie; Yang, Lu; Zou, Ling; Xiang, Junyu; Dong, Shiwu; Yang, Xiaochao

2017-01-01

Highlights: • The CNPs synthesized by microwave irradiation have more reactive hot spots than that synthesized by convective heating. • The CNPs synthesized by microwave irradiation exhibited higher SOD activity than that synthesized by convective heating. • The CNPs synthesized by microwave irradiation heating could better protect cells from oxidative stress. - Abstract: Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) have been intensively explored for biomedical applications in recent few years due to the versatile enzyme mimetic activities of the nanoparticles. However, the control of CNPs quality through the optimization of synthesis conditions remains largely unexplored as most of the previous studies only focus on utilizing the catalytic activities of the nanoparticles. In the present study, CNPs with size about 5 nm were synthesized by thermal decomposition method using traditional convective heating and recently developed microwave irradiation as heating source. The quality of CNPs synthesized by the two heating manner was evaluated. The CNPs synthesized by convective heating were slightly smaller than that synthesized by microwave irradiation heating. The cores of the CNPs synthesized by the two heating manner have similar crystal structure. While the surface subtle structures of the CNPs synthesized by two heating manner were different. The CNPs synthesized by microwave irradiation have more surface reactive hot spot than that synthesized by convective heating as the nanoparticles responded more actively to the redox environment variation. This difference resulted in the higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetic activity of CNPs synthesized by microwave irradiation heating than that of the convective heating. Preliminary experiments indicated that the CNPs synthesized by microwave irradiation heating could better protect cells from oxidative stress due to the higher SOD mimetic activity of the nanoparticles.

Dry and Semi-Dry Tropical Cyclones

Science.gov (United States)

Cronin, T.; Chavas, D. R.

2017-12-01

Our understanding of dynamics in our real moist atmosphere is strongly informed by idealized dry models. It is widely believed that tropical cyclones (TCs) are an intrinsically moist phenomenon - relying fundamentally on evaporation and latent heat release - yet recent numerical modeling work has found formation of dry axisymmetric tropical cyclones from a state of dry radiative-convective equilibrium. What can such "dry hurricanes" teach us about intensity, structure, and size of real moist tropical cyclones in nature? Are dry TCs even stable in 3D? What about surfaces that are nearly dry but have some latent heat flux - can they also support TCs? To address these questions, we use the SAM cloud-system resolving model to simulate radiative-convective equilibrium on a rapidly rotating f-plane, subject to constant tropospheric radiative cooling. We use a homogeneous surface with fixed temperature and with surface saturation vapor pressure scaled by a factor 0-1 relative to that over pure water - allowing for continuous variation between moist and dry limits. We also explore cases with surface enthalpy fluxes that are uniform in space and time, where partitioning between latent and sensible heat fluxes is specified directly. We find that a completely moist surface yields a TC-world where multiple vortices form spontaneously and persist for tens of days. A completely dry surface can also yield a parallel dry TC-world with many vortices that are even more stable and persistent. Spontaneous cyclogenesis, however, is impeded for a range of low to intermediate surface wetness values, and by the combination of large rotation rates and a dry surface. We discuss whether these constraints on spontaneous cyclogenesis might arise from: 1) rain evaporation in the subcloud layer limiting the range of viable surface wetness values, and 2) a natural convective Rossby number limiting the range of viable rotation rates. Finally, we discuss simulations with uniform surface enthalpy

Evaluation of a microwave method for dry matter determination in faecal samples from weaned pigs with or without clinical diarrhoea.

Science.gov (United States)

Pedersen, Ken Steen; Stege, Helle; Nielsen, Jens Peter

2011-07-01

Microwave drying as a procedure for determination of faecal dry matter in weaned pigs was evaluated and clinical relevant cut-off values between faecal consistency scores were determined. Repeatability and reproducibility were evaluated. Overall coefficient of variation was 0.03. The 95% confidence limits for any future faecal subsample examined by any operator in any replica were ± 0.85% faecal dry matter. Robustness in relation to weight of wet faeces was evaluated. The weight categories were 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 3.0 g. Samples of 0.5 g gave significantly different mean faecal dry matter content compared to weighing of 1.0-3.0 g. Agreement with freeze-drying was evaluated. Lin's concordance correlation coefficient was 0.94. On average the faecal dry matter values was 1.7% (SD=1.99%) higher in freeze dried compared to micro waved samples. Non-parametric ROC analyses were used to determine optimal faecal dry matter cut-off values for clinical faecal consistency scores. The 4 consistency scores were score 1=firm and shaped, score 2=soft and shaped, score 3=loose and score 4=watery. The cut-off values were score 1: faecal dry matter content >19.5%, score 2: faecal dry matter content ≤ 19.5% and >18.0%, score 3: faecal dry matter content ≤ 18.0% and >11.3%, score 4: faecal dry matter content ≤ 11.3%. In conclusion, the microwave procedure has an acceptable repeatability/reproducibility and good agreement with freeze drying can be expected. A minimum of 1.0 g of wet faeces must be used for analyses. Faecal dry matter cut-off values between 4 different clinical consistency scores were determined. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of convective heat transfer coefficient of various crops in cyclone type dryer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akpinar, E. Kavak

2005-01-01

In this paper, an attempt was made to evaluate the convective heat transfer coefficient during drying of various crops and to investigate the influences of drying air velocity and temperature on the convective heat transfer coefficient. Drying was conducted in a convective cyclone type dryer at drying air temperatures of 60, 70 and 80 deg. C and velocities of 1 and 1.5 m/s using rectangle shaped potato and apple slices (12.5 x 12.5 x 25 mm) and cylindrical shaped pumpkin slices (35 x 5 mm). The temperature changes of the dried crops and the temperature of the drying air were measured during the drying process. It was found that the values of convective heat transfer coefficient varied from crop to crop with a range 30.21406 and 20.65470 W/m 2 C for the crops studied, and it was observed that the convective heat transfer coefficient increased in large amounts with the increase of the drying air velocity but increased in small amounts with the rise of the drying air temperature

Evaluation of convective heat transfer coefficient of various crops in cyclone type dryer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akpinar, E. Kavak [Mechanical Engineering Department, Firat University, 23279 Elazig (Turkey)]. E-mail: eakpinar@firat.edu.tr

2005-09-15

In this paper, an attempt was made to evaluate the convective heat transfer coefficient during drying of various crops and to investigate the influences of drying air velocity and temperature on the convective heat transfer coefficient. Drying was conducted in a convective cyclone type dryer at drying air temperatures of 60, 70 and 80 deg. C and velocities of 1 and 1.5 m/s using rectangle shaped potato and apple slices (12.5 x 12.5 x 25 mm) and cylindrical shaped pumpkin slices (35 x 5 mm). The temperature changes of the dried crops and the temperature of the drying air were measured during the drying process. It was found that the values of convective heat transfer coefficient varied from crop to crop with a range 30.21406 and 20.65470 W/m{sup 2} C for the crops studied, and it was observed that the convective heat transfer coefficient increased in large amounts with the increase of the drying air velocity but increased in small amounts with the rise of the drying air temperature.

Mathematical modeling of the drying of orange bagasse associating the convective method and infrared radiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carolina M. Sánchez-Sáenz

2015-12-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Mathematical modeling enables dimensioning of dryers, optimization of drying conditions and the evaluation of process performance. The aim of this research was to describe the behavior of orange bagasse drying using Page's and Fick's second law models, and to assess activation energy (using Arrhenius equation, moisture content, water activity and bulk density of product at the end of the process. The drying experimental assays were performed in 2011 with convective air temperature between 36 and 64 ºC and infrared radiation application time in the range from 23 to 277 s in accordance with the experimental central composite rotatable design. Analysis of variance and F-test were applied to results. At the end of the drying process, moisture content was about 0.09 to 0.87 db and water activity was between 0.25 and 0.87. Bulk density did not vary under studied conditions. Empirical Page's model demonstrated better representation of experimental data than the Fick's model for spheres. Activation energy values were about 18.491; 14.975 and 11.421 kJ mol-1 for infrared application times of 60; 150 e 244 s, respectively.

Development of an integrated MOX-scrap recycling flow-sheet by dry and wet routes using microwave heating techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mallik, G K; Malav, R K; Karande, A P; Bhargava, V K; Kamath, H S [Advanced Fuel Fabrication Facility, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Tarapur (India)

1999-01-01

A simple, short and efficient scrap, recycling flow-sheet, which is exclusively based on microwave heating techniques and, includes both dry and wet routes, for (U,Pu)O{sub 2} fuel scrap recycling has been developed and evaluated. (author) 6 refs., 1 tab.

Microwave processing heats up

Science.gov (United States)

Microwaves are a common appliance in many households. In the United States microwave heating is the third most popular domestic heating method food foods. Microwave heating is also a commercial food processing technology that has been applied for cooking, drying, and tempering foods. It's use in ...

Performance of a convective, infrared and combined infrared- convective heated conveyor-belt dryer.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Mesery, Hany S; Mwithiga, Gikuru

2015-05-01

A conveyor-belt dryer was developed using a combined infrared and hot air heating system that can be used in the drying of fruits and vegetables. The drying system having two chambers was fitted with infrared radiation heaters and through-flow hot air was provided from a convective heating system. The system was designed to operate under either infrared radiation and cold air (IR-CA) settings of 2000 W/m(2) with forced ambient air at 30 °C and air flow of 0.6 m/s or combined infrared and hot air convection (IR-HA) dryer setting with infrared intensity set at 2000 W/m(2) and hot at 60 °C being blown through the dryer at a velocity of 0.6 m/s or hot air convection (HA) at an air temperature of 60 °C and air flow velocity 0.6 m/s but without infrared heating. Apple slices dried under the different dryer settings were evaluated for quality and energy requirements. It was found that drying of apple (Golden Delicious) slices took place in the falling rate drying period and no constant rate period of drying was observed under any of the test conditions. The IR-HA setting was 57.5 and 39.1 % faster than IR-CA and HA setting, respectively. Specific energy consumption was lower and thermal efficiency was higher for the IR-HA setting when compared to both IR-CA and HA settings. The rehydration ratio, shrinkage and colour properties of apples dried under IR-HA conditions were better than for either IR-CA or HA.

Transitional dispersive scenarios driven by mesoscale flows on complex terrain under strong dry convective conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. L. Palau

2009-01-01

Full Text Available By experimentation and modelling, this paper analyses the atmospheric dispersion of the SO₂ emissions from a power plant on complex terrain under strong convective conditions, describing the main dispersion features as an ensemble of "stationary dispersive scenarios" and reformulating some "classical" dispersive concepts to deal with the systematically monitored summer dispersive scenarios in inland Spain. The results and discussions presented arise from a statistically representative study of the physical processes associated with the multimodal distribution of pollutants aloft and around a 343-m-tall chimney under strong dry convective conditions in the Iberian Peninsula. This paper analyses the importance of the identification and physical implications of transitional periods for air quality applications. The indetermination of a transversal plume to the preferred transport direction during these transitional periods implies a small (or null physical significance of the classical definition of horizontal standard deviation of the concentration distribution.

Development of novel high power-short time (HPST) microwave assisted commercial decontamination process for dried turmeric powder (Curcuma Longa L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Behera, G; Sutar, P P; Aditya, S

2017-11-01

The commercially available dry turmeric powder at 10.34% d.b. moisture content was decontaminated using microwaves at high power density for short time. To avoid the loss of moisture from turmeric due to high microwave power, the drying kinetics were modelled and considered during optimization of microwave decontamination process. The effect of microwave power density (10, 33.5 and 57 W g -1 ), exposure time (10, 20 and 30 s) and thickness of turmeric layer (1, 2 and 3 mm) on total plate, total yeast and mold (YMC) counts, color change (∆E), average final temperature of the product (T af ), water activity (a w ), Page model rate constant (k) and total moisture loss (ML) was studied. The perturbation analysis was carried out for all variables. It was found that to achieve more than one log reduction in yeast and mold count, a substantial reduction in moisture content takes place leading to the reduced output. The microwave power density significantly affected the YMC, T af and a w of turmeric powder. But the thickness of sample and microwave exposure time showed effect only on T af , a w and ML. The colour of turmeric and Page model rate constant were not significantly changed during the process as anticipated. The numerical optimization was done at 57.00 W g -1 power density, 1.64 mm thickness of sample layer and 30 s exposure time. It resulted into 1.6 × 10 7 CFU g -1 YMC, 82.71 °C T af , 0.383 a w and 8.41% (d.b.) final moisture content.

DEVELOPMENT OF MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF PROCESS OF BLACK CURRANT BERRIES DRYING IN VACUUMDEVICE WITH THE MICROWAVE POWER SUPPLY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. T. Antipov

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Summary. The mathematical model allowed to reproduce and study at qualitative level the change of berries form and the structure of the berries layer in the course of drying. The separate berry in the course of drying loses gradually its elasticity, decreases in volume, the peel gathers in folds, there appear internal emptiness. In the course of drying the berries layer decreases in thickness, contacting berries stick strongly with each other due to the coordinated folds of peel appearing, the layer is condensed due to penetration of the berries which have lost elasticity into emptiness between them. The model with high specification describes black currant drying process and therefore has a large number of the parameters available to change. Among them three most important technological parameters, influencing productivity and the drying quality are chosen: the power of microwave radiation P, thickness of the berries layer h, environmental pressure p. From output indicators of the model the most important are three functions from time: dependence of average humidity of the layer on time Wcp (t, dependence of the speed of change of average humidity on time dWcp (t/dt, dependence of the layer average temperature on time Tср (t. On the standard models classification the offered model is algorithmic, but not analytical. It means that output characteristics of model are calculated with the entrance ones, not by analytical transformations (it is impossible principally for the modeled process, but by means of spatial and temporary sampling and the corresponding calculation algorithm. Detailed research of the microwave drying process by means of the model allows to allocate the following stages: fast heating, the fast dehydration, the slowed-down dehydration, consolidation of a layer of a product, final drying, heating after dehydration.

Single droplet drying for optimal spray drying of enzymes and probiotics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schutyser, M.A.I.; Perdana, J.A.; Boom, R.M.

2012-01-01

Spray drying is a mild and cost-effective convective drying method. It can be applied to stabilise heat sensitive ingredients, such as enzymes and probiotic bacteria, albeit in industrial practice for example freeze drying or freezing are often preferred. The reason is that optimum drying conditions

Study of the antioxidant properties of extracts obtained from nopal cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) cladodes after convective drying.

Science.gov (United States)

Medina-Torres, Luis; Vernon-Carter, E Jaime; Gallegos-Infante, J Alberto; Rocha-Guzman, Nuria E; Herrera-Valencia, E E; Calderas, Fausto; Jiménez-Alvarado, Rubén

2011-04-01

The process of convective drying was evaluated in terms of the bioactive compounds contained in nopal samples before and after dehydration. Total polyphenol, flavonoid, flavonol, carotene and ascorbic acid contents were determined in undehydrated and dehydrated samples. Two drying temperatures (45 and 65 °C) and two air flow rates (3 and 5 m s(-1) ) were evaluated. The rheology of samples under the best drying conditions was also studied, since it provides important information regarding processing (mixing, flow processing) as well as the sensory attributes (texture) of rehydrated samples. Non-Newtonian shear-thinning behaviour was observed for samples dried at 45 °C, while samples dried at 65 °C showed shear-thickening behaviour, possibly caused by thermal chain scission of high-molecular-weight components. The best conditions for bioactive compound preservation were a drying temperature of 45 °C and an air flow rate of 3 m s(-1) , resulting in 40.97 g phenols, 23.41 g flavonoids, 0.543 g β-carotene and 0.2815 g ascorbic acid kg(-1) sample as shown in table 3. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Drying of restructured chips made from the old stalks of Asparagus officinalis: impact of different drying methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhenbin; Zhang, Min; Wang, Yuchuan

2016-06-01

Old stalks of Asparagus officinalis, which account for one third of the total length of each spear, are always discarded as waste. To make full use of the resource, a kind of restructured Asparagus officinalis chip was made. The effects of pulse-spouted microwave-assisted vacuum drying (PSMVD), microwave-assisted vacuum drying (MVD) and vacuum drying (VD) on texture, color and other quality parameters of restructured chips were then studied to obtain high-quality dried chips. Results indicated that the drying time was significantly affected by drying methods, and PSMVD had much better drying uniformity than MVD. The expansion ratio and crispness of chips increased with increasing microwave power and vacuum degree. The browning reaction of samples in VD was more serious, which was confirmed by the results of color test and electronic nose. The PSMVD drying method showed much better drying uniformity than MVD. The dried chips obtained by PSMVD showed optimal quality and were more readily accepted by consumers. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Mathematical models and qualities of shredded Thai-style instant rice under a combined gas-fired infrared and air convection drying

Science.gov (United States)

Nachaisin, Mali; Teeta, Suminya; Deejing, Konlayut; Pharanat, Wanida

2017-09-01

Instant food is a product produced for convenience for consumer. Qualities are an important attribute of food materials reflecting consumer acceptance. The most problem of instant rice is casehardening during drying process resulted in the longer rehydration time. The objective of this research was to study the qualities of shredded Thai-style instant rice under a combined gas-fired infrared and air convection drying. Additionally, the mathematical models for gas-fired infrared assisted thin-layer drying of shredded Thai-style rice for traditional was investigated. The thin-layer drying of shredded Thai-style rice was carried out under gas-fired infrared intensities of 1000W/m2, air temperatures of 70°C and air velocities of 1 m/s. The drying occurred in the falling rate of drying period. The Page model was found to satisfactorily describe the drying behavior of shredded Thai-style rice, providing the highest R2 (0.997) and the lowest MBE and RMSE (0.01 and 0.18) respectively. A 9 point hedonic test showed in softness and color, but odor and overall acceptance were very similar.

Development of macroporous calcium phosphate scaffold processed via microwave rapid drying

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jamuna-Thevi, K., E-mail: jamuna@sirim.my [Advanced Materials Research Centre (AMREC), SIRIM Berhad, Lot 34, Jalan Hi-Tech 2/3, Kulim Hi-Tech Park, 09000 Kulim, Kedah (Malaysia); Zakaria, F.A. [Advanced Materials Research Centre (AMREC), SIRIM Berhad, Lot 34, Jalan Hi-Tech 2/3, Kulim Hi-Tech Park, 09000 Kulim, Kedah (Malaysia); Othman, R. [Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Seri Ampangan, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Penang (Malaysia); Muhamad, S. [Bioassay Unit, Herbal Medicine Research Centre (HMRC), Institute for Medical Research (IMR), Jalan Pahang, 50588 Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

2009-06-01

Porous hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffold has great potential in bone tissue engineering applications. A new method to fabricate macroporous calcium phosphate (CP) scaffold via microwave irradiation, followed by conventional sintering to form HA scaffold was developed. Incorporation of trisodium citrate dihydrate and citric acid in the CP mixture gave macroporous scaffolds upon microwave rapid drying. In this work, a mixture of {beta}-tricalcium phosphate ({beta}-TCP), calcium carbonate (CaCO{sub 3}), trisodium citrate dihydrate, citric acid and double distilled de-ionised water (DDI) was exposed to microwave radiation to form a macroporous structure. Based on gross eye examinations, addition of trisodium citrate at 30 and 40 wt.% in the CP mixture ({beta}-TCP and CaCO{sub 3}) without citric acid indicates increasing order of pore volume where the highest porosity yield was observed at 40 wt.% of trisodium citrate addition and the pore size was detected at several millimeters. Therefore, optimization of pore size was performed by adding 3-7 wt.% of citric acid in the CP mixture which was separately mixed with 30 and 40 wt.% of trisodium citrate for comparison purposes. Fabricated scaffolds were calcined at 600 deg. C and washed with DDI water to remove the sodium hydroxycarbonate and sintered at 1250 deg. C to form HA phase as confirmed in the X-ray diffraction (XRD) results. Based on Archimedes method, HA scaffolds prepared from 40 wt.% of trisodium citrate with 3-7 wt.% of citric acid added CP mixture have an open and interconnected porous structure ranging from 51 to 53 vol.% and observation using Scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed the pore size distribution between 100 and 500 {mu}m. The cytotoxicity tests revealed that the porous HA scaffolds have no cytotoxic potential on MG63 osteoblast-like cells which might allow for their use as biomaterials.

A dry-spot model of critical heat flux and transition boiling in pool and subcooled forced convection boiling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ha, Sang Jun

1998-02-01

A new dry-spot model for critical heat flux (CHF) is proposed. The new concept for dry area formation based on Poisson distribution of active nucleation sites and the critical active site number is introduced. The model is based on the boiling phenomena observed in nucleate boiling such as Poisson distribution of active nucleation sites and formation of dry spots on the heating surface. It is hypothesized that when the number of bubbles surrounding one bubble exceeds a critical number, the surrounding bubbles restrict the feed of liquid to the microlayer under the bubble. Then a dry spot of vapor will form on the heated surface. As the surface temperature is raised, more and more bubbles will have a population of surrounding active sites over the critical number. Consequently, the number of the spots will increase and the size of dry areas will increase due to merger of several dry spots. If this trend continues, the number of effective sites for heat transport through the wall will diminish, and CHF and transition boiling occur. The model is applicable to pool and subcooled forced convection boiling conditions, based on the common mechanism that CHF and transition boiling are caused by the accumulation and coalescences of dry spots. It is shown that CHF and heat flux in transition boiling can be determined without any empirical parameter based on information on the boiling parameters such as active site density and bubble diameter, etc., in nucleate boiling. It is also shown that the present model well represents actual phenomena on CHF and transition boiling and explains the mechanism on how parameters such as flow modes (pool or flow) and surface wettability influence CHF and transition boiling. Validation of the present model for CHF and transition boiling is achieved without any tuning parameter always present in earlier models. It is achieved by comparing the predictions of CHF and heat flux in transition boiling using measured boiling parameters in nucleate

Classification of dried vegetables using computer image analysis and artificial neural networks

Science.gov (United States)

Koszela, K.; Łukomski, M.; Mueller, W.; Górna, K.; Okoń, P.; Boniecki, P.; Zaborowicz, M.; Wojcieszak, D.

2017-07-01

In the recent years, there has been a continuously increasing demand for vegetables and dried vegetables. This trend affects the growth of the dehydration industry in Poland helping to exploit excess production. More and more often dried vegetables are used in various sectors of the food industry, both due to their high nutritional qualities and changes in consumers' food preferences. As we observe an increase in consumer awareness regarding a healthy lifestyle and a boom in health food, there is also an increase in the consumption of such food, which means that the production and crop area can increase further. Among the dried vegetables, dried carrots play a strategic role due to their wide application range and high nutritional value. They contain high concentrations of carotene and sugar which is present in the form of crystals. Carrots are also the vegetables which are most often subjected to a wide range of dehydration processes; this makes it difficult to perform a reliable qualitative assessment and classification of this dried product. The many qualitative properties of dried carrots determining their positive or negative quality assessment include colour and shape. The aim of the research was to develop and implement the model of a computer system for the recognition and classification of freeze-dried, convection-dried and microwave vacuum dried products using the methods of computer image analysis and artificial neural networks.

Experimental study of water desorption isotherms and thin-layer convective drying kinetics of bay laurel leaves

Science.gov (United States)

Ghnimi, Thouraya; Hassini, Lamine; Bagane, Mohamed

2016-12-01

The aim of this work is to determine the desorption isotherms and the drying kinetics of bay laurel leaves ( Laurus Nobilis L.). The desorption isotherms were performed at three temperature levels: 50, 60 and 70 °C and at water activity ranging from 0.057 to 0.88 using the statistic gravimetric method. Five sorption models were used to fit desorption experimental isotherm data. It was found that Kuhn model offers the best fitting of experimental moisture isotherms in the mentioned investigated ranges of temperature and water activity. The Net isosteric heat of water desorption was evaluated using The Clausius-Clapeyron equation and was then best correlated to equilibrium moisture content by the empirical Tsami's equation. Thin layer convective drying curves of bay laurel leaves were obtained for temperatures of 45, 50, 60 and 70 °C, relative humidity of 5, 15, 30 and 45 % and air velocities of 1, 1.5 and 2 m/s. A non linear regression procedure of Levenberg-Marquardt was used to fit drying curves with five semi empirical mathematical models available in the literature, The R2 and χ2 were used to evaluate the goodness of fit of models to data. Based on the experimental drying curves the drying characteristic curve (DCC) has been established and fitted with a third degree polynomial function. It was found that the Midilli Kucuk model was the best semi-empirical model describing thin layer drying kinetics of bay laurel leaves. The bay laurel leaves effective moisture diffusivity and activation energy were also identified.

Lightning-based propagation of convective rain fields

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Dietrich

2011-05-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a new multi-sensor approach for continuously monitoring convective rain cells. It exploits lightning data from surface networks to propagate rain fields estimated from multi-frequency brightness temperature measurements taken by the AMSU/MHS microwave radiometers onboard NOAA/EUMETSAT low Earth orbiting operational satellites. Specifically, the method allows inferring the development (movement, morphology and intensity of convective rain cells from the spatial and temporal distribution of lightning strokes following any observation by a satellite-borne microwave radiometer. Obviously, this is particularly attractive for real-time operational purposes, due to the sporadic nature of the low Earth orbiting satellite measurements and the continuous availability of ground-based lightning measurements – as is the case in most of the Mediterranean region. A preliminary assessment of the lightning-based rainfall propagation algorithm has been successfully made by using two pairs of consecutive AMSU observations, in conjunction with lightning measurements from the ZEUS network, for two convective events. Specifically, we show that the evolving rain fields, which are estimated by applying the algorithm to the satellite-based rainfall estimates for the first AMSU overpass, show an overall agreement with the satellite-based rainfall estimates for the second AMSU overpass.

Design and fabrication of microwave flat lenses using a novel dry powder dot deposition system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Good, Brandon L; Roper, David A Jr; Simmons, Shaun; Mirotznik, Mark S

2015-01-01

We describe a new methodology for creating flat lenses operating in the microwave spectrum using a custom designed additive manufacturing system. This method utilizes a novel dry powder 3D printing system to achieve graded index lenses integrated within a structural composite. We also describe a new iterative dot patterning algorithm to achieve a desired graded dielectric distribution, and we compare the iterative dot patterning algorithm to other dot patterning techniques. Computational and experimental results are provided validating the design and fabrication process. (paper)

Experimental and numerical studies on the treatment of wet astronaut trash by forced-convection drying

Science.gov (United States)

Arquiza, J. M. R. Apollo; Morrow, Robert; Remiker, Ross; Hunter, Jean B.

2017-09-01

During long-term space missions, astronauts generate wet trash, including food containers with uneaten portions, moist hygiene wipes and wet paper towels. This waste produces two problems: the loss of water and the generation of odors and health hazards by microbial growth. These problems are solved by a closed-loop, forced-convection, heat-pump drying system which stops microbial activity by both pasteurization and desiccation, and recovers water in a gravity-independent porous media condensing heat exchanger. A transient, pseudo-homogeneous continuum model for the drying of wet ersatz trash was formulated for this system. The model is based on the conservation equations for energy and moisture applied to the air and solid phases and includes the unique trash characteristic of having both dry and wet solids. Experimentally determined heat and mass transfer coefficients, together with the moisture sorption equilibrium relationship for the wet material are used in the model. The resulting system of differential equations is solved by the finite-volume method as implemented by the commercial software COMSOL. Model simulations agreed well with experimental data under certain conditions. The validated model will be used in the optimization of the entire closed-loop system consisting of fan, air heater, dryer vessel, heat-pump condenser, and heat-recovery modules.

Drying of fruits and vegetables using a flat plate solar collector with convective air flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mansoor, K.K.; Hanif, M.

2011-01-01

This paper presents the analysis of drying of different fruits and vegetables dried by a flat plate solar collector developed at the Department of Agricultural Mechanization, Khyber PukhtunKhwa Agricultural University Peshawar, Pakistan. A small flat plate solar collector is designed and tested for its maximum performance in terms of efficiency with different convective flow rates. The collector assembly is divided into two parts. The flat plate solar collector and the drying chamber. The materials used for flat plate solar collector are wood, steel sheet, Insulation materials, and glass sheet as covering material. The insulation box (0.9 x 1.8 x 0.3 meter) is made up of wood of popular and deodar, to be fully isolated with the help of polystyrene. The absorber is black painted v-corrugated steel sheet. Collector has a tilt angle of 34 deg. (Equivalent to the latitude of Peshawar). The covering material is (0.9 x 1.8 meter) and 5 mm thick glass sheet placed at the top of the wooden box. The collector is supported and tilted with the help of a frame made up of iron angled arms. While the drying chamber is a (1 X 0.5 x 0.3 meter) wooden box connected to the outlet duct of the collector with the help of polyvinylchloride pipe. Experiments were conducted different fruits and vegetables and different parameters like moisture lost by the products in each hour, drying rate at each hour of drying, humidity and temperature of the drying chamber. It was observed that the products such as bitter guard and onion were dried in 10 to 2 hours up to moisture content less then 8%. These two product lost 8% to 10% moisture during each hour of drying. While grapes and Green chili are dried in 24 to 25 hours up to moisture content less then 8%. These two products lost 4% to 5% moisture in each hour of drying. The drying rate of all the products dried was very much consistent. It was observed that onion and bitter guard showed a good drying rate of 0.03[g(H/sub 2/O)/g(d.m).cm/ 2 hr] to

Studies on convective drying of `Ameclyae' Opuntia ficus-indica seeds and its effect on the quality of extracted oil based on its α-tocopherol content

Science.gov (United States)

Hassini, Lamine; Bettaieb, Emna; Motri, Samia; Desmorieux, Hélène

2018-02-01

The aim of this work is to model the thin layer convective drying kinetics of `Ameclyae' prickly pear seed variety and to evaluate the effects of drying conditions on the quality of extracted seed oil, specifically α-tocopherol content. Drying experiments were carried on following a full 23 factorial design using a vertical drying tunnel. The study is restricted to a particular particle size and a particular seed bed of height 0.5 cm, of effective porosity around 0.4 and of initial moisture content on dry basis equal to 1.2 (± 0.01) kg/kg. The temperature range was 45 to 70 °C, relative humidity range was 15-30% and air velocity was 1 and 2 m/s. The experimental drying curves were fitted to different semi-theoretical drying models proposed in the literature. The Midilli-Kucuk model was found with satisfaction describing the seed air drying curves with a correlation coefficient of 0.999 and a standard error of 0.01. For each drying condition, the extraction of fixed oil seeds was performed at cold using liquid/solid separation method. The oil quality was evaluated on the basis of the α-tocopherol content. The α-tocopherol was identified and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-UV). According to the experimental results, it was found that drying air velocity is the most important factor influencing the concentration of α-tocopherol, whereas the effects of temperature and relative humidity were lower. The increase of the velocity from 1 m/s to 2 m/s reduced the α-tocopherol concentration by about 25%. The convective drying of thin layer of seeds at soft air conditions, drying temperature of 45 °C, relative humidity of 15% and air velocity of 1 m/s give the optimal quality of extracted oil in terms of α-tocopherol content. Characterization of the morphologic structure of seeds was also performed by SEM.

Climatology and Impact of Convection on the Tropical Tropopause Layer

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, Franklin; Pittman, Jasna

2007-01-01

Water vapor plays an important role in controlling the radiative balance and the chemical composition of the Tropical Tropopause Layer (TTL). Mechanisms ranging from slow transport and dehydration under thermodynamic equilibrium conditions to fast transport in convection have been proposed as regulators of the amount of water vapor in this layer. However,.details of these mechanisms and their relative importance remain poorly understood, The recently completed Tropical Composition, Cloud, and Climate Coupling (TC4) campaign had the opportunity to sample the.TTL over the Eastern Tropical Pacific using ground-based, airborne, and spaceborne instruments. The main goal of this study is to provide the climatological context for this campaign of deep and overshooting convective activity using various satellite observations collected during the summertime. We use the Microwave Humidity Sensor (MRS) aboard the NOAA-18 satellite to investigate the horizontal extent.and the frequency of convection reaching and penetrating into the TTL. We use the Moderate Resolution I1l1aging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua satellite to investigate the frequency distribution of daytime cirrus clouds. We use the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission(TRMM) and CloudSat to investigate the vertical structure and distribution of hydrometeors in the convective cells, In addition to cloud measurements; we investigate the impact that convection has on the concentration of radiatively important gases such as water vapor and ozone in the TTL by examining satellite measurement obtained from the Microwave Limb Sounder(MLS) aboard the Aura satellite.

Effects of different drying methods on the product quality and volatile compounds of whole shiitake mushrooms.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Yuting; Zhao, Yingting; Huang, Jijun; Zeng, Hongliang; Zheng, Baodong

2016-04-15

Various drying methods play important roles in the preservation of foods. However, how the different drying methods affect the quality of some foods is not clear. This paper evaluates the effects of hot air, vacuum, microwave, and microwave vacuum drying techniques on important qualities and volatile compounds of whole shiitake (Lentinus edodes) mushrooms. These four drying methods resulted in a significantly (pdried products. Microwave vacuum drying helped to maintain larger amounts of taste-active amino acids, and improved nutrient retention and color attributes. Furthermore, the uniform honeycomb network created by microwave vacuum drying along with a less collapsed structure of dried samples can be used to explain the observed high rehydration ratio. Therefore, microwave vacuum drying should be a potential method for obtaining high-quality dried mushrooms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influences of doping Cr/Fe/Ta on the performance of Ni/CeO{sub 2} catalyst under microwave irradiation in dry reforming of CH{sub 4}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Odedairo, Taiwo [School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane (Australia); Ma, Jun [School of Engineering, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, SA (Australia); Chen, Jiuling, E-mail: cjlchen@yahoo.com [School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane (Australia); Wang, Shaobin [Department of Chemical Engineering, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845 (Australia); Zhu, Zhonghua, E-mail: z.zhu@uq.edu.au [School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane (Australia)

2016-01-15

The structure of Ni/CeO{sub 2} catalyst with doping of Cr, Fe and Ta was investigated with XRD, N{sub 2} physisorption, XPS and HRTEM and the catalytic activity of the catalysts under microwave irradiation in dry reforming of methane was tested in a microwave reactor. The results show that the introduction of Cr and Ta to Ni/CeO{sub 2} can enhance the interaction between Ni and the support/promoter and inhibit the enlargement of NiO particles during the synthesis. The CH{sub 4} conversions in dry reforming on the catalysts follow the order: Ni/CeO{sub 2}<2Fe–Ni<2Ta–Ni<2Cr–Ni. The superior performance of 2Ta–Ni and 2Cr–Ni may be attributed to the locally-heated Ni particles caused by the strong microwave absorption of the in-situ grown graphene attached on them under microwave irradiation. - Highlights: • The influences of doping Cr, Fe and Ta on Ni/CeO{sub 2} were investigated. • The catalytic performances before and after doping were investigated. • The in-situ grown graphene can promote the conversion of reactants.

Influence of osmotic dehydration pre-treatment and combined drying method on physico-chemical and sensory properties of pomegranate arils, cultivar Mollar de Elche.

Science.gov (United States)

Cano-Lamadrid, Marina; Lech, Krzysztof; Michalska, Anna; Wasilewska, Malwina; Figiel, Adam; Wojdyło, Aneta; Carbonell-Barrachina, Ángel A

2017-10-01

"Mollar de Elche" is the most popular Spanish pomegranate cultivar (intense sweetness and easy-to-chew arils); however, arils have pale pink colour and flat sensory profile. "Mollar the Elche" arils first underwent an osmotic dehydration pre-treatment (OD) with concentrated juices: (i) chokeberry, (ii) apple, and/or (iii) pomegranate cultivar "Wonderful", to improve their antioxidant capacity, colour, and sensory profile complexity, and later the arils were dried by a combined method (convective pre-drying+vacuum microwave finish drying). The use of OD provided dried arils with characteristic sweetness, and improved colour and aromatic complexity. The recommended OD methods were those using (i) pomegranate, and (ii) pomegranate with chokeberry juices; they improved the total anthocyanin content (mean of 368mgkg -1 ), red colour (a ∗ coordinate 15.6), and antioxidant capacity (e.g. ABTS mean of 5.7mmolTrolox100g -1 ). However, further research is still needed because freeze-dried arils had the highest anthocyanin content. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emerging Trends in Microwave Processing of Spices and Herbs.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahath Kubra, Ismail; Kumar, Devender; Jagan Mohan Rao, Lingamallu

2016-10-02

Today, spices are integral part of our food as they provide sensory attributes such as aroma, color, flavour and taste to food. Further their antimicrobial, antioxidant, pharmaceutical and nutritional properties are also well known. Since spices are seasonal so their availability can be extended year round by adopting different preservation techniques. Drying and extraction are most important methods for preservation and value addition to spices. There are different techniques for drying of spices with their own advantages and limitations. A novel, non-conventional technique for drying of spices is use of microwave radiation. This technique proved to be very rapid, and also provide a good quality product. Similarly, there are a number of non-conventional extraction methods in use that are all, in principle, solid-liquid extractions but which introduce some form of additional energy to the process in order to facilitate the transfer of analytes from sample to solvent. This paper reviews latest advances in the use of microwave energy for drying of spices and herbs. Also, the review describes the potential application of microwave energy for extraction of essential oil/bioactive components from spices and herbs and the advantages of microwave-assisted process over the other extraction processes generally employed for extraction. It also showcases some recent research results on microwave drying/extraction from spices and herbs.

Single droplet drying for optimal spray drying of enzymes and probiotics

OpenAIRE

Schutyser, M.A.I.; Perdana, J.A.; Boom, R.M.

2012-01-01

Spray drying is a mild and cost-effective convective drying method. It can be applied to stabilise heat sensitive ingredients, such as enzymes and probiotic bacteria, albeit in industrial practice for example freeze drying or freezing are often preferred. The reason is that optimum drying conditions and tailored matrix formulations are required to avoid severe heat damage leading to loss in enzyme activity or reduced survival of bacteria. An overview is provided on the use of protective carbo...

THE CONTROL ALGORITHM OF THE DRYING PROCESS PARTICULATE MATERIALS IN THE APPARATUS WITH THE SWIRLING FLOW OF COOLANT AND MICROWAVE ENERGY SUPPLY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. T. Antipov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The technical task of the process is to improve the drying quality of the final product, increasing the precision and reliability of control, the reduction of specific energy consumption. One of the ways to improve the process is complex and i ts local automation. This paper deals with the problems of development and creation of a new control algorithm drying process of the particulate material. Identified a number of shortcomings of the existing methods of automatic control of the process. As a result, the authors proposed a method for drying particulate materials in the device with swirling flow and the microwave energy supply and its automatic control algorithm. The description of the operating principle of the drying apparatus consists in that the particulate material is wet by using a tangential flow of coolant supplied to the cylinder-drying apparatus which also serves the axial coolant flow, whereby the heat transfer fluid with the particulate material begins to undergo a complex circular movement along the circumference apparatus, thereby increasing its speed and its operation control algorithm. The work of this scheme is carried out at three levels of regulation on the basis of determining the coefficient of efficiency of the dryer, which makes it possible to determine the optimal value of the power equipment and to forecast the cost of electricity. All of the above allows you to get ready for a high quality product while minimizing thermal energy and material costs by optimizing the operating parameters of the drying of the particulate material in the dryer with a combined microwave energy supply and ensure the rational use of heat energy by varying their quantity depending on the characteristics to be dried particulate material and the course of the process.

Novel hybridized drying methods for processing of apple fruit: Energy conservation approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazervazifeh, Amin; Nikbakht, Ali M.; Moghaddam, Parviz A.

2016-01-01

Strategic outlook of apple cultivation and its significant post-processing challenges have been the leading factors for energy and time saving research approaches in apple processing. In this research, apple slices were subjected to hot air flow, microwave radiation and combined microwave-hot air flow drying. Drying time, energy consumption and thermal efficiency at different microwave power levels (500 W, 1000 W, 1500 W and 2000 W), hot air temperatures (40 °C, 50 °C, 60 °C and 70 °C) and inlet air velocities (0.5 ms"−"1, 1 ms"−"1, 1.5 ms"−"1 and 2 ms"−"1) were studied and compared. The minimum time of processing was 17 min when integrated hot air flow and microwave radiation was applied with 2000 W power at the temperature of 70 °C and air velocity of 2 ms"−"1. Furthermore, the minimum value of total energy consumption during entire process of apple slices drying was 2684 kJ which belonged to microwave drying with 2000 W power. - Highlights: • Microwave radiation is implemented to reduce the energy demand for drying. • Simultaneous impact of microwave and hot air on energy and time consumption was analyzed. • Minimum drying time occurs with combined utilization of microwave and hot air. • Thermal efficiency was desirable in low air velocities and high temperatures. • Thermal efficiency of microwave radiation increased by 200% compared to single hot air method.

Improvement of water transport mechanisms during potato drying by applying ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozuna, César; Cárcel, Juan A; García-Pérez, José V; Mulet, Antonio

2011-11-01

The drying rate of vegetables is limited by internal moisture diffusion and convective transport mechanisms. The increase of drying air temperature leads to faster water mobility; however, it provokes quality loss in the product and presents a higher energy demand. Therefore, the search for new strategies to improve water mobility during convective drying constitutes a topic of relevant research. The aim of this work was to evaluate the use of power ultrasound to improve convective drying of potato and quantify the influence of the applied power in the water transport mechanisms. Drying kinetics of potato cubes were increased by the ultrasonic application. The influence of power ultrasound was dependent on the ultrasonic power (from 0 to 37 kW m(-3) ), the higher the applied power, the faster the drying kinetic. The diffusion model considering external resistance to mass transfer provided a good fit of drying kinetics. From modelling, it was observed a proportional and significant (P mass transfer coefficient. The ultrasonic application during drying represents an interesting alternative to traditional convective drying by shortening drying time, which may involve an energy saving concerning industrial applications. In addition, the ultrasonic effect in the water transport is based on mechanical phenomena with a low heating capacity, which is highly relevant for drying heat sensitive materials and also for obtaining high-quality dry products. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Determination of pistachio drying behaviour and conditions in a solar drying system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Midilli, Adnan [Karadeniz Technical Univ., Mechanical Engineering Dept., Trabzon (Turkey)

2001-07-01

The main object of this study is to determine the drying behaviour and conditions of shelled and unshelled pistachio samples using both solar assisted and open sun drying. For each drying experiment, 100 g each of unshelled and shelled pistachio were used. The least-squares method was applied to find the drying curve equation of pistachio. During the experiments, shelf temperatures, weight loss of pistachio, moisture content of air, and distribution of solar radiation were measured; and presented depending on the drying time. Also, the mass shrinkage ratios of shelled and unshelled pistachio samples were determined, and the experimental uncertainty ratio was calculated as 15-16.5 per cent based on the experimental results. It was deduced that the shelled and unshelled pistachio samples in the solar assisted forced convection dryer were perfectly dried at temperatures of 50{+-}10degC in the time period of 6 h. Whereas, the samples in the open sun drying were not sufficiently dried at temperatures of 28{+-}4degC in the same time period. Hence, it is suggested that the pistachio samples with approximately 29.0 per cent of moisture are dried in the solar assisted convection dryer at 50{+-}10degC of temperature in the time period of approximately 6 h in order to protect from the negative climatic and environmental effects. However, it is not desirable to dry the pistachio samples in the open sun because of greater drying time, dirt, dust and harmful insects. (Author)

The Earth's mantle in a microwave oven: thermal convection driven by a heterogeneous distribution of heat sources

Science.gov (United States)

Fourel, Loïc; Limare, Angela; Jaupart, Claude; Surducan, Emanoil; Farnetani, Cinzia G.; Kaminski, Edouard C.; Neamtu, Camelia; Surducan, Vasile

2017-08-01

Convective motions in silicate planets are largely driven by internal heat sources and secular cooling. The exact amount and distribution of heat sources in the Earth are poorly constrained and the latter is likely to change with time due to mixing and to the deformation of boundaries that separate different reservoirs. To improve our understanding of planetary-scale convection in these conditions, we have designed a new laboratory setup allowing a large range of heat source distributions. We illustrate the potential of our new technique with a study of an initially stratified fluid involving two layers with different physical properties and internal heat production rates. A modified microwave oven is used to generate a uniform radiation propagating through the fluids. Experimental fluids are solutions of hydroxyethyl cellulose and salt in water, such that salt increases both the density and the volumetric heating rate. We determine temperature and composition fields in 3D with non-invasive techniques. Two fluorescent dyes are used to determine temperature. A Nd:YAG planar laser beam excites fluorescence, and an optical system, involving a beam splitter and a set of colour filters, captures the fluorescence intensity distribution on two separate spectral bands. The ratio between the two intensities provides an instantaneous determination of temperature with an uncertainty of 5% (typically 1K). We quantify mixing processes by precisely tracking the interfaces separating the two fluids. These novel techniques allow new insights on the generation, morphology and evolution of large-scale heterogeneities in the Earth's lower mantle.

Hydrodistillation and in situ microwave-generated hydrodistillation of fresh and dried mint leaves: a comparison study.

Science.gov (United States)

Orio, Laura; Cravotto, Giancarlo; Binello, Arianna; Pignata, Giuseppe; Nicola, Silvana; Chemat, Farid

2012-12-01

Hydrodistillation (HD) has been used since ancient times for the extraction of essential oils (EO). Despite the intrinsic limitations of this technique, it remains the most common method both in the laboratory and on an industrial scale. The main drawbacks are the long extraction time involved and the risk of thermal degradation. Over the last decade, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and in situ microwave-generated hydrodistillation (MGH) have been shown to be the most promising techniques in improving plant extraction and hydrodistillation. In this study we compare HD with MGH in the extraction of several mint species cultivated in Piedmont: Mentha spicata L. var. rubra, Mentha spicata L. var. viridis and Mentha piperita L. MGH requires either fresh plant or rehydrated material, it is extremely fast and allows a reduction in energy consumption and overall cost. All the EO have been analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A mechanism of microwave-generated essential oil extraction has been proposed to explain the differences in the composition of the oil obtained from this environmentally friendly technique. The yields and composition percentages of the EO obtained by HD and in situ MGH of fresh and dried mint leaves lie in a relatively narrow range, although MGH is faster. MW polarization effects and the water solubility of the components influence extract composition. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry.

Simulation of the trajectory of microwaves during passage of Mesoescale Convective System over Southern Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Diniz, F. L.; Munchow, G. B.; Herdies, D. L.; Foster, P. R.

2010-12-01

When the eletromagnetic wave travels in the atmosphere from one medium to another with different density and/or composition suffers small changes in speed and direction of propagation. These changes are caused by the vertical variation of atmospheric refractive index. This causes different types of trajectory deviations, which can be called: normal refraction, sub-refraction, super-refraction and duct. The condition to create duct is satisfied when there is a especific vertical profile of refraction, in this case an eletromagnectic wave will oscillate in a layer of the atmosphere. Considering that this ducts condition can causes damage in the transmission and reception of microwave system equipment (e.g. telecomunications, global positioning, weather radars and satellites) and that in the Rio Grande do Sul, state of Brazil, there are two weather radars, this study present a simulation of the trajectory that would have an eletromagnetic wave. In this study was used soundings of the atmosphere to infer the vertical profile of refractive index during the passage of a Mesoescale Convective System on September 7, 2009. In the lack of this data a numerical simulation with nested grids using Weather Research & Forecasting Model was performed to infer this.

Observing Convective Aggregation

Science.gov (United States)

Holloway, Christopher E.; Wing, Allison A.; Bony, Sandrine; Muller, Caroline; Masunaga, Hirohiko; L'Ecuyer, Tristan S.; Turner, David D.; Zuidema, Paquita

2017-11-01

Convective self-aggregation, the spontaneous organization of initially scattered convection into isolated convective clusters despite spatially homogeneous boundary conditions and forcing, was first recognized and studied in idealized numerical simulations. While there is a rich history of observational work on convective clustering and organization, there have been only a few studies that have analyzed observations to look specifically for processes related to self-aggregation in models. Here we review observational work in both of these categories and motivate the need for more of this work. We acknowledge that self-aggregation may appear to be far-removed from observed convective organization in terms of time scales, initial conditions, initiation processes, and mean state extremes, but we argue that these differences vary greatly across the diverse range of model simulations in the literature and that these comparisons are already offering important insights into real tropical phenomena. Some preliminary new findings are presented, including results showing that a self-aggregation simulation with square geometry has too broad distribution of humidity and is too dry in the driest regions when compared with radiosonde records from Nauru, while an elongated channel simulation has realistic representations of atmospheric humidity and its variability. We discuss recent work increasing our understanding of how organized convection and climate change may interact, and how model discrepancies related to this question are prompting interest in observational comparisons. We also propose possible future directions for observational work related to convective aggregation, including novel satellite approaches and a ground-based observational network.

Secagem de café cereja descascado por ar quente e microondas Drying pulped coffee cherry beans by means of hot air ond microwaves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.L. Cunha

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho objetivou estudar a viabilidade de produzir café cereja descascado seco pela aplicação de microondas para assistir a secagem convencional a ar quente, a fim de reduzir o tempo de processo, com o aumento do rendimento industrial e da qualidade do produto perante os métodos tradicionais de secagem. Dois ciclos de secagem foram testados: a processo em secador rotativo convencional a ar quente, com umidade do produto reduzida de 45-50 a 11-13% b.u.; b processo subdividido em uma primeira etapa de pré-secagem convencional a ar quente de 45-50 a 30% b.u., seguida de etapa de secagem final por ar quente e microondas, com redução de 30 a 11-13% b.u. de umidade do produto. O tempo global do primeiro para o segundo ciclo de secagem foi reduzido de 15 a 37,5 para pouco mais de 10 horas, respectivamente. A qualidade sensorial do produto foi avaliada pela "prova da xícara", complementada por análises de microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV, com resultados satisfatórios. Um estudo preliminar dos aspectos econômicos envolvidos na ampliação de escala para uma linha industrial de processamento de café com a inclusão de um sistema a microondas foi também delineado.This research concerns a process development study focussing the application of microwaves to pulped coffee cherries production, in order to reduce the drying time and increase the industrial yield and product quality when compared to conventional drying processes. Two drying cycles were tested: a a hot air drying process using a conventional batch rotary dryer from 45-50 to 11-13% w.b. product moisture; b a two stage process, whereby the product was pre dried with hot air from 45-50 to 30% w.b., followed by a final microwave and hot air drying stage, to reduce product moisture from 30 to 11-13% w.b. The overall drying time was reduced from 15 to 37.5 hours to about 10 hours, respectively. The sensory quality of the product was evaluated by the "cup test", complemented

Drying equipment for radioisotope-treated animals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujikake, Toshio; Ohmori, Akira; Takada, Yukio; Nakano, Shozoh; Tamai, Shinsuke.

1978-01-01

The animal experiments using radioisotopes have been carried out over wide fields, accordingly, the number of radioisotope-contaminated animal cadavers has been increasing rapidly. It was decided that each establishment employing radioiosotopes dries those cadavers to such state as to be able to burn up with the device in Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. The animal waste-drying device meeting the above mentioned purpose was developed by the joint work of Fuji Electric General Devices Co. and Fuji Electric Co. It is known as the micro-wave drying device for animals (its nickname is Microdry). This device dehydrates at high speed by micro-wave drying method. By using along with a moisture detector, it gives the drying state as requested regardless of the water content of each animal. The animal wastes after perfect dehydration are reduced to the weight of about one-third, and the dried animal cadavers can be preserved for a long time at room temperature because of the sterilizing effect of the micro-wave heating. This device is noted for its excellent safeness, simple operation, and low treatment cost. It is anticipated that it can be further applied to other fields such as excreta, breeding materials, etc. (Kobatake, H.)

Dry storage systems with free convection air cooling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kioes, S.R.

1980-01-01

Several design principles to remove heat from the spent fuel by free air convection are illustrated and described. The key safety considerations were felt to be: loss of coolant is impossible as the passive system uses air as a coolant; overheating is precluded because as the temperatures of the containers rises the coolant flow rate increases; mass of the storage building provides a large heat sink and therefore a rapid temperature rise is impossible; and lack of any active external support requirements makes the cooling process less likely to equipment or operator failures. An example of this type of storage already exists. The German HTGR is operated with spherical graphite fuel elements which are stored in canister and in storage cells. The concept is a double cooling system with free convection inside the cells and heat exchange via two side walls of the cell to the ambient air in the cooling ducts. Technical description of the TN 1300 cask is also presented

Investigation of Pear Drying Performance by Different Methods and Regression of Convective Heat Transfer Coefficient with Support Vector Machine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehmet Das

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, an air heated solar collector (AHSC dryer was designed to determine the drying characteristics of the pear. Flat pear slices of 10 mm thickness were used in the experiments. The pears were dried both in the AHSC dryer and under the sun. Panel glass temperature, panel floor temperature, panel inlet temperature, panel outlet temperature, drying cabinet inlet temperature, drying cabinet outlet temperature, drying cabinet temperature, drying cabinet moisture, solar radiation, pear internal temperature, air velocity and mass loss of pear were measured at 30 min intervals. Experiments were carried out during the periods of June 2017 in Elazig, Turkey. The experiments started at 8:00 a.m. and continued till 18:00. The experiments were continued until the weight changes in the pear slices stopped. Wet basis moisture content (MCw, dry basis moisture content (MCd, adjustable moisture ratio (MR, drying rate (DR, and convective heat transfer coefficient (hc were calculated with both in the AHSC dryer and the open sun drying experiment data. It was found that the values of hc in both drying systems with a range 12.4 and 20.8 W/m2 °C. Three different kernel models were used in the support vector machine (SVM regression to construct the predictive model of the calculated hc values for both systems. The mean absolute error (MAE, root mean squared error (RMSE, relative absolute error (RAE and root relative absolute error (RRAE analysis were performed to indicate the predictive model’s accuracy. As a result, the rate of drying of the pear was examined for both systems and it was observed that the pear had dried earlier in the AHSC drying system. A predictive model was obtained using the SVM regression for the calculated hc values for the pear in the AHSC drying system. The normalized polynomial kernel was determined as the best kernel model in SVM for estimating the hc values.

Comparison of microwave hydrodistillation and solvent-free microwave extraction of essential oil from Melaleuca leucadendra Linn

Science.gov (United States)

Ismanto, A. W.; Kusuma, H. S.; Mahfud, M.

2017-12-01

The comparison of solvent-free microwave extraction (SFME) and microwave hydrodistillation (MHD) in the extraction of essential oil from Melaleuca leucadendra Linn. was examined. Dry cajuput leaves were used in this study. The purpose of this study is also to determine optimal condition (microwave power). The relative electric consumption of SFME and MHD methods are both showing 0,1627 kWh/g and 0,3279 kWh/g. The results showed that solvent-free microwave extraction methods able to reduce energy consumption and can be regarded as a green technique for extraction of cajuput oil.

Effect of microwave drying and oven drying on the water activity, color, phenolic compounds content and antioxidant activity of coconut husk (Cocos nucifera L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Valadez-Carmona, Lourdes; Cortez-García, Rosa María; Plazola-Jacinto, Carla Patricia; Necoechea-Mondragón, Hugo; Ortiz-Moreno, Alicia

2016-09-01

The coconut ( Cocos nucifera L.) husk is basically composed by fiber and pith material and remained under-utilized. This is an important source of phenolic compounds that could be used as functional ingredients. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of: oven-drying (OD) and microwave drying (MD), on the water activity, color, phenolic compound content and antioxidant activity of coconut husk. The OD was performed at 60 °C for 12 h and MD was performed at 900 W for 10 min. The total phenolic content (TPC) in fresh coconut husk was 64.2 mg GAE/g dry wt and significant higher than observed after OD and MD of 35.8 and 45.5 mg GAE/g dry wt, respectively. Ten phenols were identified in fresh and dehydrated coconut husks. The husk MD showed an increase in the content of gallic, 4-hydroxybenzoic, ferulic and syringic acids and epicatechin compared with the fresh; while coconut husk OD and MD, showed a decrease in the content of vanillic acid, vanillin, catequin and kaempferol. The antioxidant activity decreased after both OD and MD. However, MD resulted in a better antioxidant activity in husk than OD. MD of husk resulted into better retention of preserved color, TPC and TFC than OD.

Kinetics modeling of the drying of sunflower stem (Helianthus annuus L.) in a forced convection tunnel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

López, R; Vaca, M; Terres, H; Lizardi, A; Morales, J; Flores, J; Chávez, S

2015-01-01

The sunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence (flowering head), and its name is derived from the flower's shape and image, which is often used to capture the sun. The plant has a rough, broad, hairy stem, coarsely toothed, with rough leaves, and circular flower heads. The sunflower seeds are appreciated for their oil, which has become a widespread cooking ingredient. Leaves of the sunflower can be used as cattle feed, while the stems contain a fiber that may be used in paper production. Recently this flower has been used in phytoremediation of soils, contaminated with heavy metals. Sunflower has been probed as an efficient phytoextractor of chromium, lead, aluminum, zinc, cadmium from soil. In this work we present the experimental results of the drying of the sunflower stem, cut in 100 mm longitudinal sections, with diameters in the range of 11-18 mm. The aim was to obtain a dry and easy-to-handle final product, since these plants were originally cultivated in order to extract heavy metals from a polluted soil. The dried stems could then be easily confined or sent to recycle premises to concentrate the metals. The drying process was done in forced convection within a hot air tunnel. The used temperature was 60 °C, the velocity of air was 3 m/s and the required times were 8 hours. The initial average wet mass was 28 g and the final value was 5 g, resulting in the aimed product

Kinetics modeling of the drying of sunflower stem (Helianthus annuus L.) in a forced convection tunnel

Science.gov (United States)

López, R.; Vaca, M.; Terres, H.; Lizardi, A.; Morales, J.; Flores, J.; Chávez, S.

2015-01-01

The sunflower is an annual plant native to the Americas. It possesses a large inflorescence (flowering head), and its name is derived from the flower's shape and image, which is often used to capture the sun. The plant has a rough, broad, hairy stem, coarsely toothed, with rough leaves, and circular flower heads. The sunflower seeds are appreciated for their oil, which has become a widespread cooking ingredient. Leaves of the sunflower can be used as cattle feed, while the stems contain a fiber that may be used in paper production. Recently this flower has been used in phytoremediation of soils, contaminated with heavy metals. Sunflower has been probed as an efficient phytoextractor of chromium, lead, aluminum, zinc, cadmium from soil. In this work we present the experimental results of the drying of the sunflower stem, cut in 100 mm longitudinal sections, with diameters in the range of 11-18 mm. The aim was to obtain a dry and easy-to-handle final product, since these plants were originally cultivated in order to extract heavy metals from a polluted soil. The dried stems could then be easily confined or sent to recycle premises to concentrate the metals. The drying process was done in forced convection within a hot air tunnel. The used temperature was 60 °C, the velocity of air was 3 m/s and the required times were 8 hours. The initial average wet mass was 28 g and the final value was 5 g, resulting in the aimed product.

Empirical studies of the microwave radiometric response to rainfall in the tropics and midlatitudes

Science.gov (United States)

Petty, Grant W.; Katsaros, Kristina B.

1989-01-01

Results are presented from quantitative comparisons between satellite microwave radiometer observations and digital radar observations of equatorial convective cloud clusters and midlatitude frontal precipitation. Simultaneous data from the Winter Monsoon Experiment digital radar and the SMMR for December 1978 are analyzed. It is found that the most important differences between the microwave response to rainfall in the equatorial tropics and to stratiform rain in oceanic midlatitude fronts is caused by the different spatial characteristics of stratiform and convective rainfall and by the different background brightness temperature fields associated with tropical and midlatitude levels of atmospheric water vapor.

Variations of Precipitation Structure and Microwave Tbs During the Evolution of a Hailstorm from TRMM Observations

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2007-01-01

In this paper, a hailstorm occurring on 9 May 1999 in Huanghuai region was studied by using the combined data from the precipitation radar (PR), microwave image (TMI), and visible infrared scanner (VIRS) on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite. According to the 3-orbit observations of 5-h duration from the TRMM satellite, the variation characteristics of the precipitation structures as well as cloud top temperature and microwave signals of the precipitating cloud were comprehensively analyzed during the evolution of hailstorm. The results show that the precipitation is obviously converted from early hail cloud with strong convection into the later storm cloud with weak convection. For hail cloud, there exists some strong convective cells, and the heavy solid precipitation is shown at the middle-top levels so that the contribution of rainfall amount above the freezing-layer to the column precipitation amount is rather larger than that within the melting-layer. However, for storm cloud, the convective cells are surrounded by the large area of stratiform precipitation, and the precipitation thickness gradually decreases, and the rainfall above the freezing-layer obviously reduces and the contribution of rainfall amount within the melting-layer rapidly increases. Therefore, the larger ratio of rainfall amount above the freezing layer to column precipitation amount is, the more convective the cloud is; reversely, the larger proportion of rainfall below the melting layer is, the more stable the stratiform cloud is. The different changing trends of microwave signals at different precipitation stages show that it is better to consider the structures and stages of precipitating cloud to choose the optimal microwave channels to retrieve surface rainfall.

Continuous microwave regeneration apparatus for absorption media

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Douglas D.

1999-01-01

A method and apparatus for continuously drying and regenerating ceramic beads for use in process gas moisture drying operations such as glove boxes. A microwave energy source is coupled to a process chamber to internally heat the ceramic beads and vaporize moisture contained therein. In a preferred embodiment, the moisture laden ceramic beads are conveyed toward the microwave source by a screw mechanism. The regenerated beads flow down outside of the screw mechanism and are available to absorb additional moisture.

Optimization of microwave roasting of almond (Prunus dulcis)

Science.gov (United States)

Microwave (MW) almond roasting was investigated as an alternative to hot air (HA) roasting. Nonpareil almonds (Prunus dulcis) were roasted at 140°C in a convection oven for different times to achieve light, medium, and dark roasting levels. Several instrumental measurements were taken, establishin...

Qualitative Indices of Istamaran Date Variety Affected by Various Drying Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Mehryar

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Drying of fruits and vegetables is one of the oldest methods for preserving foods. Drying not only affects the moisture content of the product, but also changes other physical, chemical and biological properties of the product including enzymatic activity, microbial spoilage, viscosity, hardness, taste and aroma. In order to study the occurring changes in dried product, qualitative characteristics including shrinkage, color and water rehydration are commonly evaluated. The purpose of this research was to study the effect of drying methods on qualitative indices for dried Istamaran dates. The drying methods were hot air, microwave and vacuum drying. The photos of the final product were taken using a digital camera. Then, color parameters (L*, a* and b* of the samples were measured using Photoshop software. The amount of shrinkage for dried product was determined by liquid displacement method. For evaluating rehydration ability, water absorption capacity (WAC, dry matter holding capacity (DHC, and rehydration ability (RA were also estimated. Results showed that the effect of drying method on WAC, DHC, and RA was significant (p<0.01. Means comparison revealed that the structural damage into the final dried product occurred by microwave method was higher than that for hot air and vacuum drying methods. Drying method did not lead to any significant difference among shrinkage values. Drying temperature influenced shrinkage more than drying time. Analysis of variance showed that the effect of drying method on L*, a* and b* parameters was not significant. Since the temperature of drying in microwave method is very high, it is possible that caramelization occurs during this method. This phenomenon can be considered as the reason of color darkness caused by microwave method.

Continuous denitration device using a microwave furnace

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Hajime

1982-04-01

A continuous denitration device is described that enables to obtain dried U or Pu dioxide or a mixture of these from a solution of uranyl or plutonium nitrate or a mixed solution of these by irradiation with microwaves. This device allows uranyl or plutonium nitrate to crystallize and the resulting crystals to be separated from the solution. A belt conveyer carries the crystals to a microwave heating furnace for denitration. Approximately 2.4 kg dried cake of U dioxide per hour is obtained [fr

Quality assessment of microwave-vacuum dried material with the use of computer image analysis and neural model

Science.gov (United States)

Koszela, K.; OtrzÄ sek, J.; Zaborowicz, M.; Boniecki, P.; Mueller, W.; Raba, B.; Lewicki, A.; Przybył, K.

2014-04-01

The farming area for vegetables in Poland is constantly changed and modified. Each year the cultivation structure of particular vegetables is different. However, it is the cultivation of carrots that plays a significant role among vegetables. According to the Main Statistical Office (GUS), in 2012 carrot held second position among the cultivated root vegetables, and it was estimated at 835 thousand tons. In the world we are perceived as the leading producer of carrot, due to the fourth place in the ranking of global producers. Poland is the largest producer of this vegetable in the EU [1]. It is also noteworthy, that the demand for dried vegetables is still increasing. This tendency affects the development of drying industry in our country, contributing to utilization of the product surplus. Dried vegetables are used increasingly often in various sectors of food products industry, due to high nutrition value, as well as to changing alimentary preferences of consumers [2-3]. Dried carrot plays a crucial role among dried vegetables, because of its wide scope of use and high nutrition value. It contains a lot of carotene and sugar present in the form of crystals. Carrot also undergoes many different drying processes, which makes it difficult to perform a reliable quality assessment and classification of this dried material. One of many qualitative properties of dried carrot, having important influence on a positive or negative result of the quality assessment, is color and shape. The aim of the research project was to develop a method for the analysis of microwave-vacuum dried carrot images, and its application for the classification of individual fractions in the sample studied for quality assessment. During the research digital photographs of dried carrot were taken, which constituted the basis for assessment performed by a dedicated computer programme developed as a part of the research. Consequently, using a neural model, the dried material was classified [4-6].

Bending creep in the direction perpendicular to grain during microwave irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iida, I.

1989-01-01

Bending creep tests in the radial direction perpendicular to the grain were carried out on the thirteen different wood species during the microwave irradiation and during the hot-air drying. The course of moisture content of specimen during creep tests were measured at the same time. And then, relationships between the drying rate and the moisture content, or the creep deflection and the moisture content were investigated and disscussed. Results obtained are as follows : 1) The coefficients of drying rate (K 1 ) during microwave irradiation process were from values of 3.40(hr) -1 to 5.65(hr) -1 for different species. With average value of all woods, there were of 4.73(hr) -1 . Therefore, this value show a value of 5.3 times as much as these of hot-air drying. 2) Creep deflection of woods dried by the microwave heating increase remarkably from the start of the microwave irradiation. 3) Ratio ( y 30 /y m ) of creep deflection y m , in region of ∼30% moisture content, to the maximum creep deflection y m were thought the values differ from each wood species, in no relation with the applied stresses and these values have the constant in a wood. Those were estimated about 0.73 for Icho wood and about 0.44 for Buna wood, and moreover it was about 0.6 with average value for all wood species. Consequently, it was recognized that drying rate became remarkably magnitude value during microwave heating. Creep deflection on the 30% moisture content take beyond about half of the total creep deflection. Conseqently, the large creep deformation developed during the high moisture content process, and it constitute a caractaristic frature of microwave heating

Drying kinetic and physical properties of green laird lentil (Lens ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AMAJU

2011-05-09

May 9, 2011 ... features crude protein, oil and ash parameters were specified under different microwave levels. It was concluded ..... Microwave processing of avocado: Volatile flavor profiling and ... microwave drying of garlic cloves. J. Food ...

Force convective solar drying system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruslan, M.H.; Othman, M.Y.; Baharuddin Yatim; Kamaruzzaman Sopian; Ibarahim, Z.

2006-01-01

This paper presents design and performance of V-groove back-pass solar collector for solar drying system. In this study three V-groove back-pass solar collector each with dimension of 4.6 m x 1.0 m x 0.15 m have been fabricated for solar drying system. An outdoor test at mean solar intensity for 600-800 Wm -2 by using 0.15m 3 s -1 of air flow rate which also been suggested by (Zeroul et al. 1994) was carried out at Solar Research Energy Park. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Analysis on the collector performance based on daily data was reported that the value of FR ) e and FRUL was 0.709 ± 0.001 and 5.89 ± 0.31 Wm -2o C -1 respectively with 60-70 o C of output temperature (Ruslan et al. 2001). The three V-groove collectors each with dimension 4.6 m x 0.15 m were connected in series array mounted on the roof of a solar assisted drying system. By using two electric fans of 85W and 2700 rpm each, the speed of air was regulated at 0.11 kgs -1 to 0.31 kgs -1 using a voltage regulator. Performance of the collector based on the thermal analysis showed that at mean daily solar radiation 700 Wm -2 , the output temperature of 52 o C to 73 o C could be achieved using 0.11-0.31 kgs -1 of flow rate. Thermal analysis also showed that the efficiencies of 45% to 61% could be obtains using the same flow rate and solar radiation. Analysis of daily data showed that for radiation from 300 Wm -2 to 1000 Wm -2 the power generated from the collector was within 1.5 kW to 8.9 kW. The study concluded that the levels of the levels of the solar radiation and flow rate used influenced the performance of the collector

Effective moisture diffusivity and activation energy of rambutan seed under different drying methods to promote storage stability

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, So'bah; Shamsul Anuar, Mohd; Saleena Taip, Farah; Shamsudin, Rosnah; M, Siti Roha A.

2017-05-01

The effects of two drying methods, oven and microwave drying on the effective moisture diffusivity and activation energy of rambutan seed were studied. Effective moisture diffusivity and activation energy are the main indicators used for moisture movement within the material. Hence, it is beneficial to determine an appropriate drying method to attain a final moisture content of rambutan seed that potentially could be used as secondary sources in the industry. An appropriate final moisture content will provide better storage stability that can extend the lifespan of the rambutan seed. The rambutan seeds were dried with two drying methods (oven and microwave) at two level of the process variables (oven temperature; 40°C and 60°C and microwave power; 250W and 1000W) at constant initial moisture contents. The result showed that a higher value of effective moisture diffusivity and less activation energy were observed in microwave drying compared to oven drying. This finding portrays microwave drying expedites the moisture removal to achieve the required final moisture content and the most appropriate drying method for longer storage stability for rambutan seed. With respect to the process variables; higher oven temperatures and lower microwave powers also exhibit similar trends. Hopefully, this study would provide a baseline data to determine an appropriate drying method for longer storage period for turning waste to by-products.

Microwave processing of ceramic oxide filaments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vogt, G.J.; Katz, J.D. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM (United States)

1995-05-01

The objective of the microwave filament processing project is to develop microwave techniques at 2.45 GHZ to manufacture continuous ceramic oxide filaments. Microwave processing uses the volumetric absorption of microwave power in oxide filament tows to drive off process solvents, to burn out organic binders, and to sinter the dried fibers to produce flexible, high-strength ceramic filaments. The technical goal is to advance filament processing technology by microwave heating more rapidly with less energy and at a lower cost than conventional processing, but with the same quality as conventional processing. The manufacturing goal is to collaborate with the 3M Company, a US manufacturer of ceramic oxide filaments, to evaluate the technology using a prototype filament system and to transfer the microwave technology to the 3M Company.

Freeze dehydration of milk using microwave energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souda, K.B.; Akyel, C.; Bilgen, E.

1989-01-01

This paper presents the results of experimental studies on heat and mass transfer during a microwave freeze dehydration process. An experimental system and procedure was developed to freeze dry milk. A 2500-W microwave system with an appropriate wave guide was set up and instrumented, and a procedure was experimentally developed to obtain milk powder first by freezing milk and then dehydrating it at low pressure using microwave energy. An unsteady-state analysis was used to derive a one-dimensional mathematical model of the freeze dehydration process in a microwave electromagnetic field

The Impact of Upper Tropospheric Humidity from Microwave Limb Sounder on the Midlatitude Greenhouse Effect

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Hua; Liu, W. Timothy

1998-01-01

This paper presents an analysis of upper tropospheric humidity, as measured by the Microwave Limb Sounder, and the impact of the humidity on the greenhouse effect in the midlatitudes. Enhanced upper tropospheric humidity and an enhanced greenhouse effect occur over the storm tracks in the North Pacific and North Atlantic. In these areas, strong baroclinic activity and the large number of deep convective clouds transport more water vapor to the upper troposphere, and hence increase greenhouse trapping. The greenhouse effect increases with upper tropospheric humidity in areas with a moist upper troposphere (such as areas over storm tracks), but it is not sensitive to changes in upper tropospheric humidity in regions with a dry upper troposphere, clearly demonstrating that there are different mechanisms controlling the geographical distribution of the greenhouse effect in the midlatitudes.

Physical properties of sunflower grains after drying

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo Carteri Coradi

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The knowledge of the physical properties of the grains is important for the optimization of post-harvest operations. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of convective drying with different air temperatures (45, 55, 65 and 75 °C the physical properties of sunflower seeds. The drying sunflower grains was performed in convection oven with forced air. In natural conditions, samples of 5 kg of pellets were used for each repetition drying. During the drying process, the grains samples were weighed periodically until they reach 10% (wet basis, w.b., then were subjected to evaluations of physical properties. According to the results it was observed that the porosity, apparent density, thousand kernel weight to the drag coefficient, roundness, sphericity and width of sunflower seed did not change with increasing temperature drying air. It was concluded that the drying air temperatures of 45 °C and 55 retained the initial physical characteristics of sunflower seeds. The temperature of the drying air of 75 °C had greater influence on changes in volumetric shrinkage of the grains.

Simulación físico-matemática del secado de la zeolita con microondas. // Physical-mathematical simulation of the zeolite drying with microwaves.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Quesada Ramos

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Se realiza una simulación físico-matemática del secado de la zeolita sometida a radiaciones de microondas utilizando la leyde Lambert. Las ecuaciones se expresan en un esquema implícito unidimensional, y se emplea el método numérico dediferencias finitas. La solución del sistema de ecuaciones se realiza por medio del método iterativo de Gauss-Seidel. Losresultados teóricos se comparan con los obtenidos experimentalmente.Palabras claves: Simulación, secado, zeolita, microondas._______________________________________________________________________________AbstractA physical-mathematical simulation of the zeolite drying with microwaves using the Lambert`s law is made. The equationsare expressed in an unidimensional implicit scheme, and the finite differences numeric method is used. The solution of theequations system is carried out by using the Gauss-Seidel´s iterativ method. The theoretical results are compared with thoseexperimentally obtained.Key words: Physical-mathematical simulation, drying, zeolite, microwaves.

Effects of dehydration methods on quality characteristics of yellow passion fruit co-products.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Neiton C; Duarte, Claudio R; Barrozo, Marcos As

2017-11-01

The production and processing of fruits generate a large amount of residues, which are usually disposed of or under-used, representing losses of raw material and energy. The present paper investigates the effect of four dehydration techniques (convective, infrared, microwave and freeze-drying) on yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa) co-products and the influence of the main variables on moisture removal and bioactive compounds. The compounds analyzed were total phenolics, total flavonoids, ascorbic acid and pectin. The content of phenolics and flavonoids increased after dehydration in all techniques investigated and the process temperatures directly affected the ascorbic acid content. Microwave dehydration showed the best results for most bioactive compounds analyzed, if performed in suitable process conditions. However, the highest levels of pectin content were obtained by freeze-drying and convective dehydration. This study reinforces the importance of the adequate use of passion fruit co-products due to the high levels of bioactive compounds in this material. Microwave dehydration presented the best results, which indicates the potential use of this technique for a better exploitation of fruit co-products. Larger quantities of pectin were extracted from samples dehydrated through methodologies with long-time process and low temperatures, such as convective drying and freeze-drying. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Modeling of convective drying kinetics of Pistachio kernels in a fixed bed drying system

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Balbay Asım

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Drying kinetics of Pistachio kernels (PKs with initial moisture content of 32.4% (w.b was investigated as a function of drying conditions in a fixed bed drying system. The drying experiments were carried out at different temperatures of drying air (40, 60 and 80°C and air velocities (0.05, 0.075 and 0.1 m/s. Several experiments were performed in terms of mass of PKs (15g and 30g using a constant air velocity of 0.075 m/s. The fit quality of models was evaluated using the determination coefficient (R2, sum square error (SSE and root mean square error (RMSE. Among the selected models, the Midilli et al model was found to be the best models for describing the drying behavior of PKs. The activation energies were calculated as 29.2 kJ/mol and effective diffusivity values were calculated between 1.38 and 4.94x10-10 m2/s depending on air temperatures.

Effect of microwave radiation on coal flotation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ozbayoglu, G.; Depci, T.; Ataman, N. [Middle East Technical University, Ankara (Turkey). Mining Engineering Department

2009-07-01

Most low-rank coals are high in moisture and acid functional groups, therefore showing poor floatability. Drying, which removes the water molecules trapped in the pores and adsorbed at the surface of coal, decreases the hydrophilic character and improves the floatability. Microwave heating, whose simplest application is drying, was applied at 0.9 kW power level for 60 sec exposure time in the experiments to decrease the moisture content of coal in order to enhance the hydrophobicity. The flotation tests of microwave-treated coal by using heptanol and octanol lead to a higher flotation yield and ash removal than original coal.

Impact of geographic variations of the convective and dehydration center on stratospheric water vapor over the Asian monsoon region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Zhang

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The Asian monsoon region is the most prominent moisture center of water vapor in the lower stratosphere (LS during boreal summer. Previous studies have suggested that the transport of water vapor to the Asian monsoon LS is controlled by dehydration temperatures and convection mainly over the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia. However, there is a clear geographic variation of convection associated with the seasonal and intra-seasonal variations of the Asian monsoon circulation, and the relative influence of such a geographic variation of convection vs. the variation of local dehydration temperatures on water vapor transport is still not clear. Using satellite observations from the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS and a domain-filling forward trajectory model, we show that almost half of the seasonal water vapor increase in the Asian monsoon LS are attributable to geographic variations of convection and resultant variations of the dehydration center, of which the influence is comparable to the influence of the local dehydration temperature increase. In particular, dehydration temperatures are coldest over the southeast and warmest over the northwest Asian monsoon region. Although the convective center is located over Southeast Asia, an anomalous increase of convection over the northwest Asia monsoon region increases local diabatic heating in the tropopause layer and air masses entering the LS are dehydrated at relatively warmer temperatures. Due to warmer dehydration temperatures, anomalously moist air enters the LS and moves eastward along the northern flank of the monsoon anticyclonic flow, leading to wet anomalies in the LS over the Asian monsoon region. Likewise, when convection increases over the Southeast Asia monsoon region, dry anomalies appear in the LS. On a seasonal scale, this feature is associated with the monsoon circulation, convection and diabatic heating marching towards the northwest Asia monsoon region from June to August. The

Effect of drying method to antioxidants capacity of Limnophila aromatica

Science.gov (United States)

Yen, Tran Thi Ngoc; Vu, Nguyen Hoang

2017-09-01

Limnophila aromatica is widely used in South East Asian countries to make spices in food and medicine in traditional medicine. The use value of vegetables is known because some of the lesser constituents in plants are called antioxidants. These active ingredients have not been fully researched and their pharmacological effects are underestimated. In this study, the drying temperature at 40 °C was showed that the antioxidant activity decreased the most. The drying temperature of 50 °C is suitable for convection drying method and drying temperature of 60 °C suitable for vacuum drying, as it retains the most antioxidant properties. Regarding the drying method, freeze drying proved to be effective when retaining high antioxidant capacity. Using The convection drying at 50 °C and the vacuum drying at 60 °C, the antioxidant activity of Limnophila aromatica was not different. Over 6 weeks of preservation, the dried product has deterioration in antioxidant properties.

Ultrasound-Assisted Hot Air Drying of Foods

Science.gov (United States)

Mulet, Antonio; Cárcel, Juan Andrés; García-Pérez, José Vicente; Riera, Enrique

This chapter deals with the application of power ultrasound, also named high-intensity ultrasound, in the hot air drying of foods. The aim of ultrasound-assisted drying is to overcome some of the limitations of traditional convective drying systems, especially by increasing drying rate without reducing quality attributes. The effects of ultrasound on drying rate are responsible for some of the phenomena produced in the internal and/or external resistance to mass transfer.

Influence of microwave heating on biogas production from Sida hermaphrodita silage.

Science.gov (United States)

Zieliński, Marcin; Dębowski, Marcin; Rusanowska, Paulina

2017-12-01

This study compared the effects on biogas production of suspended sludge versus a combination of suspended sludge and immobilized biomass, and microwave versus convection heating. Biogas production was the highest in the hybrid bioreactor heated by microwaves (385L/kg VS) and also the most stable, as shown by the FOS/TAC ratio and pH. Regardless of the type of heating, biogas production was 8% higher with immobilized biomass than without. Although the lag phase of biogas production was shorter with microwave heating than without, the log phase was longer, and biogas production in the microwave heated bioreactors took about twice as long (ca. 40days) to plateau as in the conventionally heated bioreactors. These differences in the profile of biogas production are likely due to the athermal effects of microwave irradiation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mixing in heterogeneous internally-heated convection

Science.gov (United States)

Limare, A.; Kaminski, E. C.; Jaupart, C. P.; Farnetani, C. G.; Fourel, L.; Froment, M.

2017-12-01

Past laboratory experiments of thermo chemical convection have dealt with systems involving fluids with different intrinsic densities and viscosities in a Rayleigh-Bénard setup. Although these experiments have greatly improved our understanding of the Earth's mantle dynamics, they neglect a fundamental component of planetary convection: internal heat sources. We have developed a microwave-based method in order to study convection and mixing in systems involving two layers of fluid with different densities, viscosities, and internal heat production rates. Our innovative laboratory experiments are appropriate for the early Earth, when the lowermost mantle was likely enriched in incompatible and heat producing elements and when the heat flux from the core probably accounted for a small fraction of the mantle heat budget. They are also relevant to the present-day mantle if one considers that radioactive decay and secular cooling contribute both to internal heating. Our goal is to quantify how two fluid layers mix, which is still very difficult to resolve accurately in 3-D numerical calculations. Viscosities and microwave absorptions are tuned to achieve high values of the Rayleigh-Roberts and Prandtl numbers relevant for planetary convection. We start from a stably stratified system where the lower layer has higher internal heat production and density than the upper layer. Due to mixing, the amount of enriched material gradually decreases to zero over a finite time called the lifetime. Based on more than 30 experiments, we have derived a scaling law that relates the lifetime of an enriched reservoir to the layer thickness ratio, a, to the density and viscosity contrasts between the two layers, and to their two different internal heating rates in the form of an enrichment factor beta=1+2*a*H1/H, where H1 is the heating rate of the lower fluid and H is the average heating rate. We find that the lifetime of the lower enriched reservoir varies as beta**(-7/3) in the low

Application of response surface methodology for optimization of parameters for microwave heating of rare earth carbonates

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Shaohua; Lin, Guo; Li, Shiwei; Peng, Jinhui; Zhang, Libo

2016-09-01

Microwave heating has been applied in the field of drying rare earth carbonates to improve drying efficiency and reduce energy consumption. The effects of power density, material thickness and drying time on the weight reduction (WR) are studied using response surface methodology (RSM). The results show that RSM is feasible to describe the relationship between the independent variables and weight reduction. Based on the analysis of variance (ANOVA), the model is in accordance with the experimental data. The optimum experiment conditions are power density 6 w/g, material thickness 15 mm and drying time 15 min, resulting in an experimental weight reduction of 73%. Comparative experiments show that microwave drying has the advantages of rapid dehydration and energy conservation. Particle analysis shows that the size distribution of rare earth carbonates after microwave drying is more even than those in an oven. Based on these findings, microwave heating technology has an important meaning to energy-saving and improvement of production efficiency for rare earth smelting enterprises and is a green heating process.

Convective climatology over the southwest U.S. and Mexico from passive microwave and infrared data

Science.gov (United States)

Negri, Andrew J.; Howard, Kenneth W.; Keehn, Peter R.; Maddox, Robert A.; Adler, Robert F.

1992-01-01

Passive microwave data from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) were used to estimate the amount of rainfall in the June-August season for the regions of the southwest U.S. and Mexico, and the results are compared to rain-gauge observations and to IR climatologies of Maddox et al. (1992), using both the hourly IR data and IR data sampled at the time of the overpass of the SSM/I. A comparison of the microwave climatology with monthly rainfall measured by the climatological gage network over several states of western Mexico resulted in a 0.63 correlation and a large (482 mm) bias, due to sampling and the incongruity of rain gages and satellite estimates. A comparison between the IR and microwave data showed that the IR tended toward higher percentages along the coast compared to the microwave.

Comparison of dry, wet and microwave digestion methods for the determination of Pb in commercially available poultry feed samples in Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iqbal, S.; Hussain, A.; Hussain, I.; Sher, M.

2012-01-01

Summary: The poultry feed ingredients, contaminated by Lead (Pb) from different sources, may pose serious threats towards health of bird as well as consumers. Toxicity of Pb requires accurate quantification from poultry samples, which in turn is dependent on efficiency of digestion procedure. Therefore, aim of this study was to compare three main digestion methods; microwave-assisted wet digestion, wet-acid digestion on hot plate and dry ashing mineralization in muffle furnace for the maximum recovery of Pb from 28 poultry feed samples of 7 commercial brands from Pakistan. Novelty in wet-acid digestion on hot plate lies in applying 6 different compositions of nitric acid with oxidants and other mineral acids i.e. hydrogen peroxide (H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ ), perchloric (HClO/sub 4/), hydrochloric (HCl), and hydrofluoric (HF) acids. The concentration of Pb in samples was found to be in the range of 43-58.5, 26-35.5, 17- 30, 11-18.5, 22-30.5, 27-37 .5, 36-48 and 2- 6.5 mg/kg by 1 MW (microwave-assisted wet digestion), 2 AW (wet digestion with HNO/sub 3/ and H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ mixture), 2 BW (wet digestion with mixture of HNO/sub 3/ and HClO/sub 4/), 2 CW (wet digestion with aqua regia), 2 DW (wet digestion with reverse aqua regia), 2 EW (wet digestion with mixture of HNO/sub 3/ and H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/), 2 FW (wet digestion with mixture of HNO/sub 3/ and HF) and 3 DD (Dry digestion in Muffle furnace), respectively. The results were subjected to statistical analysis i.e. ANOVA, which showed significant differences among all the digestion methods and cluster analysis, which confirmed the similarity between 2 FW (wet digestion with mixture of nitric acid and hydrofluoric acid) and microwave-assisted digestion method. (author)

Effects of Drying Methods on the Drying Kinetics and the Essential Oil of Lippia multiflora Moldenke Leaves

OpenAIRE

Raymond G. Elenga; Gouollaly Tsiba; J. Goma Maniongui; Jean M. Ouamba; Jean M. Bessière

2011-01-01

Lippia multiflora is widespread in Africa and America. Its leaves are consumed as tea and have various medicinal properties. To preserve the flavour and properties, the farmers dry the leaves in shade for six to ten days. The aim of this work on one hand, is to check the soundness of this traditional drying method by comparing its effects with those of the forced convective drying at 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60ºC on the drying kinetics, the composition and content of the Essential Oil (EO) of dried...

Production of xylooligosaccharide from wheat bran by microwave assisted enzymatic hydrolysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tseng-Hsing; Lu, Shin

2013-06-01

The effective production of xylooligosaccharides (XOS) from wheat bran was investigated. Wheat bran contains rich hemicellulose which can be hydrolyzed by enzyme; the XOS were obtained by microwave assisted enzymatic hydrolysis. To improve the productivity of XOS, repeated microwave assisted enzymatic hydrolysis and activated carbon adsorption method was chosen to eliminate macromolecules in the XOS. On the basis of experimental data, an industrial XOS production process consisting of pretreatment, repeated microwave assisted enzymatic treatment and purification was designed. Using the designed process, 3.2g dry of purified XOS was produced from 50 g dry wheat bran powder. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Parameterization of Dry Thermals and Shallow Cumuli for Mesoscale Numerical Weather Prediction

Science.gov (United States)

Pergaud, Julien; Masson, Valéry; Malardel, Sylvie; Couvreux, Fleur

2009-07-01

For numerical weather prediction models and models resolving deep convection, shallow convective ascents are subgrid processes that are not parameterized by classical local turbulent schemes. The mass flux formulation of convective mixing is now largely accepted as an efficient approach for parameterizing the contribution of larger plumes in convective dry and cloudy boundary layers. We propose a new formulation of the EDMF scheme (for Eddy DiffusivityMass Flux) based on a single updraft that improves the representation of dry thermals and shallow convective clouds and conserves a correct representation of stratocumulus in mesoscale models. The definition of entrainment and detrainment in the dry part of the updraft is original, and is specified as proportional to the ratio of buoyancy to vertical velocity. In the cloudy part of the updraft, the classical buoyancy sorting approach is chosen. The main closure of the scheme is based on the mass flux near the surface, which is proportional to the sub-cloud layer convective velocity scale w *. The link with the prognostic grid-scale cloud content and cloud cover and the projection on the non- conservative variables is processed by the cloud scheme. The validation of this new formulation using large-eddy simulations focused on showing the robustness of the scheme to represent three different boundary layer regimes. For dry convective cases, this parameterization enables a correct representation of the countergradient zone where the mass flux part represents the top entrainment (IHOP case). It can also handle the diurnal cycle of boundary-layer cumulus clouds (EUROCSARM) and conserve a realistic evolution of stratocumulus (EUROCSFIRE).

Microwave-assisted synthesis of high-loading, highly dispersed Pt ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Keywords. Direct methanol fuel cell; carbon aerogel; Pt; microwave-assisted polyol process; electrocatalyst; ... obtained from the carbonization of the dried organic aero- gel in a ... 12 hours. The dried residue (0·01 g) was mixed with ethanol.

Drying of mint leaves in a solar dryer and under open sun: Modelling, performance analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akpinar, E. Kavak

2010-01-01

In this study was investigated the thin-layer drying characteristics in solar dryer with forced convection and under open sun with natural convection of mint leaves, and, performed energy analysis and exergy analysis of solar drying process of mint leaves. An indirect forced convection solar dryer consisting of a solar air collector and drying cabinet was used in the experiments. The drying data were fitted to ten the different mathematical models. Among the models, Wang and Singh model for the forced solar drying and the natural sun drying were found to best explain thin-layer drying behaviour of mint leaves. Using the first law of thermodynamics, the energy analysis throughout solar drying process was estimated. However, exergy analysis during solar drying process was determined by applying the second law of thermodynamics. Energy utilization ratio (EUR) values of drying cabinet varied in the ranges between 7.826% and 46.285%. The values of exergetic efficiency were found to be in the range of 34.760-87.717%. The values of improvement potential varied between 0 and 0.017 kJ s -1 . Energy utilization ratio and improvement potential decreased with increasing drying time and ambient temperature while exergetic efficiency increased.

Estimation of cauliflower mass transfer parameters during convective drying

Science.gov (United States)

Sahin, Medine; Doymaz, İbrahim

2017-02-01

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of pre-treatments such as citric acid and hot water blanching and air temperature on drying and rehydration characteristics of cauliflower slices. Experiments were carried out at four different drying air temperatures of 50, 60, 70 and 80 °C with the air velocity of 2.0 m/s. It was observed that drying and rehydration characteristics of cauliflower slices were greatly influenced by air temperature and pre-treatment. Six commonly used mathematical models were evaluated to predict the drying kinetics of cauliflower slices. The Midilli et al. model described the drying behaviour of cauliflower slices at all temperatures better than other models. The values of effective moisture diffusivities ( D eff ) were determined using Fick's law of diffusion and were between 4.09 × 10-9 and 1.88 × 10-8 m2/s. Activation energy was estimated by an Arrhenius type equation and was 23.40, 29.09 and 26.39 kJ/mol for citric acid, blanch and control samples, respectively.

Evaluation and comparing of natural and forced solar dryer for mint drying in Khuzestan province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J Habibi Asl

2017-05-01

Research Center during the years 2011-2013. Materials and Methods In this research an indirect cabinet solar dryer with three trays and grooved collector was constructed. To improve air convection, a chimney was mounted above the dryer. The dryer performance was evaluated by drying mint leaves in three levels of mass density of 2, 3, and 4 kg m-2 at two drying manners of natural and forced convection and compared with drying mint leaves in shade as the traditional method. Results and Discussion The results showed that total drying time required in different solar drier treatments was 3.5 to 15 h, while it was about 5 days in traditional method. Drying time in upper trays was more as the air flow decreased due to increase in mass density. Mean required drying time in forced convection was 29.7% less than that of natural convection. Maximum essences with 0.80% and 0.76% were belonged to "natural convection and 3kg m-2 mass density" and "forced convection and 4 kg m-2 mass density" treatments respectively, while minimum one with 0.30% was for "forced convection and 2 kg m-2 mass density" treatment. Also, the highest and lowest chlorophyll content with 8.51 and 4.18 mg ml-1 were measured in "natural convection and 3 kg m-2 mass density" and "forced convection and 4 kg m-2 mass density" treatments respectively. According to obtained results, 3 and 4 kg m-2 mass density can be suggested for natural and forced convection solar drying of mint leaves in Khuzestan condition respectively. Conclusions In order to reduce vegetable losses and increase Khuzestan vegetable producers income, indirect cabinet solar dryer for drying mint leaves in winter season, could be an appropriate option. For natural and forced convection drying methods, mass density of 3 and 4 kg m-2 is recommended respectively.

[Application of microwave irradiation technology to the field of pharmaceutics].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xue-Bing; Shi, Nian-Qiu; Yang, Zhi-Qiang; Wang, Xing-Lin

2014-03-01

Microwaves can be directly transformed into heat inside materials because of their ability of penetrating into any substance. The degree that materials are heated depends on their dielectric properties. Materials with high dielectric loss are more easily to reach a resonant state by microwaves field, then microwaves can be absorbed efficiently. Microwave irradiation technique with the unique heating mechanisms could induce drug-polymer interaction and change the properties of dissolution. Many benefits such as improving product quality, increasing energy efficiency and reducing times can be obtained by microwaves. This paper summarized characteristics of the microwave irradiation technique, new preparation techniques and formulation process in pharmaceutical industry by microwave irradiation technology. The microwave technology provides a new clue for heating and drying in the field of pharmaceutics.

Tests for removal of decay heat by natural convection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kashiwagi, E.; Wataru, M.; Gomi, Y.; Hattori, Y.; Ozaki, S.

1993-01-01

Interim storage technology for spent fuel by dry storage casks have been investigated. The casks are vertically placed in a storage building. The decay heat is removed from the outer cask surface by natural convection of air entering from the building wall to the roof. The air flow pattern in the storage building was governed by the natural driving pressure difference and circulating flow. The purpose of this study is to understand the mechanism of the removal of decay heat from casks by natural convection. The simulated flow conditions in the building were assumed as a natural and forced combined convection and were investigated by the turbulent quantities near wall. (author)

An analytical method for determining the temperature dependent moisture diffusivities of pumpkin seeds during drying process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Can, Ahmet [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Trakya, 22030 Edirne (Turkey)

2007-02-15

This paper presents an analytical method, which determines the moisture diffusion coefficients for the natural and forced convection hot air drying of pumpkin seeds and their temperature dependence. In order to obtain scientific data, the pumpkin seed drying process was investigated under both natural and forced hot air convection regimes. This paper presents the experimental results in which the drying air was heated by solar energy. (author)

A Numerical Assessment of the Air Flow Behaviour in a Conventional Compact Dry Kiln

OpenAIRE

Paulo Zdanski; Daniel Possamai; Miguel Vaz Jr.

2015-01-01

Convective drying is the most common drying strategy used in timber manufacturing industries in the developing world. In convective drying, the reduction rate of the moisture content is directly affected by the flow topology in the inlet and exit plenums and the air flow velocity in the channels formed by timber layers.Turbulence, boundary layer separation, vortex formation and recirculation regions are flow features that are intrinsically associated with the kiln geometry, which in turn dict...

Modelling microwave heating of discrete samples of oil palm kernels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Law, M.C.; Liew, E.L.; Chang, S.L.; Chan, Y.S.; Leo, C.P.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Microwave (MW) drying of oil palm kernels is experimentally determined and modelled. • MW heating of discrete samples of oil palm kernels (OPKs) is simulated. • OPK heating is due to contact effect, MW interference and heat transfer mechanisms. • Electric field vectors circulate within OPKs sample. • Loosely-packed arrangement improves temperature uniformity of OPKs. - Abstract: Recently, microwave (MW) pre-treatment of fresh palm fruits has showed to be environmentally friendly compared to the existing oil palm milling process as it eliminates the condensate production of palm oil mill effluent (POME) in the sterilization process. Moreover, MW-treated oil palm fruits (OPF) also possess better oil quality. In this work, the MW drying kinetic of the oil palm kernels (OPK) was determined experimentally. Microwave heating/drying of oil palm kernels was modelled and validated. The simulation results show that temperature of an OPK is not the same over the entire surface due to constructive and destructive interferences of MW irradiance. The volume-averaged temperature of an OPK is higher than its surface temperature by 3–7 °C, depending on the MW input power. This implies that point measurement of temperature reading is inadequate to determine the temperature history of the OPK during the microwave heating process. The simulation results also show that arrangement of OPKs in a MW cavity affects the kernel temperature profile. The heating of OPKs were identified to be affected by factors such as local electric field intensity due to MW absorption, refraction, interference, the contact effect between kernels and also heat transfer mechanisms. The thermal gradient patterns of OPKs change as the heating continues. The cracking of OPKs is expected to occur first in the core of the kernel and then it propagates to the kernel surface. The model indicates that drying of OPKs is a much slower process compared to its MW heating. The model is useful

The Influence of Different Drying Methods on Constituents and Antioxidant Activity of Saffron from China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yingpeng Tong

2015-01-01

Full Text Available More and more saffron has been cultivated in China because of the increasing saffron demand, but no paper has studied the influence of drying methods on the quality of Chinese saffron. In this paper, three different dehydration treatments applied in actual production were evaluated: dehydration with electric oven, vacuum oven, and microwave. We determined that the highest quality of saffron will be obtained when fresh saffron is treated at higher temperatures (no more than 70°C for a long time by electric oven drying and vacuum oven drying. In microwave drying, treatments at lower microwave power and longer time benefit the quality of saffron. In addition, the influence of the drying method on antioxidants in saffron is discussed. The correlation between individual saffron profiles and the antioxidant value was estimated by spectrum-effect relationships analysis.

Effect of different drying methods on the composition of steviol glycosides in Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves

Science.gov (United States)

Aranda-González, Irma; Betancur-Ancona, David; Chel-Guerrero, Luis; Moguel-Ordóñez, Yolanda

2017-01-01

Drying techniques can modify the composition of certain plant compounds. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the effect of different drying methods on steviol glycosides in Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves. Four different drying methods were applied to Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves, which were then subjected to aqueous extraction. Radiation or convection drying was performed in stoves at 60°C, whereas shade or sun drying methods were applied at 29.7°C and 70% of relative humidity. Stevioside, rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B, rebaudioside C, rebaudioside D, dulcoside A, and steviolbioside were quantified by a validated HPLC method. Among steviol glycosides, the content (g 100 g-1 dry basis) of stevioside, rebaudioside A, rebaudioside B, and rebaudioside C varied according to the drying method. The total glycoside content was higher in sun-dried samples, with no significant differences compared to shade or convection drying, whereas radiation drying adversely affected the content of rebaudioside A and rebaudioside C (p <0.01) and was therefore a method lowering total glycoside content. The effect of the different drying methods was also reflected in the proportion of the sweetener profile. Convection drying could be suitable for modern food processing industries while shadow or sun drying may be a low-cost alternative for farmers.

Microwave plasma for hydrogen production from liquids

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Czylkowski Dariusz

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The hydrogen production by conversion of liquid compounds containing hydrogen was investigated experimentally. The waveguide-supplied metal cylinder-based microwave plasma source (MPS operated at frequency of 915 MHz at atmospheric pressure was used. The decomposition of ethanol, isopropanol and kerosene was performed employing plasma dry reforming process. The liquid was introduced into the plasma in the form of vapour. The amount of vapour ranged from 0.4 to 2.4 kg/h. Carbon dioxide with the flow rate ranged from 1200 to 2700 NL/h was used as a working gas. The absorbed microwave power was up to 6 kW. The effect of absorbed microwave power, liquid composition, liquid flow rate and working gas fl ow rate was analysed. All these parameters have a clear influence on the hydrogen production efficiency, which was described with such parameters as the hydrogen production rate [NL(H2/h] and the energy yield of hydrogen production [NL(H2/kWh]. The best achieved experimental results showed that the hydrogen production rate was up to 1116 NL(H2/h and the energy yield was 223 NL(H2 per kWh of absorbed microwave energy. The results were obtained in the case of isopropanol dry reforming. The presented catalyst-free microwave plasma method can be adapted for hydrogen production not only from ethanol, isopropanol and kerosene, but also from different other liquid compounds containing hydrogen, like gasoline, heavy oils and biofuels.

Simple and Low-Cost Exposed -Layer Grain Drying Apparatus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Thin-layer drying apparatus was developed from standard “off-the- shelf” equipment: a fan convection laboratory oven and a weighing scale. Using this apparatus the thin-layer drying data for wheat under constant conditions were obtained for a range of drying air temperature from 30°C to 150°C and the initial moisture ...

Enhanced infrared transmission characteristics of microwave ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2017-09-22

Sep 22, 2017 ... ods result in grain growth, which adversely influences the transmission .... dispersing the powder in methanol and allowing a drop of this to become dry on a ... out in a resistive–microwave hybrid furnace with silicon car-.

Evolution of mechanical properties and final textural properties of resorcinol-formaldehyde xerogels during ambient air drying

OpenAIRE

Léonard, Angélique; Blacher, Silvia; Crine, Michel; Jomaa, Wahbi

2008-01-01

Porous carbon xerogels can be obtained by convective drying of resorcinol (R)-formaldehyde (F) hydrogels, followed by pyrolysis. Drying conditions have to be carefully controlled when crack-free monoliths with well-defined shape and size are required. The knowledge of the mechanical properties of the RF xerogels and their evolution with water content is essential to model their thermo-hygro-mechanical behavior during convective drying and avoid mechanical stresses leading to deformation and c...

Effect of different drying techniques on the volatile compounds ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To examine the volatile compounds, thermal stability and morphological characteristics of stevia (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni) leaves after sun, oven and microwave drying. Methods: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry with a spectral analysis manager was used to separate the volatile compounds. Dried stevia ...

Tropical convection regimes in climate models: evaluation with satellite observations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. K. Steiner

2018-04-01

Full Text Available High-quality observations are powerful tools for the evaluation of climate models towards improvement and reduction of uncertainty. Particularly at low latitudes, the most uncertain aspect lies in the representation of moist convection and interaction with dynamics, where rising motion is tied to deep convection and sinking motion to dry regimes. Since humidity is closely coupled with temperature feedbacks in the tropical troposphere, a proper representation of this region is essential. Here we demonstrate the evaluation of atmospheric climate models with satellite-based observations from Global Positioning System (GPS radio occultation (RO, which feature high vertical resolution and accuracy in the troposphere to lower stratosphere. We focus on the representation of the vertical atmospheric structure in tropical convection regimes, defined by high updraft velocity over warm surfaces, and investigate atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles. Results reveal that some models do not fully capture convection regions, particularly over land, and only partly represent strong vertical wind classes. Models show large biases in tropical mean temperature of more than 4 K in the tropopause region and the lower stratosphere. Reasonable agreement with observations is given in mean specific humidity in the lower to mid-troposphere. In moist convection regions, models tend to underestimate moisture by 10 to 40 % over oceans, whereas in dry downdraft regions they overestimate moisture by 100 %. Our findings provide evidence that RO observations are a unique source of information, with a range of further atmospheric variables to be exploited, for the evaluation and advancement of next-generation climate models.

Tropical convection regimes in climate models: evaluation with satellite observations

Science.gov (United States)

Steiner, Andrea K.; Lackner, Bettina C.; Ringer, Mark A.

2018-04-01

High-quality observations are powerful tools for the evaluation of climate models towards improvement and reduction of uncertainty. Particularly at low latitudes, the most uncertain aspect lies in the representation of moist convection and interaction with dynamics, where rising motion is tied to deep convection and sinking motion to dry regimes. Since humidity is closely coupled with temperature feedbacks in the tropical troposphere, a proper representation of this region is essential. Here we demonstrate the evaluation of atmospheric climate models with satellite-based observations from Global Positioning System (GPS) radio occultation (RO), which feature high vertical resolution and accuracy in the troposphere to lower stratosphere. We focus on the representation of the vertical atmospheric structure in tropical convection regimes, defined by high updraft velocity over warm surfaces, and investigate atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles. Results reveal that some models do not fully capture convection regions, particularly over land, and only partly represent strong vertical wind classes. Models show large biases in tropical mean temperature of more than 4 K in the tropopause region and the lower stratosphere. Reasonable agreement with observations is given in mean specific humidity in the lower to mid-troposphere. In moist convection regions, models tend to underestimate moisture by 10 to 40 % over oceans, whereas in dry downdraft regions they overestimate moisture by 100 %. Our findings provide evidence that RO observations are a unique source of information, with a range of further atmospheric variables to be exploited, for the evaluation and advancement of next-generation climate models.

Development of automated control system for wood drying

Science.gov (United States)

Sereda, T. G.; Kostarev, S. N.

2018-05-01

The article considers the parameters of convective wood drying which allows changing the characteristics of the air that performs drying at different stages: humidity, temperature, speed and direction of air movement. Despite the prevalence of this type of drying equipment, the main drawbacks of it are: the high temperature and humidity, negatively affecting the working conditions of maintenance personnel when they enter the drying chambers. It makes the automation of wood drying process necessary. The synthesis of a finite state of a machine control of wood drying process is implemented on a programmable logic device Omron.

Performance of a forced convection solar drier integrated with gravel as heat storage material

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohanraj, M. [Dr Mahalingam College of Engineering and Technology, Pollachi (India). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering; Chandrasekar, P. [Swinburne Univ. of Technology, Sarawak (Malaysia). School of Engineering Sciences

2009-07-01

Sun drying is the most common method used in India to dry agricultural products such as grains, fruits and vegetables. The rate of drying depends on solar radiation, ambient temperature, wind velocity, relative humidity, initial moisture content, type of crops, crop absorptivity and mass product per unit exposed area. However, this method of spreading the crop in a thin layer on the ground has several disadvantages. This paper reported on a study that focused on developing a forced convection solar drier integrated with heat storage materials for drying various agricultural crops. The indirect forced convection solar drier, integrated with gravel as a sensible heat material, was used to dry pineapple slices under conditions similar to those found in Pollachi, India. The performance of the system was discussed along with the drying characteristics, drying rate, and specific moisture extraction rate. The results showed that the moisture content (wet basis) of pineapple was reduced from about 87.5 to 14.5 per cent (equilibrium moisture content) in about 29 hours in the bottom tray and 32 hours in the top tray. The thermal efficiency of the solar air heater was also reviewed. 9 refs., 5 figs.

Development of Solar Drying Model for Selected Cambodian Fish Species

Science.gov (United States)

Hubackova, Anna; Kucerova, Iva; Chrun, Rithy; Chaloupkova, Petra; Banout, Jan

2014-01-01

A solar drying was investigated as one of perspective techniques for fish processing in Cambodia. The solar drying was compared to conventional drying in electric oven. Five typical Cambodian fish species were selected for this study. Mean solar drying temperature and drying air relative humidity were 55.6°C and 19.9%, respectively. The overall solar dryer efficiency was 12.37%, which is typical for natural convection solar dryers. An average evaporative capacity of solar dryer was 0.049 kg·h−1. Based on coefficient of determination (R 2), chi-square (χ 2) test, and root-mean-square error (RMSE), the most suitable models describing natural convection solar drying kinetics were Logarithmic model, Diffusion approximate model, and Two-term model for climbing perch and Nile tilapia, swamp eel and walking catfish and Channa fish, respectively. In case of electric oven drying, the Modified Page 1 model shows the best results for all investigated fish species except Channa fish where the two-term model is the best one. Sensory evaluation shows that most preferable fish is climbing perch, followed by Nile tilapia and walking catfish. This study brings new knowledge about drying kinetics of fresh water fish species in Cambodia and confirms the solar drying as acceptable technology for fish processing. PMID:25250381

Remote operation of microwave systems for solids content analysis and chemical dissolution in highly radioactive environments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sturcken, E.F.; Floyd, T.S.; Manchester, D.P.

1986-10-01

Microwave systems provide quick and easy determination of solids content of samples in high-level radioactive cells. In addition, dissolution of samples is much faster when employing microwave techniques. These are great advantages because work in cells,using master-slave manipulators through leaded glass walls, is normally slower by an order of magnitude than direct contact methods. This paper describes the modifiction of a moisture/solids analyzer microwave system and a drying/digestion microwave system for remote operation in radiation environments. The moisture/solids analyzer has operated satisfactorily for over a year in a gamma radiation field of 1000 roentgens per hour and the drying/digestion system is ready for installation in a cell

Anti-nutritional Factors and Ruminal Dry Matter and Crude Protein Degradability of Gamma and Microwave Irradiated Native Rapeseed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

sayyed roohollah ebrahimimahmoudabad

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction Native rapeseed (NRS is planted in some parts of Iran because of climatic condition. The consumption of NRS in animal nutrition is limited by anti-nutritional such as phytic acid and glucosinolate. Moreover, the protein of NRS is highly degraded by rumen microorganisms. Several processing methods have been used to enhance the nutritive value of whole oilseeds, including extrusion, roasting, toasting and Jet-Sploding. However, most heat processing methods adversely affect protein digestibility in the small intestine. Recently, other processing methods such as processing by gamma and microwave irradiation have been noticed. Therefore, this research was carried out to evaluate the effects of gamma irradiation (15, 30 and 45 kGy and microwave irradiation (800 W for 2, 4 and 6 min on ruminal dry matter (DM and crude protein (CP degradability, in vitro CP digestibility, anti-nutritional factors (glucosinolate and phytic acid and chemical composition of NRS. Materials and Methods Chemical composition (DM, CP, EE and Ash of untreated and irradiated NRS was determined by AOAC methods. Then, sufficient water was added to the sample to increase the moisture content to 250 g/kg. Gamma irradiation was completed by using a cobalt-60 irradiator at 20 ºC. The dose rate determined by Fricke dosimetry was 0.36 Gy/s. Another three samples (500 g each were subjected to microwave irradiation at a power of 800 W for 2, 4 and 6 min. Phytic acid and glucosinolate contents of untreated and irradiated samples were determined by standard methods. Degradation kinetics of DM or CP were determined according to in situ procedure. Six grams of untreated or irradiated NRS were incubated in the rumen of three ruminally fistulated Taleshi bulls for 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 48 h. Bags were placed in the rumen just before the bulls were offered their first meal. After retrieval from the rumen, bags were thoroughly washed with tap water until the rinsing water was clear

Applications of microwave radiation environmental remediation technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krause, T.R.; Helt, J.E.

1993-01-01

A growing number of environmental remediation technologies (e.g., drying, melting, or sintering) utilize microwave radiation as an integral part of the process. An increasing number of novel applications, such as sustaining low-temperature plasmas or enhancing chemical reactivity, are also being developed. An overview of such technologies being developed by the Department of Energy is presented. A specific example being developed at Argonne National Laboratory, microwave-induced plasma reactors for the destruction of volatile organic compounds, is discussed in more detail

Improvement in greenhouse solar drying using inclined north wall reflection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sethi, V.P. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141004, Punjab (India); Arora, Sadhna [Department of Processing and Food Engineering, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141004, Punjab (India)

2009-09-15

A conventional greenhouse solar dryer of 6 m{sup 2} x 4 m{sup 2} floor area (east-west orientation) was improved for faster drying using inclined north wall reflection (INWR) under natural as well as forced convection mode. To increase the solar radiation availability onto the product (to be dried) during extreme summer months, a temporary inclined wall covered with aluminized reflector sheet (of 50 {mu}m thickness and reflectance 0.93) was raised inside the greenhouse just in front of the vertical transparent north wall. By doing so, product fully received the reflected beam radiation (which otherwise leaves through the north wall) in addition to the direct total solar radiation available on the horizontal surface during different hours of drying. The increment in total solar radiation input enhanced the drying rate of the product by increasing the inside air and crop temperature of the dryer. Inclination angle of the reflective north wall with vertical ({beta}) was optimized for various selective widths of the tray W (1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 m) and for different realistic heights of existing vertical north wall (h) at 25 N, 30 N and 35 N latitudes (hot climatic zones). Experimental performance of the improved dryer was tested during the month of May 2008 at Ludhiana (30.56 N) climatic conditions, India by drying bitter gourd (Momordica charantia Linn) slices. Results showed that by using INWR under natural convection mode of drying, greenhouse air and crop temperature increased by 1-6.7 C and 1-4 C, respectively, during different drying hours as compared to, when INWR was not used and saved 13.13% of the total drying time. By using INWR under forced convection mode of drying, greenhouse air and crop temperature increased by 1-4.5 C and 1-3 C, respectively, during different drying hours as compared to, when INWR was not used and saved 16.67% of the total drying time. (author)

Microwave Regenerable Air Purification Device

Science.gov (United States)

Atwater, James E.; Holtsnider, John T.; Wheeler, Richard R., Jr.

1996-01-01

The feasibility of using microwave power to thermally regenerate sorbents loaded with water vapor, CO2, and organic contaminants has been rigorously demonstrated. Sorbents challenged with air containing 0.5% CO2, 300 ppm acetone, 50 ppm trichloroethylene, and saturated with water vapor have been regenerated, singly and in combination. Microwave transmission, reflection, and phase shift has also been determined for a variety of sorbents over the frequency range between 1.3-2.7 GHz. This innovative technology offers the potential for significant energy savings in comparison to current resistive heating methods because energy is absorbed directly by the material to be heated. Conductive, convective and radiative losses are minimized. Extremely rapid heating is also possible, i.e., 1400 C in less than 60 seconds. Microwave powered thermal desorption is directly applicable to the needs of Advance Life Support in general, and of EVA in particular. Additionally, the applicability of two specific commercial applications arising from this technology have been demonstrated: the recovery for re-use of acetone (and similar solvents) from industrial waste streams using a carbon based molecular sieve; and the separation and destruction of trichloroethylene using ZSM-5 synthetic zeolite catalyst, a predominant halocarbon environmental contaminant. Based upon these results, Phase II development is strongly recommended.

Frequency, moisture content, and temperature dependent dielectric properties of potato starch related to drying with radio-frequency/microwave energy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Zhuozhuo; Guo, Wenchuan

2017-08-24

To develop advanced drying methods using radio-frequency (RF) or microwave (MW) energy, dielectric properties of potato starch were determined using an open-ended coaxial-line probe and network analyzer at frequencies between 20 and 4,500 MHz, moisture contents between 15.1% and 43.1% wet basis (w.b.), and temperatures between 25 and 75 °C. The results showed that both dielectric constant (ε') and loss factor (ε″) were dependent on frequency, moisture content, and temperature. ε' decreased with increasing frequency at a given moisture content or temperature. At low moisture contents (≤25.4% w.b.) or low temperatures (≤45 °C), ε″ increased with increasing frequency. However, ε″ changed from decrease to increase with increasing frequency at high moisture contents or temperatures. At low temperatures (25-35 °C), both ε' and ε″ increased with increasing moisture content. At low moisture contents (15.1-19.5% w.b.), they increased with increasing temperature. The change trends of ε' and ε″ were different and dependent on temperature and moisture content at their high levels. The penetration depth (d p ) decreased with increasing frequency. RF treatments may provide potential large-scale industrial drying application for potato starch. This research offers useful information on dielectric properties of potato starch related to drying with electromagnetic energy.

A continuous and prognostic convection scheme based on buoyancy, PCMT

Science.gov (United States)

Guérémy, Jean-François; Piriou, Jean-Marcel

2016-04-01

A new and consistent convection scheme (PCMT: Prognostic Condensates Microphysics and Transport), providing a continuous and prognostic treatment of this atmospheric process, is described. The main concept ensuring the consistency of the whole system is the buoyancy, key element of any vertical motion. The buoyancy constitutes the forcing term of the convective vertical velocity, which is then used to define the triggering condition, the mass flux, and the rates of entrainment-detrainment. The buoyancy is also used in its vertically integrated form (CAPE) to determine the closure condition. The continuous treatment of convection, from dry thermals to deep precipitating convection, is achieved with the help of a continuous formulation of the entrainment-detrainment rates (depending on the convective vertical velocity) and of the CAPE relaxation time (depending on the convective over-turning time). The convective tendencies are directly expressed in terms of condensation and transport. Finally, the convective vertical velocity and condensates are fully prognostic, the latter being treated using the same microphysics scheme as for the resolved condensates but considering the convective environment. A Single Column Model (SCM) validation of this scheme is shown, allowing detailed comparisons with observed and explicitly simulated data. Four cases covering the convective spectrum are considered: over ocean, sensitivity to environmental moisture (S. Derbyshire) non precipitating shallow convection to deep precipitating convection, trade wind shallow convection (BOMEX) and strato-cumulus (FIRE), together with an entire continental diurnal cycle of convection (ARM). The emphasis is put on the characteristics of the scheme which enable a continuous treatment of convection. Then, a 3D LAM validation is presented considering an AMMA case with both observations and a CRM simulation using the same initial and lateral conditions as for the parameterized one. Finally, global

Microwave energy for post-calcination treatment of high-level nuclear wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gombert, D.; Priebe, S.J.; Berreth, J.R.

1980-01-01

High-level radioactive wastes generated from nuclear fuel reprocessing require treatment for effective long-term storage. Heating by microwave energy is explored in processing of two possible waste forms: (1) drying of a pelleted form of calcined waste; and (2) vitrification of calcined waste. It is shown that residence times for these processes can be greatly reduced when using microwave energy rather than conventional heating sources, without affecting product properties. Compounds in the waste and in the glass frit additives couple very well with the 2.45 GHz microwave field so that no special microwave absorbers are necessary

Is Convection Sensitive to Model Vertical Resolution and Why?

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, S.; Lin, W.; Zhang, G. J.

2017-12-01

Model sensitivity to horizontal resolutions has been studied extensively, whereas model sensitivity to vertical resolution is much less explored. In this study, we use the US Department of Energy (DOE)'s Accelerated Climate Modeling for Energy (ACME) atmosphere model to examine the sensitivity of clouds and precipitation to the increase of vertical resolution of the model. We attempt to understand what results in the behavior change (if any) of convective processes represented by the unified shallow and turbulent scheme named CLUBB (Cloud Layers Unified by Binormals) and the Zhang-McFarlane deep convection scheme in ACME. A short-term hindcast approach is used to isolate parameterization issues from the large-scale circulation. The analysis emphasizes on how the change of vertical resolution could affect precipitation partitioning between convective- and grid-scale as well as the vertical profiles of convection-related quantities such as temperature, humidity, clouds, convective heating and drying, and entrainment and detrainment. The goal is to provide physical insight into potential issues with model convective processes associated with the increase of model vertical resolution. This work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

The effect of power intensity properties of microwave modified oil palm trunk lumber

Science.gov (United States)

Izzati Ibrahim, Anis; Salim, Nurjannah; Roslan, Rasidi; Ashry Jusoh, Mohammad; Hashim, Rokiah

2018-04-01

In the decade, oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) in Malaysia is one of the conventional sources that will be rising, and the rate of biomass will considerably increase in yet to come. Presently, oil palm biomass is going through research and development and appears to be the most sustainable alternative. Investigations on oil palm biomass have been conducted to support in draw out waste of oil palm and in the meantime can help economic yield to the country. This study was expected to estimate the effect of power intensity properties of microwave modified oil palm trunk lumber. Microwave treatment of oil palm trunk samples was set of connections by using a microwave operating at 2.45 GHz with the liberated process input power intensity (600-1000W) were studied under the given condition. Impact and compression of the samples were tested. The analysis of properties of the fresh material and dry samples was employed by scanning electron microscopy. Oven drying technique also was involved as a comparison of the conventional drying process in this research. Based on the outcomes of this study, both drying methods improved the characteristics of the specimens.

Microwavable thermal energy storage material

Science.gov (United States)

Salyer, I.O.

1998-09-08

A microwavable thermal energy storage material is provided which includes a mixture of a phase change material and silica, and a carbon black additive in the form of a conformable dry powder of phase change material/silica/carbon black, or solid pellets, films, fibers, moldings or strands of phase change material/high density polyethylene/ethylene vinyl acetate/silica/carbon black which allows the phase change material to be rapidly heated in a microwave oven. The carbon black additive, which is preferably an electrically conductive carbon black, may be added in low concentrations of from 0.5 to 15% by weight, and may be used to tailor the heating times of the phase change material as desired. The microwavable thermal energy storage material can be used in food serving applications such as tableware items or pizza warmers, and in medical wraps and garments. 3 figs.

Application of ground-based, multi-channel microwave radiometer in the nowcasting of intense convective weather through instability indices of the atmosphere

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chan, P.W.; Hon, K.K. [Hong Kong Observatory, Hong Kong (China)

2011-08-15

A ground-based microwave radiometer gives the possibility of providing continuously available temperature and humidity profiles of the troposphere, from which instability indices of the atmosphere could be derived. This paper studies the possibility of correlating the radiometer-based instability indices with the occurrence of intense convective activity, namely, the occurrence of lightning. The correlation so established could be useful for the nowcasting of convective weather: the weather forecaster follows the evolution of the radiometer-based instability indices in order to access the chance for lightning to occur. The quality of the radiometer-based instability indices is first established by comparing with the radiosonde-based indices. Though there are biases and spreads in the scatter plots of the two datasets, the radiometer-based indices appear to follow the trend of the radiosonde-based indices in spite of the differences in measurement locations and working principles of the two instruments. The thresholds of instability indices for the occurrence of lightning (using 1 discharge) are then determined, specifically for the radiometer in use and the climatological condition in Hong Kong. It turns out that, among all the indices considered in this paper, KI has the best performance in terms of probability of detection of lightning occurrence, particularly for non-summer months, by using an optimum threshold. Finally, the correlation between the instability index and the amount of lightning strokes (within a certain distance from the radiometer) is established. It turns out that the correlation is the best using the minimum value of humidity index, with correlation coefficient of 0.55. The distance from the radiometer considered is about 30 km (having the best correlation between the number of lightning discharges and the instability index), which may be taken as the area over which the radiometer's measurement is considered to be representative of the

Design, development and performance testing of a new natural convection solar dryer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pangavhane, D.R. [K.K. Wagh College of Engineering, Nashik (India). Department of Mechanical Engineering; Sawhney, R.L.; Sarsavadia, P.N. [Devi Ahilya Vishwa Vidhyalaya, Indore (India). School of Energy and Environmental Studies

2002-06-01

Mechanical drying of agricultural products is an energy consuming operation in the post-harvesting technology. Greater emphasis is given to using solar energy sources in this process due to the high prices and shortages of fossil fuels. For these purposes, a new natural convection solar dryer consisting of a solar air heater and a drying chamber was developed. This system can be used for drying various agricultural products like fruits and vegetables. In this study, grapes were successfully dried in the developed solar dryer. The qualitative analysis showed that the traditional drying, i.e. shade drying and open sun drying, dried the grapes in 15 and 7 days respectively, while the solar dryer took only 4 days and produced better quality raisins. (author)

Rapid and Decentralized Human Waste Treatment by Microwave Radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Tu Anh; Babel, Sandhya; Boonyarattanakalin, Siwarutt; Koottatep, Thammarat

2017-07-01

  This study evaluates the technical feasibility of using microwave radiation for the rapid treatment of human feces. Human feces of 1000 g were radiated with a commercially available household microwave oven (with rotation) at different exposure time lengths (30, 50, 60, 70, and 75 mins) and powers (600, 800, and 1000 W). Volume reduction over 90% occurred after 1000 W microwave radiation for 75 mins. Pathogen eradiation performances of six log units or more at a high range of microwave powers were achieved. Treatments with the same energy input of 1000 Wh, but at lower powers with prolonged exposure times, significantly enhanced moisture removal and volume reduction. Microwave radiation caused carbonization and resulted in a more stable end product. The energy content of the samples after microwave treatment at 1000 W and 75 mins is 3517 ± 8.85 calories/g of dried sample, and the product can also be used as compost.

Development of Solar Drying Model for Selected Cambodian Fish Species

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Anna Hubackova

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A solar drying was investigated as one of perspective techniques for fish processing in Cambodia. The solar drying was compared to conventional drying in electric oven. Five typical Cambodian fish species were selected for this study. Mean solar drying temperature and drying air relative humidity were 55.6°C and 19.9%, respectively. The overall solar dryer efficiency was 12.37%, which is typical for natural convection solar dryers. An average evaporative capacity of solar dryer was 0.049 kg·h−1. Based on coefficient of determination (R2, chi-square (χ2 test, and root-mean-square error (RMSE, the most suitable models describing natural convection solar drying kinetics were Logarithmic model, Diffusion approximate model, and Two-term model for climbing perch and Nile tilapia, swamp eel and walking catfish and Channa fish, respectively. In case of electric oven drying, the Modified Page 1 model shows the best results for all investigated fish species except Channa fish where the two-term model is the best one. Sensory evaluation shows that most preferable fish is climbing perch, followed by Nile tilapia and walking catfish. This study brings new knowledge about drying kinetics of fresh water fish species in Cambodia and confirms the solar drying as acceptable technology for fish processing.

Secagem de fatias de abacaxi in natura e pré-desidratadas por imersão-impregnação: cinética e avaliação de modelos Assessment of convective drying models for fresh and osmo-dehydrated pineapple rings

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Rafael Gomes Dionello

2009-03-01

Full Text Available O presente estudo teve como objetivos investigar o efeito da impregnação de sacarose e de açúcar invertido na taxa de secagem por convecção de abacaxi e avaliar a adequação de nove modelos matemáticos na descrição das curvas de secagem. Os testes experimentais foram feitos empregando-se coroas circulares de abacaxi in natura e pré-desidratadas por imersão-impregnação em soluções de sacarose (0,40, 0,44 e 0,47 g.mL-1 e em xarope de açúcar invertido. A pré-desidratação osmótica foi realizada a 40 e 50 ºC, por 2 horas, sob agitação de 60 min-1. A secagem por convecção foi feita em secador do tipo gabinete com bandejas, a 60 ºC e 1,25 m.s-1. O grau de ajuste dos modelos foi avaliado por meio do coeficiente de determinação, da raiz do erro quadrático médio, do erro percentual absoluto médio e por análise de dispersão de resíduos. As maiores taxas de secagem foram obtidas para amostras in natura; naquelas pré-desidratadas osmoticamente, o aumento da concentração da solução ocasionou a diminuição da taxa de secagem. O modelo de Wang e Singh foi o que melhor descreveu a secagem por convecção de coroas circulares de abacaxi.The effect of glucose and invert sugar impregnation on the convective drying rate of pineapple and the suitability of nine mathematical models to describe the drying curves were investigated. Tests were conducted using fresh pineapple rings and samples which were pre-treated by osmotic dehydration in sucrose solutions (0.40, 0.44, and 0.47 g mL-1 and in invert sugar syrup. Osmotic pre-treatments were performed at 40 and 50 ºC for 2 hours at 60 min-1. The convective drying was performed in a tray cabinet dryer using heated ambient air at 60 ºC and 1.25 m.s-1. The adjustment levels of the models were based on the correlation coefficient, the root mean square error, mean absolute percentage error, and residual plot analysis. The highest rates of convective drying were obtained for the fresh

Development of Solar Drying Model for Selected Cambodian Fish Species

OpenAIRE

Hubackova, Anna; Kucerova, Iva; Chrun, Rithy; Chaloupkova, Petra; Banout, Jan

2014-01-01

A solar drying was investigated as one of perspective techniques for fish processing in Cambodia. The solar drying was compared to conventional drying in electric oven. Five typical Cambodian fish species were selected for this study. Mean solar drying temperature and drying air relative humidity were 55.6°C and 19.9%, respectively. The overall solar dryer efficiency was 12.37%, which is typical for natural convection solar dryers. An average evaporative capacity of solar dryer was 0.049 kg·h...

Experimental investigation of natural convection heat transfer in volumetrically heated spherical segments. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asfia, F.; Dhir, V.

1998-03-01

One strategy for preventing the failure of lower head of a nuclear reactor vessel is to flood the concrete cavity with subcooled water in accidents in which relocation of core material into the vessel lower head occurs. After the core material relocates into the vessel, a crust of solid material forms on the inner wall of the vessel, however, most of the pool remains molten and natural convection exists in the pool. At present, uncertainty exists with respect to natural convection heat transfer coefficients between the pool of molten core material and the reactor vessel wall. In the present work, experiments were conducted to examine natural convection heat transfer in internally heated partially filled spherical pools with external cooling. In the experiments, Freon-113 contained in a Pyrex bell jar was used as a test liquid. The pool was bounded with a spherical segment at the bottom, and was heated with magnetrons taken from a conventional microwave oven. The vessel was cooled from the outside with natural convection of water or with nucleate boiling of liquid nitrogen

AN ANALYTIC RADIATIVE-CONVECTIVE MODEL FOR PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, Tyler D.; Catling, David C.

2012-01-01

We present an analytic one-dimensional radiative-convective model of the thermal structure of planetary atmospheres. Our model assumes that thermal radiative transfer is gray and can be represented by the two-stream approximation. Model atmospheres are assumed to be in hydrostatic equilibrium, with a power-law scaling between the atmospheric pressure and the gray thermal optical depth. The convective portions of our models are taken to follow adiabats that account for condensation of volatiles through a scaling parameter to the dry adiabat. By combining these assumptions, we produce simple, analytic expressions that allow calculations of the atmospheric-pressure-temperature profile, as well as expressions for the profiles of thermal radiative flux and convective flux. We explore the general behaviors of our model. These investigations encompass (1) worlds where atmospheric attenuation of sunlight is weak, which we show tend to have relatively high radiative-convective boundaries; (2) worlds with some attenuation of sunlight throughout the atmosphere, which we show can produce either shallow or deep radiative-convective boundaries, depending on the strength of sunlight attenuation; and (3) strongly irradiated giant planets (including hot Jupiters), where we explore the conditions under which these worlds acquire detached convective regions in their mid-tropospheres. Finally, we validate our model and demonstrate its utility through comparisons to the average observed thermal structure of Venus, Jupiter, and Titan, and by comparing computed flux profiles to more complex models.

Effects of particle size of processed barley grain, enzyme addition and microwave treatment on disappearance and gas production for feedlot cattle

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Shin-ichi Tagawa

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Objective The effects of particle size of processed barley grain, enzyme addition and microwave treatment on in vitro dry matter (DM disappearance (DMD, gas production and fermentation pH were investigated for feedlot cattle. Methods Rumen fluid from four fistulated feedlot cattle fed a diet of 860 dry-rolled barley grain, 90 maize silage and 50 supplement g/kg DM was used as inoculum in 3 batch culture in vitro studies. In Experiment 1, dry-rolled barley and barley ground through a 1-, 2-, or 4-mm screen were used to obtain four substrates differing in particle size. In Experiment 2, cellulase enzyme (ENZ from Acremonium cellulolyticus Y-94 was added to dry-rolled and ground barley (2-mm at 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/g, while Experiment 3 examined the interactions between microwaving (0, 30, and 60 s microwaving and ENZ addition (0, 1, and 2 mg/g using dry-rolled barley and 2-mm ground barley. Results In Experiment 1, decreasing particle size increased DMD and gas production, and decreased fermentation pH (p<0.01. The DMD (g/kg DM of the dry-rolled barley after 24 h incubation was considerably lower (p<0.05 than that of the ground barley (119.1 dry-rolled barley versus 284.8 for 4-mm, 341.7 for 2-mm; and 358.6 for 1-mm. In Experiment 2, addition of ENZ to dry-rolled barley increased DMD (p<0.01 and tended to increase (p = 0.09 gas production and decreased (p<0.01 fermentation pH, but these variables were not affected by ENZ addition to ground barley. In Experiment 3, there were no interactions between microwaving and ENZ addition after microwaving for any of the variables. Microwaving had minimal effects (except decreased fermentation pH, but consistent with Experiment 2, ENZ addition increased (p<0.01 DMD and gas production, and decreased (p<0.05 fermentation pH of dry-rolled barley, but not ground barley. Conclusion We conclude that cellulase enzymes can be used to increase the rumen disappearance of barley grain when it is coarsely processed

Natural convection heat transfer coefficient for newborn baby - Thermal manikin assessed convective heat loses

Science.gov (United States)

Ostrowski, Ziemowit; Rojczyk, Marek

2017-11-01

The energy balance and heat exchange for newborn baby in radiant warmer environment are considered. The present study was performed to assess the body dry heat loss from an infant in radiant warmer, using copper cast anthropomorphic thermal manikin and controlled climate chamber laboratory setup. The total body dry heat losses were measured for varying manikin surface temperatures (nine levels between 32.5 °C and 40.1 °C) and ambient air temperatures (five levels between 23.5 °C and 29.7 °C). Radiant heat losses were estimated based on measured climate chamber wall temperatures. After subtracting radiant part, resulting convective heat loses were compared with computed ones (based on Nu correlations for common geometries). Simplified geometry of newborn baby was represented as: (a) single cylinder and (b) weighted sum of 5 cylinders and sphere. The predicted values are significantly overestimated relative to measured ones by: 28.8% (SD 23.5%) for (a) and 40.9% (SD 25.2%) for (b). This showed that use of adopted general purpose correlations for approximation of convective heat losses of newborn baby can lead to substantial errors. Hence, new Nu number correlating equation is proposed. The mean error introduced by proposed correlation was reduced to 1.4% (SD 11.97%), i.e. no significant overestimation. The thermal manikin appears to provide a precise method for the noninvasive assessment of thermal conditions in neonatal care.

Simulating deep convection with a shallow convection scheme

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C. Hohenegger

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Convective processes profoundly affect the global water and energy balance of our planet but remain a challenge for global climate modeling. Here we develop and investigate the suitability of a unified convection scheme, capable of handling both shallow and deep convection, to simulate cases of tropical oceanic convection, mid-latitude continental convection, and maritime shallow convection. To that aim, we employ large-eddy simulations (LES as a benchmark to test and refine a unified convection scheme implemented in the Single-column Community Atmosphere Model (SCAM. Our approach is motivated by previous cloud-resolving modeling studies, which have documented the gradual transition between shallow and deep convection and its possible importance for the simulated precipitation diurnal cycle.

Analysis of the LES reveals that differences between shallow and deep convection, regarding cloud-base properties as well as entrainment/detrainment rates, can be related to the evaporation of precipitation. Parameterizing such effects and accordingly modifying the University of Washington shallow convection scheme, it is found that the new unified scheme can represent both shallow and deep convection as well as tropical and mid-latitude continental convection. Compared to the default SCAM version, the new scheme especially improves relative humidity, cloud cover and mass flux profiles. The new unified scheme also removes the well-known too early onset and peak of convective precipitation over mid-latitude continental areas.

Natural convection heat transfer within horizontal spent nuclear fuel assemblies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canaan, R.E.

1995-12-01

Natural convection heat transfer is experimentally investigated in an enclosed horizontal rod bundle, which characterizes a spent nuclear fuel assembly during dry storage and/or transport conditions. The basic test section consists of a square array of sixty-four stainless steel tubular heaters enclosed within a water-cooled rectangular copper heat exchanger. The heaters are supplied with a uniform power generation per unit length while the surrounding enclosure is maintained at a uniform temperature. The test section resides within a vacuum/pressure chamber in order to subject the assembly to a range of pressure statepoints and various backfill gases. The objective of this experimental study is to obtain convection correlations which can be used in order to easily incorporate convective effects into analytical models of horizontal spent fuel systems, and also to investigate the physical nature of natural convection in enclosed horizontal rod bundles in general. The resulting data consist of: (1) measured temperatures within the assembly as a function of power, pressure, and backfill gas; (2) the relative radiative contribution for the range of observed temperatures; (3) correlations of convective Nusselt number and Rayleigh number for the rod bundle as a whole; and (4) correlations of convective Nusselt number as a function of Rayleigh number for individual rods within the array

Effect of drying methods on total antioxidant capacity of bitter gourd (momordica charantia) fruit

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Ee Shian; Abdullah, Aminah; Maskat, Mohammad Yusof

2013-11-01

The effect of thermal and non-thermal drying methods on hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant capacities of bitter gourd fruit was investigated in this study. The bitter gourd fruits were dried by following methods: (i) oven drying 40°C, (ii) oven drying 50°C, (iii) oven drying 60°C, (iv) microwave drying (medium low power), (v) microwave drying (medium power) and (vi) freeze drying. Pure acetone and hexane were used to extract the hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant compounds from dried bitter gourd fruits. Freeze dried extracts reported to have highest values in DPPH scavenging activity (hydrophilic and lipophilic fractions), FRAP (lipophilic fraction) and TPC (hydrophilic and lipophilic fraction). Thermal drying slightly increased the values of DPPH scavenging activity, FRAP and TPC assays for hydrophilic extracts. Results concluded bitter gourd fruit is a good source of natural antioxidants and its total antioxidant quality was most preserved by freeze drying. Additionally, the higher value reported in DPPH scavenging activity, FRAP and TPC assays for lipophilic extracts than the hydrophilic extracts suggested that the lipophilic antioxidant compounds of bitter gourd fruit might possess stronger antioxidant power than its counterpart.

On the existence of and mechanism for microwave-specific reaction rate enhancement.

Science.gov (United States)

Dudley, Gregory B; Richert, Ranko; Stiegman, A E

2015-04-01

The use of microwave radiation to drive chemical reactions has become ubiquitous in almost all fields of chemistry. In all of these areas it is principally due to rapid and convenient heating resulting in significantly higher rates of reaction, with other advantages including enhanced product selectivity and control of materials properties. Although microwave heating continues to grow as an enabling technology, fundamental research into the nature of microwave heating has not grown at the same rate. In the case of chemical reactions run in homogeneous solution, particularly synthetic organic reactions, there is considerable controversy over the origins of rate enhancement, with a fundamental question being whether there exist microwave-specific effects, distinct from what can be attained under conventional convective heating, that can accelerate a reaction rate. In this Perspective, we discuss unique aspects of microwave heating of molecules in solution and discuss the origin and nature of microwave-specific effects arising from the process of "selective heating" of reactants in solution. Integral to this discussion is work from the field of dielectric relaxation spectroscopy, which provides a model for selective heating by Debye relaxation processes. The Perspective also includes a critical discussion of hypotheses of non-thermal effects (alternatively classified here as resonant processes) and an outline of specific reaction parameters for chemical systems in which microwave-specific Debye relaxation processes can result in observable reaction rate enhancement.

The impact of drying techniques on phenolic compound, total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of oat flour tarhana.

Science.gov (United States)

Değirmencioğlu, Nurcan; Gürbüz, Ozan; Herken, Emine Nur; Yıldız, Aysun Yurdunuseven

2016-03-01

In this study, the changes in phenolic composition, total phenolic content, and antioxidant capacity of tarhanas supplemented with oat flour (OF) at the levels of 20-100% (w/w) after three drying treatments (sun-, oven-, and microwave drying) were investigated. A total of seventeen phenolic standards have been screened in tarhanas, and the most abundant flavonol and phenolic acid compounds were kaempferol (23.62mg/g) and 3-hydroxy-4-metoxy cinnamic acid (9.60mg/g). The total phenolic content amount gradually increased with the addition of OF to tarhana, but decidedly higher total phenolic content was found in samples oven dried at 55°C as compared with other methods. The microwave- and oven dried tarhana samples showed higher TEACDPPH and TEACABTS values than those dried with the other methods, respectively, in higher OF amounts. Consequently, oven- and microwave-drying can be recommended to retain the highest for phenolic compounds as well as maximal antioxidant capacity in OF supplemented tarhana samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rapid biodiesel production using wet microalgae via microwave irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wahidin, Suzana; Idris, Ani; Shaleh, Sitti Raehanah Muhamad

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Lipid was directly extracted from wet microalgae using microwave irradiation. • The microwave irradiation and water bath-assisted solvent extraction are applied. • Cell walls are significantly disrupted under microwave irradiation. • Highly disrupted cell walls led to higher biodiesel yield in microwave irradiation. • Microwave irradiation is a promising direct technique with high biodiesel yields. - Abstract: The major challenges for industrial commercialized biodiesel production from microalgae are the high cost of downstream processing such as dewatering and drying, utilization of large volumes of solvent and laborious extraction processes. In order to address these issues the microwave irradiation method was used to produce biodiesel directly from wet microalgae biomass. This alternative method of biodiesel production from wet microalgae biomass is compared with the conventional water bath-assisted solvent extraction. The microwave irradiation extracted more lipids and high biodiesel conversion was obtained compared to the water bath-assisted extraction method due to the high cell disruption achieved and rapid transesterification. The total content of lipid extracted from microwave irradiation and water bath-assisted extraction were 38.31% and 23.01% respectively. The biodiesel produced using microwave irradiation was higher (86.41%) compared to the conventional method. Thus microwave irradiation is an attractive and promising technology to be used in the extraction and transesterification process for efficient biodiesel production

Thin layer modelling of Gelidium sesquipedale solar drying process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ait Mohamed, L.; Ethmane Kane, C.S.; Kouhila, M.; Jamali, A.; Mahrouz, M.; Kechaou, N.

2008-01-01

The effect of air temperature and air flow rate on the drying kinetics of Gelidium sesquipedale was investigated in convective solar drying. Drying was conducted at 40, 50 and 60 deg. C. The relative humidity was varied from 50% to 57%, and the drying air flow rate was varied from 0.0277 to 0.0833 m 3 /s. The expression for the drying rate equation is determined empirically from the characteristic drying curve. Thirteen mathematical models of thin layer drying are selected in order to estimate the suitable model for describing the drying curves. The two term model gives the best prediction of the drying curves and satisfactorily describes the drying characteristics of G. sesquipedale with a correlation coefficient R of 0.9999 and chi-square (χ 2 ) of 3.381 x 10 -6

Combined MW-IR Precipitation Evolving Technique (PET of convective rain fields

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F. Di Paola

2012-11-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a new multi-sensor approach for convective rain cell continuous monitoring based on rainfall derived from Passive Microwave (PM remote sensing from the Low Earth Orbit (LEO satellite coupled with Infrared (IR remote sensing Brightness Temperature (TB from the Geosynchronous (GEO orbit satellite. The proposed technique, which we call Precipitation Evolving Technique (PET, propagates forward in time and space the last available rain-rate (RR maps derived from Advanced Microwave Sounding Units (AMSU and Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS observations by using IR TB maps of water vapor (6.2 μm and thermal-IR (10.8 μm channels from a Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI radiometer. PET is based on two different modules, the first for morphing and tracking rain cells and the second for dynamic calibration IR-RR. The Morphing module uses two consecutive IR data to identify the motion vector to be applied to the rain field so as to propagate it in time and space, whilst the Calibration module computes the dynamic relationship between IR and RR in order to take into account genesis, extinction or size variation of rain cells. Finally, a combination of the Morphing and Calibration output provides a rainfall map at IR space and time scale, and the whole procedure is reiterated by using the last RR map output until a new MW-based rainfall is available. The PET results have been analyzed with respect to two different PM-RR retrieval algorithms for seven case studies referring to different rainfall convective events. The qualitative, dichotomous and continuous assessments show an overall ability of this technique to propagate rain field at least for 2–3 h propagation time.

MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF ORANGE SEED DRYING KINETICS

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Daniele Penteado Rosa

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Drying of orange seeds representing waste products from juice processing was studied in the temperatures of 40, 50, 60 and 70 °C and drying velocities of 0.6, 1.0 and 1.4 m/s. Experimental drying kinetics of orange seeds were obtained using a convective air forced dryer. Three thin-layer models: Page model, Lewis model, and the Henderson-Pabis model and the diffusive model were used to predict the drying curves. The Henderson-Pabis and the diffusive models show the best fitting performance and statistical evaluations. Moreover, the temperature dependence on the effective diffusivity followed an Arrhenius relationship, and the activation energies ranging from 16.174 to 16.842 kJ/mol

Microwave-induced torrefaction of rice husk and sugarcane residues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, M.J.; Huang, Y.F.; Chiueh, P.T.; Kuan, W.H.; Lo, S.L.

2012-01-01

This study utilized microwave irradiation to induce torrefaction (mild pyrolysis) of rice husk and sugarcane residues by varying different parameters, including microwave power level, processing time, water content, and particle size of biomass. Proper microwave power levels are suggested to be set between 250 and 300 W for the torrefaction of these two agricultural residues. With proper processing time, the caloric value can increase 26% for rice husk and 57% for sugarcane residue. Compared to dry rice husk, both maximum reaction temperature and mass reduction ratio increased with higher water content (not over 10%). Moreover, the particle size of biomass needs not to be very small. The mass reduction ratios were 65 wt.%, 69 wt.%, and 72 wt.%, when the sizes were 50/100 mesh, 100/200 mesh, and >200 mesh, respectively. Microwave-induced torrefaction reduces more oxygen/carbon ratio of biomass in comparison with traditional torrefaction. Microwave-induced torrefaction is considered as an efficient and promising technology with great potential. -- Highlights: ► Microwave-induced torrefaction is promising compared to conventional methods. ► Neither high microwave power nor small particle size is needed. ► High energy yield can be met under mild microwave power. ► Caloric value can increase up to about 60%.

Influence of microwave sterilization on the cutting capacity of carbide burs.

Science.gov (United States)

Fais, Laiza Maria Grassi; Pinelli, Lígia Antunes Pereira; Adabo, Gelson Luis; Silva, Regina Helena Barbosa Tavares da; Marcelo, Caroline Canhizares; Guaglianoni, Dalton Geraldo

2009-01-01

This study compared the cutting capacity of carbide burs sterilized with microwaves and traditional sterilization methods. Sixty burs were divided into 5 groups according to the sterilization methods: dry heat (G1), autoclave (G2), microwave irradiation (G3), glutaraldehyde (G4) or control - no sterilization (G5). The burs were used to cut glass plates in a cutting machine set for twelve 2.5-min periods and, after each period, they were sterilized (except G5) following the protocol established for each group. The cutting capacity of the burs was determined by a weight-loss method. Data were analyzed statistically by Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's test. The means of the cutting amount performed by each group after the 12 periods were G1 = 0.2167 +/- 0.0627 g; G2 = 0.2077 +/- 0.0231 g; G3 = 0.1980 +/- 0.0326 g; G4 = 0.1203 +/- 0.0459 g; G5 = 0.2642 +/- 0.0359 g. There were statistically significant differences among the groups (p<0.05); only dry heat sterilization was similar to the control. Sterilization by dry heat was the method that least affected the cutting capacity of the carbide burs and microwave sterilization was not better than traditional sterilization methods.

Laboratory microwave measurement of the moisture content in seed cotton and ginned cotton fiber

Science.gov (United States)

The timely and accurate measurement of cotton fiber moisture content is important, but the measurement is often performed by laborious, time-consuming laboratory oven drying methods. Microwave technology for measuring fiber moisture content directly (not for drying only) offers potential advantages...

Thin layer modelling of Gelidium sesquipedale solar drying process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ait Mohamed, L. [Laboratoire d' Energie Solaire et des Plantes Aromatiques et Medicinales, Ecole Normale Superieure, BP 2400, Marrakech (Morocco); Faculte des Sciences Semlalia, BP 2390, Marrakech (Morocco); Ethmane Kane, C.S. [Faculte des Sciences de Tetouan, BP 2121, Tetouan (Morocco); Kouhila, M.; Jamali, A. [Laboratoire d' Energie Solaire et des Plantes Aromatiques et Medicinales, Ecole Normale Superieure, BP 2400, Marrakech (Morocco); Mahrouz, M. [Faculte des Sciences Semlalia, BP 2390, Marrakech (Morocco); Kechaou, N. [Ecole Nationale d' Ingenieurs de Sfax, BPW 3038 (Tunisia)

2008-05-15

The effect of air temperature and air flow rate on the drying kinetics of Gelidium sesquipedale was investigated in convective solar drying. Drying was conducted at 40, 50 and 60 C. The relative humidity was varied from 50% to 57%, and the drying air flow rate was varied from 0.0277 to 0.0833 m{sup 3}/s. The expression for the drying rate equation is determined empirically from the characteristic drying curve. Thirteen mathematical models of thin layer drying are selected in order to estimate the suitable model for describing the drying curves. The two term model gives the best prediction of the drying curves and satisfactorily describes the drying characteristics of G. sesquipedale with a correlation coefficient R of 0.9999 and chi-square ({chi}{sup 2}) of 3.381 x 10{sup -6}. (author)

Convective Cold Pool Structure and Boundary Layer Recovery in DYNAMO

Science.gov (United States)

Savarin, A.; Chen, S. S.; Kerns, B. W.; Lee, C.; Jorgensen, D. P.

2012-12-01

One of the key factors controlling convective cloud systems in the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) over the tropical Indian Ocean is the property of the atmospheric boundary layer. Convective downdrafts and precipitation from the cloud systems produce cold pools in the boundary layer, which can inhibit subsequent development of convection. The recovery time is the time it takes for the boundary layer to return to pre convective conditions. It may affect the variability of the convection on various time scales during the initiation of MJO. This study examines the convective cold pool structure and boundary layer recovery using the NOAA WP-3D aircraft observations, include the flight-level, Doppler radar, and GPS dropsonde data, collected during the Dynamics of MJO (DYNAMO) field campaign from November-December 2011. The depth and strength of convective cold pools are defined by the negative buoyancy, which can be computed from the dropsonde data. Convective downdraft can be affected by environmental water vapor due to entrainment. Mid-level dry air observed during the convectively suppressed phase of MJO seems to enhance convective downdraft, making the cold pools stronger and deeper. Recovery of the cold pools in the boundary layer is determined by the strength and depth of the cold pools and also the air-sea heat and moisture fluxes. Given that the water vapor and surface winds are distinct for the convectively active and suppressed phases of MJO over the Indian Ocean, the aircraft data are stratified by the two different large-scale regimes of MJO. Preliminary results show that the strength and depth of the cold pools are inversely correlated with the surrounding mid-level moisture. During the convectively suppressed phase, the recovery time is ~5-20 hours in relative weak wind condition with small air-sea fluxes. The recovery time is generally less than 6 hours during the active phase of MJO with moist mid-levels and stronger surface wind and air-sea fluxes.

Non-condensible gas fraction predictions using wet and dry bulb temperature measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bowman, J.; Griffith, P.

1983-03-01

A technique is presented whereby non-condensible gas mass fractions in a closed system can be determined using wet bulb and dry bulb temperature and system pressure measurements. This technique would have application in situations where sampling techniques could not be used. Using an energy balance about the wet bulb wick, and expression is obtained which relates the vapor concentration difference between the wet bulb wick and the free stream to the wet and dry bulb temperature difference and a heat to mass transfer coefficient ratio. This coefficient ratio was examined for forced and natural convection flows. This analysis was verified with forced and natural convection tests over the range of pressure and temperature from 50 to 557 psig and 415 to 576 0 F. All the data could best be fit by the natural convection analysis. This is useful when no information about the flow field is known

Convective aggregation in realistic convective-scale simulations

OpenAIRE

Holloway, Christopher E.

2017-01-01

To investigate the real-world relevance of idealized-model convective self-aggregation, five 15-day cases of real organized convection in the tropics are simulated. These include multiple simulations of each case to test sensitivities of the convective organization and mean states to interactive radiation, interactive surface fluxes, and evaporation of rain. These simulations are compared to self-aggregation seen in the same model configured to run in idealized radiative-convective equilibriu...

Glycerol and microwave preservation of annual statice (Limonium sinuatum Mill.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paparozzi, E.T.; McCallister, D.E.

1988-01-01

Stems of annual statice (Limonium sinuatum Mill.) were harvested from the field in 1982 and soaked in varying concentrations of glycerol: water solutions for 24 and 48 h and then microwaved for 0, 1, 3 or 5 min. Half of the branch stems were measured for flexibility, with the remainder being assessed 1 year later. Stems harvested in 1983 were wet- and dry-stored at 3°C for varying lengths of time and then preserved. Preservation was best when statice was preserved immediately. Cold storage decreased preserved statice flexibility, but was better than air-drying. Fresh cut statice stems, up to 34 cm long, should be preserved by soaking in a 1:2 or 1:3 glycerol: water solution for 48 h followed by microwaving for 1 min at medium-high (34°C)

Rock Crushing Using Microwave Pre-Treatment

KAUST Repository

Kim, Seunghee; Santamarina, Carlos

2016-01-01

Crushing and grinding are primary contributors to a high energy demand in the mining industry, yet, both are surprisingly inefficient processes, often with efficiencies as low as 1%. We analyze size reductions during crushing and grinding operations and explore the potential of multiplying internal weaknesses in rock materials by non-mechanical means. In particular, when rock blocks (wet or even dry if polycrystalline) are exposed to microwaves, internal cracks can develop along grain boundaries via differential thermal expansion between grains and volumetric thermal expansion of water in pores. Brazilian tests conducted on granite and cement mortar specimens show that the tensile strength decreases proportional to the duration of microwave treatment. Thermal changes, excessive fluid pressure buildup and induced stresses are analyzed in the context of hydro-Thermo-mechanically coupled processes. Results confirm that both differential thermal expansion of mineral grains and volumetric thermal expansion of water can generate cracks upon microwave exposure. Optimal conditions are suggested to lower the combined consumption of electric and mechanical energy.

Rock Crushing Using Microwave Pre-Treatment

KAUST Repository

Kim, Seunghee

2016-08-11

Crushing and grinding are primary contributors to a high energy demand in the mining industry, yet, both are surprisingly inefficient processes, often with efficiencies as low as 1%. We analyze size reductions during crushing and grinding operations and explore the potential of multiplying internal weaknesses in rock materials by non-mechanical means. In particular, when rock blocks (wet or even dry if polycrystalline) are exposed to microwaves, internal cracks can develop along grain boundaries via differential thermal expansion between grains and volumetric thermal expansion of water in pores. Brazilian tests conducted on granite and cement mortar specimens show that the tensile strength decreases proportional to the duration of microwave treatment. Thermal changes, excessive fluid pressure buildup and induced stresses are analyzed in the context of hydro-Thermo-mechanically coupled processes. Results confirm that both differential thermal expansion of mineral grains and volumetric thermal expansion of water can generate cracks upon microwave exposure. Optimal conditions are suggested to lower the combined consumption of electric and mechanical energy.

Real-time dry matter content of corn silage by a microwave sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vera Perricone

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Daily dry matter (DM intake in dairy cow is a central point to meet nutritional requirements and optimal performance, reducing the incidence of metabolic diseases. DM content of some forages, such as silages, can undergo huge variations during storing, affecting the total daily DM consumed. Reference laboratory method is time consuming and cannot be applied to daily changes in diet composition. Currently, new promising real-time technologies are available to monitor the DM content of feeds. The aim of the study was to test and calibrate a portable microwave sensor (MS for DM content in corn silage samples. Twenty-two samples were collected from a corn silage front; sampling procedure was optimized to collect as much as DM content variability as possible within the samples. MS readings were performed with 3 different methods for each samples: 1 directly on the silage front, 2 with the MS over the collected sample and 3 with MS placed under the sample. After the first MS reading, a correspondent silage sample was obtained by a silage corer for readings 2 and 3 and the laboratory DM content assay. A simple regression analysis was performed (JMP, SAS Institute, Cary, NC, 2015 over obtained data. Results evidences as the best MS reading method is represented by the probe burdening on the sample (R2=0.75 with respect to the other methods. The obtained results outlined as, with a correct reading method, MS can be valuable tool to determine DM content of corn silage directly at farm level.

Validation Experiments for Spent-Fuel Dry-Cask In-Basket Convection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Barton L.

2016-01-01

This work consisted of the following major efforts; 1. Literature survey on validation of external natural convection; 2. Design the experiment; 3. Build the experiment; 4. Run the experiment; 5. Collect results; 6. Disseminate results; and 7. Perform a CFD validation study using the results. We note that while all tasks are complete, some deviations from the original plan were made. Specifically, geometrical changes in the parameter space were skipped in favor of flow condition changes, which were found to be much more practical to implement. Changing the geometry required new as-built measurements, which proved extremely costly and impractical given the time and funds available

Validation Experiments for Spent-Fuel Dry-Cask In-Basket Convection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Barton L. [Utah State Univ., Logan, UT (United States). Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

2016-08-16

This work consisted of the following major efforts; 1. Literature survey on validation of external natural convection; 2. Design the experiment; 3. Build the experiment; 4. Run the experiment; 5. Collect results; 6. Disseminate results; and 7. Perform a CFD validation study using the results. We note that while all tasks are complete, some deviations from the original plan were made. Specifically, geometrical changes in the parameter space were skipped in favor of flow condition changes, which were found to be much more practical to implement. Changing the geometry required new as-built measurements, which proved extremely costly and impractical given the time and funds available

Influence of microwave sterilization on the cutting capacity of carbide burs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laiza Maria Grassi Fais

2009-12-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: This study compared the cutting capacity of carbide burs sterilized with microwaves and traditional sterilization methods. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty burs were divided into 5 groups according to the sterilization methods: dry heat (G1, autoclave (G2, microwave irradiation (G3, glutaraldehyde (G4 or control - no sterilization (G5. The burs were used to cut glass plates in a cutting machine set for twelve 2.5-min periods and, after each period, they were sterilized (except G5 following the protocol established for each group. The cutting capacity of the burs was determined by a weight-loss method. Data were analyzed statistically by Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's test. RESULTS: The means of the cutting amount performed by each group after the 12 periods were G1 = 0.2167 ± 0.0627 g; G2 = 0.2077 ± 0.0231 g; G3 = 0.1980 ± 0.0326 g; G4 = 0.1203 ± 0.0459 g; G5 = 0.2642 ± 0.0359 g. There were statistically significant differences among the groups (p<0.05; only dry heat sterilization was similar to the control. CONCLUSION: Sterilization by dry heat was the method that least affected the cutting capacity of the carbide burs and microwave sterilization was not better than traditional sterilization methods.

Fuzzy logic, artificial neural network and mathematical model for prediction of white mulberry drying kinetics

Science.gov (United States)

Jahedi Rad, Shahpour; Kaveh, Mohammad; Sharabiani, Vali Rasooli; Taghinezhad, Ebrahim

2018-05-01

The thin-layer convective- infrared drying behavior of white mulberry was experimentally studied at infrared power levels of 500, 1000 and 1500 W, drying air temperatures of 40, 55 and 70 °C and inlet drying air speeds of 0.4, 1 and 1.6 m/s. Drying rate raised with the rise of infrared power levels at a distinct air temperature and velocity and thus decreased the drying time. Five mathematical models describing thin-layer drying have been fitted to the drying data. Midlli et al. model could satisfactorily describe the convective-infrared drying of white mulberry fruit with the values of the correlation coefficient (R 2=0.9986) and root mean square error of (RMSE= 0.04795). Artificial neural network (ANN) and fuzzy logic methods was desirably utilized for modeling output parameters (moisture ratio (MR)) regarding input parameters. Results showed that output parameters were more accurately predicted by fuzzy model than by the ANN and mathematical models. Correlation coefficient (R 2) and RMSE generated by the fuzzy model (respectively 0.9996 and 0.01095) were higher than referred values for the ANN model (0.9990 and 0.01988 respectively).

The Impact of Dry Midlevel Air on Hurricane Intensity in Idealized Simulations with No Mean Flow

Science.gov (United States)

Braun, Scott A.; Sippel, Jason A.; Nolan, David S.

2012-01-01

This study examines the potential negative influences of dry midlevel air on the development of tropical cyclones (specifically, its role in enhancing cold downdraft activity and suppressing storm development). The Weather Research and Forecasting model is used to construct two sets of idealized simulations of hurricane development in environments with different configurations of dry air. The first set of simulations begins with dry air located north of the vortex center by distances ranging from 0 to 270 km, whereas the second set of simulations begins with dry air completely surrounding the vortex, but with moist envelopes in the vortex core ranging in size from 0 to 150 km in radius. No impact of the dry air is seen for dry layers located more than 270 km north of the initial vortex center (approximately 3 times the initial radius of maximum wind). When the dry air is initially closer to the vortex center, it suppresses convective development where it entrains into the storm circulation, leading to increasingly asymmetric convection and slower storm development. The presence of dry air throughout the domain, including the vortex center, substantially slows storm development. However, the presence of a moist envelope around the vortex center eliminates the deleterious impact on storm intensity. Instead, storm size is significantly reduced. The simulations suggest that dry air slows intensification only when it is located very close to the vortex core at early times. When it does slow storm development, it does so primarily by inducing outward- moving convective asymmetries that temporarily shift latent heating radially outward away from the high-vorticity inner core.

Collective impacts of soil moisture and orography on deep convective thunderstorms

Science.gov (United States)

Imamovic, Adel; Schlemmer, Linda; Schär, Christoph

2017-04-01

Thunderstorm activity in many land regions peaks in summer, when surface heat fluxes and the atmospheric moisture content reach an annual maximum. Studies using satellite and ground-based observations have shown that the timing and vigor of summer thunderstorms are influenced by the presence of triggering mechanisms such as soil-moisture heterogeneity or orography. In the current process-based study we aim to dissect the combined impact of soil-moisture and orography on moist convection by using convection-resolving climate simulations with idealized landsurface and orographic conditions. First we systematically investigate the sensitivity of moist convection in absence of orography to a mesoscale soil-moisture anomaly, i.e. a region with drier or moister soil. Consistent with previous studies, a high sensitivity of total rain to soil-moisture anomalies over flat terrain is found. The total rain in the presence of a dry soil-moisture anomaly increases linearly if the soil-moisture anomaly is dried: an anomaly that is 50 % dryer than the reference case with a homogeneous soil-moisture distribution produces up to 40 % more rain. The amplitude of this negative response to the dry soil-moisture anomaly cannot be reproduced by either drying or moistening the soil in the whole domain, even when using unrealistic soil-moisture values. A moist soil anomaly showed little impact on total rain. The triggering effects of the soil-moisture anomalies can be reproduced by an isolated mountain of 250 m height. In order to test to what extent the impact of the soil-moisture anomaly and the mountain are additive, the soil-moisture perturbation method is applied to soil-moisture over the isolated mountain. A 250 m high mountain with drier (moister) soil than its surrounding is found to enhance (suppress) rain amounts. However, the sensitivity of rain amount to the soil-moisture anomaly decreases with the mountain height: A 500 m high mountain is already sufficient to eliminate the

Results for the Aboveground Configuration of the Boiling Water Reactor Dry Cask Simulator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Durbin, Samuel G. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Lindgren, Eric R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2016-09-30

The thermal performance of commercial nuclear spent fuel dry storage casks is evaluated through detailed numerical analysis. These modeling efforts are completed by the vendor to demonstrate performance and regulatory compliance. The calculations are then independently verified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Carefully measured data sets generated from testing of full-sized casks or smaller cask analogs are widely recognized as vital for validating these models. Recent advances in dry storage cask designs have significantly increased the maximum thermal load allowed in a cask, in part by increasing the efficiency of internal conduction pathways, and also by increasing the internal convection through greater canister helium pressure. These same canistered cask systems rely on ventilation between the canister and the overpack to convect heat away from the canister to the environment for both above- and below-ground configurations. While several testing programs have been previously conducted, these earlier validation attempts did not capture the effects of elevated helium pressures or accurately portray the external convection of above-ground and below-ground canistered dry cask systems. The purpose of the current investigation was to produce data sets that can be used to test the validity of the assumptions associated with the calculations used to determine steady-state cladding temperatures in modern dry casks that utilize elevated helium pressure in the sealed canister in an above-ground configuration.

On the nature of rainfall in dry climate: Space-time patterns of convective rain cells over the Dead Sea region and their relations with synoptic state and flash flood generation

Science.gov (United States)

Belachsen, Idit; Marra, Francesco; Peleg, Nadav; Morin, Efrat

2017-04-01

Space-time patterns of rainfall are important climatic characteristics that influence runoff generation and flash flood magnitude. Their derivation requires high-resolution measurements to adequately represent the rainfall distribution, and is best provided by remote sensing tools. This need is further emphasized in dry climate regions, where rainfall is scarce and, often, local and highly variable. Our research is focused on understanding the nature of rainfall events in the dry Dead Sea region (Eastern Mediterranean) by identifying and characterizing the spatial structure and the dynamics of convective storm cores (known as rain cells). To do so, we take advantage of 25 years of corrected and gauge-adjusted weather radar data. A statistical analysis of convective rain-cells spatial and temporal characteristics was performed with respect to synoptic pattern, geographical location, and flash flood generation. Rain cells were extracted from radar data using a cell segmentation method and a tracking algorithm and were divided into rain events. A total of 10,500 rain cells, 2650 cell tracks and 424 rain events were elicited. Rain cell properties, such as mean areal and maximal rain intensity, area, life span, direction and speed, were derived. Rain events were clustered, according to several ERA-Interim atmospheric parameters, and associated with three main synoptic patterns: Cyprus Low, Low to the East of the study region and Active Red Sea Trough. The first two originate from the Mediterranean Sea, while the third is an extension of the African monsoon. On average, the convective rain cells in the region are 90 km2 in size, moving from West to East in 13 ms-1 and living 18 minutes. Several significant differences between rain cells of the various synoptic types were observed. In particular, Active Red Sea Trough rain cells are characterized by higher rain intensities and lower speeds, suggesting a higher flooding potential for small catchments. The north

Numerical study on hygroscopic material drying in packed bed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Stakić

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The paper addresses numerical simulation for the case of convective drying of hygroscopic material in a packed bed, analyzing agreement between the simulated and the corresponding experimental results. In the simulation model of unsteady simultaneous one-dimensional heat and mass transfer between gas phase and dried material, it is assumed that the gas-solid interface is at thermodynamic equilibrium, while the drying rate of the specific product is calculated by applying the concept of a "drying coefficient". Model validation was done on the basis of the experimental data obtained with potato cubes. The obtained drying kinetics, both experimental and numerical, show that higher gas (drying agent velocities (flow-rates, as well as lower equivalent grain diameters, induce faster drying. This effect is more pronounced for deeper beds, because of the larger amount of wet material to be dried using the same drying agent capacity.

experimental investigation of the effect of microwave drying

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Alayande Ibraheem

sample was water washed to remove excess alkali metal present through hydrolysis, sun dried and ground to obtain a ..... activated carbon resulting in exothermic reaction which may .... Ubalua A O “Cassava Wastes: Treatments Options.

Effects of particle size of processed barley grain, enzyme addition and microwave treatment on in vitro disappearance and gas production for feedlot cattle.

Science.gov (United States)

Tagawa, Shin-Ichi; Holtshausen, Lucia; McAllister, Tim A; Yang, Wen Zhu; Beauchemin, Karen Ann

2017-04-01

The effects of particle size of processed barley grain, enzyme addition and microwave treatment on in vitro dry matter (DM) disappearance (DMD), gas production and fermentation pH were investigated for feedlot cattle. Rumen fluid from four fistulated feedlot cattle fed a diet of 860 dry-rolled barley grain, 90 maize silage and 50 supplement g/kg DM was used as inoculum in 3 batch culture in vitro studies. In Experiment 1, dry-rolled barley and barley ground through a 1-, 2-, or 4-mm screen were used to obtain four substrates differing in particle size. In Experiment 2, cellulase enzyme (ENZ) from Acremonium cellulolyticus Y-94 was added to dry-rolled and ground barley (2-mm) at 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/g, while Experiment 3 examined the interactions between microwaving (0, 30, and 60 s microwaving) and ENZ addition (0, 1, and 2 mg/g) using dry-rolled barley and 2-mm ground barley. In Experiment 1, decreasing particle size increased DMD and gas production, and decreased fermentation pH (pgas production and decreased (pgas production, and decreased (p<0.05) fermentation pH of dry-rolled barley, but not ground barley. We conclude that cellulase enzymes can be used to increase the rumen disappearance of barley grain when it is coarsely processed as in the case of dry-rolled barley. However, microwaving of barley grain offered no further improvements in ruminal fermentation of barley grain.

The Soil Moisture Dependence of TRMM Microwave Imager Rainfall Estimates

Science.gov (United States)

Seyyedi, H.; Anagnostou, E. N.

2011-12-01

This study presents an in-depth analysis of the dependence of overland rainfall estimates from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) on the soil moisture conditions at the land surface. TMI retrievals are verified against rainfall fields derived from a high resolution rain-gauge network (MESONET) covering Oklahoma. Soil moisture (SOM) patterns are extracted based on recorded data from 2000-2007 with 30 minutes temporal resolution. The area is divided into wet and dry regions based on normalized SOM (Nsom) values. Statistical comparison between two groups is conducted based on recorded ground station measurements and the corresponding passive microwave retrievals from TMI overpasses at the respective MESONET station location and time. The zero order error statistics show that the Probability of Detection (POD) for the wet regions (higher Nsom values) is higher than the dry regions. The Falls Alarm Ratio (FAR) and volumetric FAR is lower for the wet regions. The volumetric missed rain for the wet region is lower than dry region. Analysis of the MESONET-to-TMI ratio values shows that TMI tends to overestimate for surface rainfall intensities less than 12 (mm/h), however the magnitude of the overestimation over the wet regions is lower than the dry regions.

Convective Propagation Characteristics Using a Simple Representation of Convective Organization

Science.gov (United States)

Neale, R. B.; Mapes, B. E.

2016-12-01

Observed equatorial wave propagation is intimately linked to convective organization and it's coupling to features of the larger-scale flow. In this talk we a use simple 4 level model to accommodate vertical modes of a mass flux convection scheme (shallow, mid-level and deep). Two paradigms of convection are used to represent convective processes. One that has only both random (unorganized) diagnosed fluctuations of convective properties and one with organized fluctuations of convective properties that are amplified by previously existing convection and has an explicit moistening impact on the local convecting environment We show a series of model simulations in single-column, 2D and 3D configurations, where the role of convective organization in wave propagation is shown to be fundamental. For the optimal choice of parameters linking organization to local atmospheric state, a broad array of convective wave propagation emerges. Interestingly the key characteristics of propagating modes are the low-level moistening followed by deep convection followed by mature 'large-scale' heating. This organization structure appears to hold firm across timescales from 5-day wave disturbances to MJO-like wave propagation.

Continuous denitration device by microwave heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumaru, Ken-ichi; Sato, Hajime.

1982-01-01

Purpose: To continuously obtain powder of uranium dioxide, plutonium dioxide or a mixture of them respectively from the solution of uranyl nitrate, plutonium nitrate or a mixture of them effectively while maintaining a constant quality. Constitution: Plutonium nitrate or uranium nitrate solution is deposited on a rotational drum having a heater and dried into powderous products. The powderous products are scraped off by a blade, transferred to a belt conveyor, entered into a microwave heating furnace and heated by microwaves while stirring to obtain the powder of plutonium dioxide or uranium dioxide. The powderous products are scraped off by a scraper and collected in a receiving tank for denitration products, whereby the feeding solution can be denitrated continuously. (Horiuchi, T.)

Synthesis of mullite nanometers microwave from bentonite delaminated

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gomes, J.; Azevedo, N.A.; Vieira, D.A.; Neves, G.A.; Santana, L.N.L.; Menezes, R.R.

2011-01-01

The smectite clays present as lamellar structure is formed by two layers of silica tetrahedrons and one layer of aluminum octahedra, which can be individually delaminated, reaching a thickness of about 1mm. Mullite is the only thermodynamically stable crystalline phase of SiO 2 and Al2O 3 system and can be synthesized from minerals that exhibit these oxides in its composition. The microwave synthesis offers advantages over conventional methods, the heating is rapid and uniform, avoiding an undesirable grain growth. This study aims to obtain nanometric mullite from bentonites delamined subjected to microwave heating. The samples were initially treated, then rehydrated, frozen and deagglomeration in a ball mill for 4 and 8 hours. Subsequently subjected to centrifugation, drying and microwave heating. The results showed that nano-mullite was obtained for samples subjected to longer heating and dispersions. (author)

Cassava Pulp Hydrolysis under Microwave Irradiation with Oxalic Acid Catalyst for Ethanol Production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Euis Hermiati

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Microwave irradiation is an alternative method of starch hydrolysis that offers a rapid process. The aim of this research was to improve microwave-assisted hydrolysis of cassava pulp by using oxalic acid as a catalyst. Suspension of cassava pulp in 0.5% oxalic acid (1 g/20 mL was subjected to microwave irradiation at 140-230 °C for 5 minutes, with 4 minutes of pre-heating. One gram of fractured activated carbon made of coconut shell was added into a number of suspensions that were subjected to the same conditions of microwave irradiation. The soluble fraction of the hydrolysates was analyzed for its total soluble solids, malto-oligomer distribution, glucose content, pH value, and formation of brown compounds. The effects of the combined severity parameter at a substrate concentration of 5-12.5% on the glucose yield were also evaluated. The highest glucose yield (78% of dry matter was obtained after hydrolysis at 180 °C without activated carbon addition. Heating above 180 °C reduced the glucose yield and increased the pH and the formation of brown compounds. The use of activated carbon in microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis of cassava pulp reduced the glucose yield, but suppressed the formation of brown compounds. The highest glucose yield (70-80% of dry matter was attained at a severity parameter of 1.3-1.5.

Relationships between radiation, clouds, and convection during DYNAMO

Science.gov (United States)

Ciesielski, Paul E.; Johnson, Richard H.; Jiang, Xianan; Zhang, Yunyan; Xie, Shaocheng

2017-03-01

The relationships between radiation, clouds, and convection on an intraseasonal time scale are examined with data taken during the Dynamics of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) field campaign. Specifically, column-net, as well as vertical profiles of radiative heating rates, computed over Gan Island in the central Indian Ocean (IO) are used along with an objective analysis of large-scale fields to examine three MJO events that occurred during the 3 month period (October to December 2011) over this region. Longwave (LW) and shortwave radiative heating rates exhibit tilted structures, reflecting radiative effects associated with the prevalence of shallow cumulus during the dry, suppressed MJO phase followed by increasing deep convection leading into the active phase. As the convection builds going into the MJO active phase, there are increasingly top-heavy anomalous radiative heating rates while the column-net radiative cooling rate progressively decreases. Temporal fluctuations in the cloud radiative forcing, being quite sensitive to changes in high cloudiness, are dominated by LW effects with an intraseasonal variation of 0.4-0.6 K/d. While both the water vapor and cloud fields are inextricably linked, it appears that the tilted radiative structures are more related to water vapor effects. The intraseasonal variation of column-net radiative heating enhances the convective signal in the mean by 20% with a minimum in this enhancement 10 days prior to peak MJO rainfall and maximum 7 days after. This suggests that as MJO convective envelope weakens over the central IO, cloud-radiative feedbacks help maintain the mature MJO as it moves eastward.

Natural convection solar dryer with biomass back-up heater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bena, B.; Fuller, R.J. [University of Melbourne (Australia). Faculty of Engineering

2002-07-01

A direct-type natural convection solar dryer and a simple biomass burner have been combined to demonstrate a drying technology suitable for small-scale processors of dried fruits and vegetables in non-electrified areas of developing countries. From a series of evaluation trials of the system, the capacity of the dryer was found to be 20-22kg of fresh pineapple arranged in a single layer of 0.01-m-thick slices. The overall drying efficiency of the unit was calculated to be {approx} 9%. During the same trial, the drying efficiency of the solar component alone was found to be 22%. Other trials estimated the efficiency of the burner in producing useful heat for drying to be 27%. Key features of the biomass burner were found to be the addition of thermal mass on the upper surface, an internal baffle plate to lengthen the exhaust gas exit path and a variable air inlet valve. Further modifications to further improve the performance of both the solar and biomass components of the dryer are suggested. (author)

Determination of free amino acids and 18 elements in freeze-dried strawberry and blueberry fruit using an Amino Acid Analyzer and ICP-MS with micro-wave digestion.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hua; Wang, Zhen-Yu; Yang, Xin; Zhao, Hai-Tian; Zhang, Ying-Chun; Dong, Ai-Jun; Jing, Jing; Wang, Jing

2014-03-15

The objective of this study was to investigate the level of 18 trace elements of two freeze-dried samples from the Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) and the Strawberry (Fragaria × Ananassa). The total free amino acid composition in the blueberry and strawberry was determined by an Amino Acid Analyzer. Eleven free amino acids were found in both berries. The trace elements in each dried fruit sample were determined by ICP-MS with microwave digestion. The linearity range of the standard curves was 0-1250.0 μg L(-1) (Mg, P, K, Ca),while in all cases, except for B, Na, Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Se, Cd, Pb, Ge and As, which was 125.0 μg mL(-1), all related coefficients were above 0.9999; recovery was in the range of 79.0-106.8%. Minor concentrations of nutritional elements were found in each freeze-dried berry. In sum, the toxic trace element analysis found the content of toxic trace elements in each freeze-dried berry sample was safe for human consumption and that the overall quality of the blueberry surpassed that of the strawberry. The results certify that the two freeze-dried berries have potential for human consumption in value-added products and have a certain theoretical and practical significance. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of drying techniques on the retention of antioxidant activities of Saskatoon berries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pranabendu Mitra

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this research was to compare the retention of antioxidant activity and total anthocyanin content of Saskatoon berries dried by freeze drying, microwave-vacuum drying, thin layer hot air drying and vacuum drying. Antioxidant activity of berry samples was determined by DPPH radical scavenging and ABTS radical scavenging, and the pH differential method was used to determine total anthocyanin content of the berry samples. The results showed that the freeze dried Saskatoon berries exhibited the highest retention of anthocyanin and antioxidant activity among the dried samples, followed by microwave-vacuum dried berries, thin layer hot air dried berries and vacuum dried berries. There were significant differences between the berry samples at P<0.05.  DPPH radical scavenging and ABTS radical scavenging were correlated linearly with an R2 value of 0.99 at P<0.05 showing their effectiveness for the determination of the antioxidant activity of the Saskatoon berries. However, the DPPH radical scavenging assay was more effective than the ABTS radical scavenging assay. The results also showed that antioxidant activity of the berries was highly correlated with the total anthocyanin content of the fruit. The reduction of anthocyanin in dried berry samples was linearly correlated with the reduction of DPPH radical scavenging with an R2 value of 0.97 at P<0.05 and, also, linearly correlated with the reduction of ABTS radical scavenging with an R2 value of 0.88 at P<0.05.

Interrelated variations of O3, CO and deep convection in the tropical/subtropical upper troposphere observed by the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS during 2004–2011

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Froidevaux

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The interrelated geographic and temporal variability seen in more than seven years of tropical and subtropical upper tropospheric (215 hPa ozone, carbon monoxide and cloud ice water content (IWC observations by the Aura Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS are presented. Observed ozone abundances and their variability (geographic and temporal agree to within 10–15 ppbv with records from sonde observations. MLS complements these (and other observations with global coverage and simultaneous measurements of related parameters. Previously-reported phenomena such as the ozone "wave one" feature are clearly seen in the MLS observations, as is a double peak in ozone abundance over tropical East Africa, with enhanced abundances in both May to June and September to November. While repeatable seasonal cycles are seen in many regions, they are often accompanied by significant interannual variability. Ozone seasonal cycles in the southern tropics and subtropics tend to be more distinct (i.e., annually repeatable than in the northern. By contrast, carbon monoxide shows distinct seasonal cycles in many northern subtropical regions, notably from India to the Eastern Pacific. Deep convection (as indicated by large values of IWC is typically associated with reductions in upper tropospheric ozone. Convection over polluted regions is seen to significantly enhance upper tropospheric carbon monoxide. While some regions show statistically significant correlations among ozone, carbon monoxide and IWC, simple correlations fall well short of accounting for the observed variability. The observed interrelated variations and metrics of annual and interannual variability described here represent a new resource for validation of atmospheric chemistry models.

Surveys of Microwave Ovens in U.S. Homes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, Alison [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Yang, Hung-Chia Dominique [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Beraki, Bereket [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Desroches, Louis-Benoit [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Young, ScottJ. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Ni, Chun Chun [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Willem, Henry [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Whitehead, Camilla Dunham [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Donovan, Sally M. [Consultant, Melbourne (Australia)

2012-12-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is conducting test procedure and energy conservation standard rulemakings for microwave ovens. These units generally offer a “convection,” “bake,” or “combo” cooking mode on the user interface. DOE divides products under analysis into classes by the type of energy used, capacity, or other performance-related features that affect consumer utility and efficiency. Installation types are grouped as (1) countertop and (2) built-in and over-the-range. The following sub-sections summarize the existing data as well as the specific data LBNL obtained with surveys.

Secagem de fatias de abóboras (Cucurbita moschata, L. por convecção natural e forçada Drying of pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata, L. slices by natural and forced convection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soraia Vilela Borges

2008-12-01

Full Text Available A abóbora (Cucurbita moschata, L. é uma importante fonte de provitamina A, de baixo custo, e sob a forma desidratada oferece diferentes opções de utilização e consumo. Secagens por convecção natural e forçada foram comparadas quanto ao grau de secagem atingido e encolhimento, em função da temperatura, velocidade de ar e dimensões do produto. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que o uso de fatias com volume de 6,25 cm³ em secador por convecção forçada a 50 °C e à velocidade de 5,5 x 10-4 ms-1 resultaram em produtos de menor encolhimento, sendo recomendadas estas condições.Besides its low price, Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata, L. is an important source of provitamin-A, and when dehydrated it offers different options of utilizations and consumption. Natural and forced convection drying were compared according to the drying degree shrinkage as a function of temperature, and air velocity and product dimensions. The obtained results showed that slices with the volume of 6.25 cm³ in forced convection oven at 50 °C and at the velocity of 5.5 x 10-4 ms-1 resulted in a lower shrinkage products, so these conditions were recommended.

Mathematical modeling of convective air drying of quinoa-supplemented feed for laboratory rats

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Vega-Gálvez

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Drying kinetics of quinoa-supplemented feed for laboratory rats during processing at 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90ºC was studied and modeled in this work. Desorption isotherm was obtained at 60ºC giving a monolayer moisture content of 0.04 g water/g d.m. The experimental drying curves showed that drying process took place only in the falling rate period. Several thin-layer drying equations available in the literature were evaluated based on determination coefficient (r², sum squared errors (SSE and Chi-square (χ2 statisticals. In comparison to the experimental moisture values, the values estimated with the Logarithmic model gave the best fit quality (r² >0.994, SSE < 0.00015 and χ2 < 0.00018, showing this equation could predict very accurately the drying time of rat feed under the operative conditions applied.

Effects of Drying Methods in Gaining of Extractive, Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity in Gynura Pseudochina (Lour.)

OpenAIRE

Rivai, Harrizul; Nurdin, Hazli; Suyani, Hamzar; Bakhtiar, Amri

2010-01-01

Effects of drying methods in gaining of extractive, phenolic content and antioxidant activity in Gynura pseudochina (Lour.) DC leaves have been investigated. The drying methods tested were air-drying at ± 25 oC, oven-drying at 40 OC, oven-drying at 60 OC, microwave oven-drying and fresh samples as control. Results revealed that drying of the fresh plant caused the decrease of extractive obtainability, phenolic content and antioxidant activity. There were significant differences among drying ...

Synthesis of carbon-supported nickel catalysts for the dry reforming of CH{sub 4}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fidalgo, B.; Zubizarreta, L.; Bermudez, J.M.; Arenillas, A.; Menendez, J.A. [Instituto Nacional del Carbon, CSIC, Apartado 73, 33080 Oviedo (Spain)

2010-07-15

A series of carbon-based nickel (Ni) catalysts was prepared in order to investigate the effect of the preparation method on the dispersion of Ni and its final catalytic activity in the dry reforming of methane, i.e. CH{sub 4} + CO{sub 2} 2H{sub 2} + 2CO. Three parameters were studied: (i) the influence of the surface chemistry of the carbon used as support; (ii) the method of drying (conventional vs. microwave drying); and, (iii) the temperature of the reduction stage. In order to study the role of the surface chemistry of the commercial activated carbon used as support, the active carbon was tested as received and oxidized. Although a better Ni dispersion was achieved over the oxidized support, the conversions were much lower. It was also found that microwave drying offers various advantages over conventional drying, the main one being that less time is required to prepare the catalyst. Two reduction temperatures were used (300 and 500 C), being found that it is necessary to adjust this parameter to prevent the Ni particles from sintering. (author)

Rainfall measurement using cell phone links: classification of wet and dry periods using geostationary satellites

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Delden, A.J.; van het Schip, T.I.; Overeem, Aart; Leijnse, Hidde; Uijlenhoet, Remko; Meirink, J.F.

2017-01-01

Commercial cellular telecommunication networks can be used for rainfall estimation by measur- ing the attenuation of electromagnetic signals transmitted between antennas from microwave links. However, as the received link signal may also decrease during dry periods, a method to separate wet and dry

Effects of Convective Aggregation on Radiative Cooling and Precipitation in a CRM

Science.gov (United States)

Naegele, A. C.; Randall, D. A.

2017-12-01

In the global energy budget, the atmospheric radiative cooling (ARC) is approximately balanced by latent heating, but on regional scales, the ARC and precipitation rates are inversely related. We use a cloud-resolving model to explore how the relationship between precipitation and the ARC is affected by convective aggregation, in which the convective activity is confined to a small portion of the domain that is surrounded by a much larger region of dry, subsiding air. Sensitivity tests show that the precipitation rate and ARC are highly sensitive to both SST and microphysics; a higher SST and 1-moment microphysics both act to increase the domain-averaged ARC and precipitation rates. In all simulations, both the domain-averaged ARC and precipitation rates increased due to convective aggregation, resulting in a positive temporal correlation. Furthermore, the radiative effect of clouds in these simulations is to decrease the ARC. This finding is consistent with our observational results of the cloud effect on the ARC, and has implications for convective aggregation and the geographic extent in which it can occur.

Effect of radiation on the laminar convective heat transfer through a layer of highly porous medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, K.; Howell, J.R.

1986-01-01

A numerical investigation is reported of the coupled forced convective and radiative transfer through a highly porous medium. The porosity range investigated is high enough that the fluid inertia terms in the momentum equation cannot be neglected; i.e., the simple form of Darcy's law is invalid. The geometry studied is a plane layer of highly porous medium resting on one impermeable boundary and exposed to a two-dimensional laminar external flow field. The objective is to determine the effective overall heat transfer coefficients for such a geometry. The results are applicable to diverse situations, including insulation batts exposed to external flow, the heat loss and drying rates of grain fields and forest areas, and the drying of beds of porous material exposed to convective and radiative heating

Effects of Ultrasound Assistance on Dehydration Processes and Bioactive Component Retention of Osmo-Dried Sour Cherries.

Science.gov (United States)

Siucińska, Karolina; Mieszczakowska-Frąc, Monika; Połubok, Aleksandra; Konopacka, Dorota

2016-07-01

Despite having numerous health benefits, dried sour cherries have proven to be more acceptable to consumers when infused with sugar or other sweeteners to enhance their flavor, which, in turn, leads to serious anthocyanin losses. For this reason, a consideration was made for the application of ultrasound to accelerate solid gain and shorten drying time, thus favoring bioactive component retention. To determine the usefulness of ultrasound as a tool for sour cherry osmotic infusion enhancement, the effect of sonication time on dehydration effectiveness, as well as the stability of bioactive components during osmotic treatment and consecutive convective drying, was investigated. Fruits were osmo-dehydrated using a 60% sucrose solution for 120 min (40 °C), during which, ultrasound of 25 kHz (0.4 W/cm(2) ), was applied for 0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min, after which, the fruits were convectively dried. In the range of the applied ultrasound energy no significant effect of sonication on mass transfer intensification was observed; moreover, longer acoustic treatment seemed to retard moisture removal during subsequent convective drying, which can be related to the breakdown of the parenchyma cell walls caused by the prolonged ultrasound (US) action. It was concluded that although US assistance could be considered neutral for bioactive component retention, excessive sonication time can lead to some anthocyanin deterioration. According to high-performance liquid chromatography analysis, the particular anthocyanin alterations, both during dehydration and final drying, occurred in a similar way. Sonication time prolongation caused approximately 10% more bioactive compound deterioration, than earlier, shorter trials. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®

Model Stirrer Based on a Multi-Material Turntable for Microwave Processing Materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinghua Ye

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Microwaves have been widely used in the treatment of materials, such as heating, drying, and sterilization. However, the heating in the commonly used microwave applicators is usually uneven. In this paper, a novel multi-material turntable structure is creatively proposed to improve the temperature uniformity in microwave ovens. Three customized turntables consisting of polyethylene (PE and alumina, PE and aluminum, and alumina and aluminum are, respectively, utilized in a domestic microwave oven in simulation. During the heating process, the processed material is placed on a fixed Teflon bracket which covers the constantly rotating turntable. Experiments are conducted to measure the surface and point temperatures using an infrared thermal imaging camera and optical fibers. Simulated results are compared qualitatively with the measured ones, which verifies the simulated models. Compared with the turntables consisting of a single material, a 26%–47% increase in temperature uniformity from adapting the multi-material turntable can be observed for the microwave-processed materials.

Experimental investigation of a solar dryer with natural convective heat flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gbaha, P.; Yobouet Andoh, H.; Kouassi Saraka, J. [Laboratoire d' Energies d' Energies Nouvelles et Renouvelables, Institut National Polytechnique Felix Houphoeuet-Boigny, B.P. 1526 Yamoussoukro (Ivory Coast); Kamenan Koua, B.; Toure, S. [Laboratoire d' Energie Solaire, Universite de Cocody, 22 B.P.: 582, Abidjan 22 (Ivory Coast)

2007-09-15

A direct type natural convection solar dryer is designed. It is constructed in local materials (wood, blades of glass, metals) then tested experimentally in foodstuffs drying (cassava, bananas, mango). It is about an experimental approach which consists in analyzing the behavior of the dryer. The study relates mainly kinetics and establishment of drying heat balances. The influence of significant parameters governing heat and mass transfers, such as solar incident radiation, drying air mass flow and effectiveness, is analyzed in order to evaluate its thermal performances. Experimental data can be represented by empirical correlations of the form M(t)=M{sub i}exp(-kt) for representation of drying process. The resolution of these drying equations makes-possible to predict total drying time of each product. Moreover, this drying process allows to reduce the moisture content of cassava and sweet banana approximately to 80% in 19 and 22 h, respectively to reach the safety threshold value of 13%. This value permits the conservation of these products about one year without deterioration. The determination of parameters, like ambient temperature, drying chamber temperature, drying air mass flow and incident heat fluxes, allow to predict the drying effectiveness for modeling and refining the dimensioning of the elaborate prototype. (author)

Implementation of Optical Meanders in the Temperature Measurement of the Extermination of Basidiomycete Serpula Lacrymans Using Microwave Heating

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Andrej Liner

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The dry rot basidiomycete Serpula lacrymans is the most common and destructive wood decay fungus, which attacks and damages houses and other wooden construction worldwide [1], [2]. Effective chemicals have been developed for remediation and treatment of dry rot outbreaks and for wood preservation against dry rot, but in most cases, control is most economically achieved by environmental management to avoid creating favourable growth conditions for the fungus [3]. Thermal treatment using microwaves represents one of possible approaches in fungal growth control and refurbishment of damaged wooden constructions. One of the possibilities, how to monitor this whole process seems to be the use of Optical fiber DTS (Distribution Temperature Systems. The Optical fiber DTS are unique distributed temperature systems using optical fiber as a sensor. Due to the electromagnetic resistance is this system suitable for the monitoring of these processes. This article deals with application of optical meanders in the temperature measurement during the extermination of basidiomycete Serpula lacrymans using microwave heating. Because of the adverse effect of microwave radiation on all other types of temperature sensors.

Evaporative and Convective Instabilities for the Evaporation of a Binary Mixture in a Bilayer System

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Weidong; Narayanan, Ranga

2006-11-01

Evaporative convection in binary mixtures arises in a variety of industrial processes, such as drying of paint and coating technology. There have been theories devoted to this problem either by assuming a passive vapor layer or by isolating the vapor fluid dynamics. Previous work on evaporative and convective instabilities in a single component bilayer system suggests that active vapor layers play a major role in determining the instability of the interface. We have investigated the evaporation convection in binary mixtures taking into account the fluid dynamics of both phases. The liquid mixture and its vapor are assumed to be confined between two horizontal plates with a base state of zero evaporation but with linear vertical temperature profile. When the vertical temperature gradient reaches a critical value, the evaporative instability, Rayleigh and Marangoni convection set in. The effects of vapor and liquid depth, various wave numbers and initial composition of the mixture on the evaporative and convective instability are determined. The physics of the instability are explained and detailed comparison is made between the Rayleigh, Marangoni and evaporative convection in pure component and those in binary mixtures.

Microwave-Assisted Alkali Pre-Treatment, Densification and Enzymatic Saccharification of Canola Straw and Oat Hull.

Science.gov (United States)

Agu, Obiora S; Tabil, Lope G; Dumonceaux, Tim

2017-03-26

The effects of microwave-assisted alkali pre-treatment on pellets' characteristics and enzymatic saccharification for bioethanol production using lignocellulosic biomass of canola straw and oat hull were investigated. The ground canola straw and oat hull were immersed in distilled water, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide solutions at two concentrations (0.75% and 1.5% w/v) and exposed to microwave radiation at power level 713 W and three residence times (6, 12 and 18 min). Bulk and particle densities of ground biomass samples were determined. Alkaline-microwave pre-treated and untreated samples were subjected to single pelleting test in an Instron universal machine, pre-set to a load of 4000 N. The measured parameters, pellet density, tensile strength and dimensional stability were evaluated and the results showed that the microwave-assisted alkali pre-treated pellets had a significantly higher density and tensile strength compared to samples that were untreated or pre-treated by microwave alone. The chemical composition analysis showed that microwave-assisted alkali pre-treatment was able to disrupt and break down the lignocellulosic structure of the samples, creating an area of cellulose accessible to cellulase reactivity. The best enzymatic saccharification results gave a high glucose yield of 110.05 mg/g dry sample for canola straw ground in a 1.6 mm screen hammer mill and pre-treated with 1.5% NaOH for 18 min, and a 99.10 mg/g dry sample for oat hull ground in a 1.6 mm screen hammer mill and pre-treated with 0.75% NaOH for 18 min microwave-assisted alkali pre-treatments. The effects of pre-treatment results were supported by SEM analysis. Overall, it was found that microwave-assisted alkali pre-treatment of canola straw and oat hull at a short residence time enhanced glucose yield.

[Analysis of dynamic changes of flavonoids and alkaloids during different drying process of Morus alba leaves].

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Yong-liang; Duan, Jin-ao; Su, Shu-lan; Qian, Ye-fei; Qian, Da-wei; Ouyang, Zhen

2014-07-01

To find out dynamic changes of flavonoids and alkaloids in Morus alba leaves by analyzing influence of different drying method and drying degrees, in order to provide evidence for quality evaluation of Morus alba leaves. Different drying methods, programmed temperature methods and constant temperature methods were adopted to dry Morus alba leaves samples respectively. Contents of flavonoids and alkaloids were analyzed by HPLC-PDA and LC-TQ/MS respectively. It's shown obviously that the content of flavonoids were influenced heavily by different drying methods. Methods that suitable for flavonoids were freezing-dried > shade-dried > dried > sun-dried > microwave-dried > infrared-dried; Methods that suitable for alkaloids were freezing-dried > shade-dried > dried > sun-dried > infrared-dried > microwave-dried. The 55 -65 degrees C group was shown to be the lowest in both flavonoids and DNJ while the 85 - 95 degrees C group was shown to be the best for DNJ. For fagomine, the 45 degrees C group was shown to be the lowest concentrations while the 95 - 105 degrees C group was shown to be the highest. Samples with different moisture were shown to be different in content of flavonoids and alkaloids. And samples with 10% moisture contain highest flavonoids while those with 30% - 50% moisture contain lowest flavonoids. Content of DNJ and fagomine raised as moisture decreasing. In addition, the 55 - 65 degrees C group was better than the 95 -105 degrees C one in alkaloids content. The results provide optimal drying methods and condition for drying Morus alba leaves, and foundations for uncovering biochemical transform of Morus alba leaves.

DESIGN AND THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF THE SOLAR BIOMASS HYBRID DRYER FOR CASHEW DRYING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saravanan Dhanuskodi

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Drying of Cashew nut to remove testa is one of the most energy-intensive processes of cashew nut process industry. For this reason a hybrid dryer consisting of a solar flat plate collector, a biomass heater and a drying chamber is designed and fabricated. 40 kg of Cashew nut with initial moisture of 9 % is used in the experiment. The performance test of the dryer is carried out in two modes of operation: hybrid-forced convection and hybrid-natural convection. Drying time and drying efficiency during these two modes of operation are estimated and compared with the sun drying. The system is capable of attaining drying temperature between 50º and 70ºC. In the hybrid forced drying, the required moisture content of 3% is achieved within 7 hours and the average system efficiency is estimated as 5.08%. In the hybrid natural drying, the required moisture content is obtained in 9 hours and the average system efficiency is 3.17%. The fuel consumption during the drying process is 0.5 kg/hr and 0.75 kg/hr for forced mode and natural mode, respectively. The drying process in the hybrid forced mode of operation is twice faster than the sun drying. The dryer can be operated in any climatic conditions: as a solar dryer on normal sunny days, as a biomass dryer at night time and as a hybrid dryer on cloudy days. Based on the experimental study, it is concluded that the developed hybrid dryer is suitable for small scale cashew nut farmers in rural areas of developing countries.

Microwave flash sintering of inkjet-printed silver tracks on polymer substrates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Perelaer, J.; Klokkenburg, M.; Hendriks, C.E.; Schubert, U.S.

2009-01-01

Microwave flash sintering of inkjet printed colloidal silver dispersions on thin polymer substrates was studied as a function of the antenna area and initial resistance. The presence of conductive antennae promotes nanoparticle sintering in predried ink lines. For dried nanoparticle inks connected

Research of rheological characteristics and determination of rational parameters of drying process of activated ferment for bakery products

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. M. Borodulin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The work is aimed at investigating the rheological properties of the ferment in the process of maturation and storage with subsequent determination of the rational parameters of its drying in various drying plants with the analysing of microflora of dried samples. We studied the rheological properties of the ferment using the strain of the lactobacilli L. Acidothilus 146A (activator and without it, which showed that the ferment for the production of special purpose bakery products to non-Newtonian or anomalously viscous liquids described by the Osthald-de-Vale rheological equation. We found that the introduction the strain of the lactobacilli L. Acidothilus 146A helps to reduce the viscosity during maturation by almost 3 times, and when storing the samples – in 2 times, this is indicated by the value of the consistency coefficient. The activator reduces the influence of temperature, so the structure of the ferment becomes more stable. It is easier to further process in this state. Consequently, the energy consumption for production is significantly reduced and the increases expiration date after the strain of the lactobacilli L. Acidothilus 146A is added to the starter for the production of special purpose bakery products. We detected kinetic patterns of drying of the activated ferment in thermoradiation, convective and sublimation dryers under different temperature operating conditions. We have determined the rational parameters of drying the ferment for the production of bakery products of specialized purpose. We analyzed the useful microflora of the dried samples. It has been revealed that microorganisms undergoing convective and sublimation (freeze drying are subjected to the smallest destructive effect. We found that microorganisms are less destroyed by convective and freeze drying. The microbial titer in these samples is at least 1(105CFU/g. While drying by the method of infrared irradiation, this titer is lower by a factor of ten

Convective-stratiform rainfall separation of Typhoon Fitow (2013: A 3D WRF modeling study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huiyan Xu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Surface precipitation budget equation in a three-dimensional (3D WRF model framework is derived. By applying the convective-stratiform partition method to the surface precipitation budget equation in the 3D model, this study separated convective and stratiform rainfall of typhoon Fitow (2013. The separations are further verified by examining statistics of vertical velocity, surface precipitation budget, and cloud microphysical budget. Results show that water vapor convergence moistens local atmosphere and offsets hydrometeor divergence, and producing convective rainfall, while hydrometeor convergence primarily supports stratiform rainfall, since water vapor divergence and local atmospheric drying generally cancelled out. Mean ascending motions are prevailing in the entire troposphere in the convective region, whereas mean descending motions occur below 5 km and mean ascending motions occur above in the stratiform region. The frequency distribution of vertical velocity shows vertical velocity has wide distribution with the maximum values up to 13 m s-1 in the convective regions, whereas it has narrow distribution with absolute values confined within 7 m s-1 in the stratiform region. Liquid cloud microphysics is dominant in convective regions and ice cloud microphysics is dominant in stratiform regions. These indicate that the statistics results are generally consistent with the corresponding physical characteristics of the convective-stratiform rainfall structures generalized by previous studies.

Drying characteristics of garlic ( Allium sativum L) slices in a convective hot air dryer

Science.gov (United States)

Demiray, Engin; Tulek, Yahya

2014-06-01

The effects of drying temperatures on the drying kinetics of garlic slices were investigated using a cabinet-type dryer. The experimental drying data were fitted best to the Page and Modified Page models apart from other theoretical models to predict the drying kinetics. The effective moisture diffusivities varied from 4.214 × 10-10 to 2.221 × 10-10 m2 s-1 over the temperature range studied, and activation energy was 30.582 kJ mol-1.

Investigation of the transition from forced to natural convection in the research reactor Munich II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skreba, S.; Adamek, J.; Unger, H.

1999-01-01

The new research reactor Munich II (FRM-II), which is under construction at the Technical University Munich, Germany, makes use of a newly developed compact reactor core consisting of a single fuel element, which is assembled of two concentric pipes. Between the fuel element's inner and outer pipe 113 involutely bent fuel plates are placed rotationally symmetric, forming 113 cooling channels of a constant width of 2.2 mm. After a shut down of the reactor, battery supported cooling pumps are started by the reactor safety system in order to remove the decay heat by a downwards directed forced flow. Three hours after they have been started, the cooling pumps are shut down and so-called 'natural convection flaps' are opened by their own weight. Through a flow path, which is provided by the opening of the natural convection flaps, the decay heat is given off to the water in the reactor pool after the direction of the flow has changed and an upwards directed natural convection flow has developed. At the Department for Nuclear and New Energy Systems of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany, a test facility has been built in order to confirm the concept of the decay heat removal in the FRM-II, to acquire data of single and two phase natural convection flows and to detect the dry out in a narrow channel. The thermohydraulics of the FRM-II are simulated by an electrically heated test section, which represents one cooling channel of the fuel element. At first experiments have been performed, which simulated the transition from forced to natural convection in the core of the FRM-II, both at normal operation and at a complete loss of the decay heat removal pumps. In case of normal operation, the transition from forced to natural convection takes place single phased. If a complete loss of the active decay heat removal system occurs, the decay heat removal is ensured by a quasi-steady two phase flow. In a second test series minimum heat flux densities leading to pressure pulsations

The vitrification of high level wastes using microwave power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hardwick, W.H.; Gayler, R.; Murphy, V.

1981-01-01

A process for radioactive waste vitrification which exploits advantages peculiar to microwave heating is under development. The advantages claimed are the removal of the heat source from the radioactive environment, the elimination of heat transfer barriers by direct coupling of the energy with the process materials, and the ability to evaporate liquors absorbed in a glass fibre matrix which constitutes the glass forming additive. This glass fibre matrix which constitutes the glass forming additive. This glass fibre is also used to filter off-gases and give a condensate free of solids. The fibre loaded with dried waste is converted to a homogeneous glass by melting using microwave power. (orig./DG)

Bragg scattering of electromagnetic waves by microwave-produced plasma layers

Science.gov (United States)

Kuo, S. P.; Zhang, Y. S.

1990-01-01

A set of parallel plasma layers is generated by two intersecting microwave pulses in a chamber containing dry air at a pressure comparable to the upper atmosphere. The dependencies of breakdown conditions on the pressure and pulse length are examined. The results are shown to be consistent with the appearance of tail erosion of the microwave pulse caused by air breakdown. A Bragg scattering experiment, using the plasma layers as a Bragg reflector, is then performed. Both time domain and frequency domain measurements of wave scattering are conducted. The experimental results are found to agree very well with the theory.

System design development for microwave and millimeter-wave materials processing

Science.gov (United States)

Feher, Lambert; Thumm, Manfred

2002-06-01

The most notable effect in processing dielectrics with micro- and millimeter-waves is volumetric heating of these materials, offering the opportunity of very high heating rates for the samples. In comparison to conventional heating where the heat transfer is diffusive and depends on the thermal conductivity of the material, the microwave field penetrates the sample and acts as an instantaneous heat source at each point of the sample. By this unique property, microwave heating at 2.45 GHz and 915 MHz ISM (Industrial, Medical, Scientific) frequencies is established as an important industrial technology since more than 50 years ago. Successful application of microwaves in industries has been reported e.g. by food processing systems, domestic ovens, rubber industry, vacuum drying etc. The present paper shows some outlines of microwave system development at Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, IHM by transferring properties from the higher frequency regime (millimeter-waves) to lower frequency applications. Anyway, the need for using higher frequencies like 24 GHz (ISM frequency) for industrial applications has to be carefully verified with respect to special physical/engineering advantages or to limits the standard microwave technology meets for the specific problem.

Recent developments in high-quality drying of vegetables, fruits, and aquatic products.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Min; Chen, Huizhi; Mujumdar, Arun S; Tang, Juming; Miao, Song; Wang, Yuchuan

2017-04-13

Fresh foods like vegetables, fruits, and aquatic products have high water activity and they are highly heat-sensitive and easily degradable. Dehydration is one of the most common methods used to improve food shelf-life. However, drying methods used for food dehydration must not only be efficient and economic but also yield high-quality products based on flavor, nutrients, color, rehydration, uniformity, appearance, and texture. This paper reviews some new drying technologies developed for dehydration of vegetables, fruits, and aquatic products. These include: infrared drying, microwave drying, radio frequency drying, electrohydrodynamic drying, etc., as well as hybrid drying methods combining two or more different drying techniques. A comprehensive review of recent developments in high-quality drying of vegetables, fruits and aquatic products is presented and recommendations are made for future research.

Freeze-Dehydration by Microwave Energy

Science.gov (United States)

1974-12-01

ntration and ter perat ure pr ofi l es for the microwave freeze-drying proce~s. .... c Q) () c 0 (.) )( CD 1.0 0 th e ver t ex of the parabola ...is chosen because a plot of kF vs temperature resembles a parabola with axis parallel to the horizontal temperature axis, and tangent at the vertex...validity of utili z ing the dielectric data of the alcohol ques tionable. However, this system is used as an indicator of melting occurence in the

Evaluating a tobacco-curing oven using a forced-convection heat exchanger USCO — MADR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Néstor Enrique Cerquera Peña

2010-01-01

Full Text Available A traditional oven for curing tobacco leaves was redesigned (based on existing infrastructure; a forced-convection heat exchan- ger system was implemented in it which worked with coffee hulls as fuel. This oven (called a forced-convection tobacco leaf curing oven was evaluated during the harvesting season. It was found that temperature and relative humidity inside the furnace could be controlled with this assembly during the three stages involved in curing tobacco leaves. The equipment used performed excellently when using coffee hulls as fuel, having the following approximate consumption during curing: 8.92 kilograms per hour during the yellowing stage, 17.75 kilograms per hour during the leaf drying and color fixation phase and 19.29 kilograms per hour during the stem drying stage. Comparative analysis of the oven’s operating costs along with the proposed adjustments to be made to it would allow its implementation as a promising alternative in the existing tobacco chain.

Experimental study of convective coefficient of mass transfer of avocado (Persia americana Mill.)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alves, Suerda Bezerra; Luiz, Marcia Ramos; Amorim, Joselma Araujo de; Gusmao, Rennam Pereira de; Gurgel, Jose Mauricio [Universidade Federal da Paraiba (LES/UFPB), Joao Pessoa, PB (Brazil). Lab. de Energia Solar

2010-07-01

Most of all energy consumed worldwide comes from fossil fuels derived from petroleum. With the petroleum crisis in the 70 were sought new energy sources, among them renewable. One such source is biodiesel energy, organic matter originated from animal and/or vegetable. Among the various plant species is the avocado (Persia americana Mill.) showing great potential in the production of petroleum extracted from the pulp and the alcohol removed from the seed. The main obstacle for obtaining the petroleum is the high humidity found in the pulp, being necessary to the drying process, which involves the transfer of heat and mass. The aim of this study was to use the mathematical model represented by Newton's Law of Cooling to simulate the mass transfer on the surface of the avocado pulp during the drying process. The equation of the mathematical model was solved numerically and the method of least squares was identified convective coefficient of Mass Transfer. The dryer used in the experimental process was operated with air flow in the vertical, air flow average fixed 3m/s and temperatures of 50, 60 and 70 deg C. The scheme of the dryer used in the research is composed of the following equipment: centrifugal fan, which drives the air-drying; valve, which allows control of airflow; electrical resistance, used for heating air; the drying chamber, where enables measurement of temperature and relative humidity; support for smaller trays; trays smaller, where the samples of the pulp of the avocado are placed; exit of the air of drying for the environment. The result presented shows the ratio of moisture content as a function of temperature over time, where it is possible to also observe that how much bigger the temperature of drying, greater will be the convective coefficient of mass transfer of the avocado. (author)

Mass transfer characteristics of bisporus mushroom ( Agaricus bisporus) slices during convective hot air drying

Science.gov (United States)

Ghanbarian, Davoud; Baraani Dastjerdi, Mojtaba; Torki-Harchegani, Mehdi

2016-05-01

An accurate understanding of moisture transfer parameters, including moisture diffusivity and moisture transfer coefficient, is essential for efficient mass transfer analysis and to design new dryers or improve existing drying equipments. The main objective of the present study was to carry out an experimental and theoretical investigation of mushroom slices drying and determine the mass transfer characteristics of the samples dried under different conditions. The mushroom slices with two thicknesses of 3 and 5 mm were dried at air temperatures of 40, 50 and 60 °C and air flow rates of 1 and 1.5 m s-1. The Dincer and Dost model was used to determine the moisture transfer parameters and predict the drying curves. It was observed that the entire drying process took place in the falling drying rate period. The obtained lag factor and Biot number indicated that the moisture transfer in the samples was controlled by both internal and external resistance. The effective moisture diffusivity and the moisture transfer coefficient increased with increasing air temperature, air flow rate and samples thickness and varied in the ranges of 6.5175 × 10-10 to 1.6726 × 10-9 m2 s-1 and 2.7715 × 10-7 to 3.5512 × 10-7 m s-1, respectively. The validation of the Dincer and Dost model indicated a good capability of the model to describe the drying curves of the mushroom slices.

The Drying of Foods and its Effect on the Physical-Chemical, Sensorial and Nutritional Properties

OpenAIRE

Guiné, Raquel

2017-01-01

Drying of foods is an ancient practice that has been adopted to preserve foods beyond their natural shelf life. The process started with the exposure of foods to the sun, to extract from them a great proportion of the water, thus contributing for their conservation. The traditional solar dying with direct exposure to the sun had many disadvantages and presently more modern methods are used, such as hot air drying, spray drying, lyophilization, infrared, microwave or radiofrequency drying, osm...

Recent developments in drying of food products

Science.gov (United States)

Valarmathi, T. N.; Sekar, S.; Purushothaman, M.; Sekar, S. D.; Rama Sharath Reddy, Maddela; Reddy, Kancham Reddy Naveen Kumar

2017-05-01

Drying is a dehydration process to preserve agricultural products for long period usage. The most common and cheapest method is open sun drying in which the products are simply laid on ground, road, mats, roof, etc. But the open sun drying has some disadvantages like dependent on good weather, contamination by dust, birds and animals consume a considerable quantity, slow drying rate and damages due to strong winds and rain. To overcome these difficulties solar dryers are developed with closed environment for drying agricultural products effectively. To obtain good quality food with reduced energy consumption, selection of appropriate drying process and proper input parameters is essential. In recent years several researchers across the world have developed new drying systems for improving the product quality, increasing the drying rate, decreasing the energy consumption, etc. Some of the new systems are fluidized bed, vibrated fluidized bed, desiccant, microwave, vacuum, freeze, infrared, intermittent, electro hydrodynamic and hybrid dryers. In this review the most recent progress in the field of drying of agricultural food products such as new methods, new products and modeling and optimization techniques has been presented. Challenges and future directions are also highlighted. The review will be useful for new researchers entering into this ever needed and ever growing field of engineering.

The Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jensen, Mark P.; Petersen, Walt A.; Bansemer, Aaron; Bharadwaj, Nitin; Carey, Larry; Cecil, D. J.; Collis, Scott M.; Del Genio, Anthony D.; Dolan, Brenda A.; Gerlach, J.; Giangrande, Scott; Heymsfield, Andrew J.; Heymsfield, Gerald; Kollias, Pavlos; Lang, T. J.; Nesbitt, Steve W.; Neumann, Andrea; Poellot, M. R.; Rutledge, Steven A.; Schwaller, Mathew R.; Tokay, Ali; Williams, C. R.; Wolff, D. B.; Xie, Shaocheng; Zipser, Edward J.

2016-10-18

The Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E), a field program jointly led by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program and the NASA Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Mission, was conducted in south-central Oklahoma during April – May 2011. MC3E science objectives were motivated by the need to improve understanding of midlatitude continental convective cloud system lifecycles, microphysics, and GPM precipitation retrieval algorithms. To achieve these objectives a multi-scale surface- and aircraft-based in situ and remote sensing observing strategy was employed. A variety of cloud and precipitation events were sampled during the MC3E, of which results from three deep convective events are highlighted. Vertical structure, air motions, precipitation drop-size distributions and ice properties were retrieved from multi-wavelength radar, profiler, and aircraft observations for an MCS on 11 May. Aircraft observations for another MCS observed on 20 May were used to test agreement between observed radar reflectivities and those calculated with forward-modeled reflectivity and microwave brightness temperatures using in situ particle size distributions and ice water content. Multi-platform observations of a supercell that occurred on 23 May allowed for an integrated analysis of kinematic and microphysical interactions. A core updraft of 25 ms-1 supported growth of hail and large rain drops. Data collected during the MC3E campaign is being used in a number of current and ongoing research projects and is available through the DOE ARM and NASA data archives.

Heat transfer modelling in a spent-fuel dry storage system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritz, J.B.; Le Bonhomme, S.

2001-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present a numerical modelling of heat transfers in a Spent-Fuel horizontal dry storage. The horizontal dry storage is an interesting issue to momentary store spent fuel containers before the final storage. From a thermal point of view, the cooling of spent fuel container by natural convection is a suitable and inexpensive process but it necessitates to well define the dimensions of the concept due to the difficulty to control the thermal environment. (author)

Prediction of moisture transfer parameters for convective drying of shrimp at different pretreatments

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Marcus Vinicius da COSTA

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract By the analytical model proposed by Dincer and Dost, the mass transfer parameters (moisture transfer coefficient and moisture diffusivity of shrimp samples were determined. Three sets of drying experiments were performed with three samples of shrimp: without boiling (WB, boiled in salt solution (SB and boiled in salt solution and subjected to liquid smoking process (SBS. The experiments were performed under controlled conditions of drying air at temperature of 60°C and velocity of 1.5 m/s. Experimental dimensionless moisture content data were used to calculate the drying coefficients and lag factors, which were then incorporated into the analytical model for slab and cylinder shapes. The results showed an adequate fit between the experimental data and the values predicted from the correlation. The boiling is the most recommended pretreatment, because provided a shorter drying time, with high values of moisture transfer coefficient and moisture diffusivity.

Experimentos didáticos envolvendo radiação microondas Microwave-assisted experiments for undergraduate courses

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Fabiana Rosini

2004-12-01

Full Text Available Theoretical and practical aspects of the use of microwave-assisted strategies in chemistry are introduced for students using simple and safe experiments employing a domestic oven. Three procedures are proposed for evaluating the distribution of microwave radiation inside the microwave oven cavity: (1 variation of the volume of marshmallows; (2 drying of filter paper wetted with Co(II solution, and (3 variation of water temperature, after microwave-assisted heating. These experiments establish the position with the highest incidence of microwave radiation in the oven cavity, which was chosen for the synthesis of salicylic acid acetate. This synthesis was performed in 5 min of heating and the yield was around 85%. All experiments can be carried out in a 4 h lab-session using low-cost instrumentation.

Covariability in the Monthly Mean Convective and Radiative Diurnal Cycles in the Amazon

Science.gov (United States)

Dodson, Jason B.; Taylor, Patrick C.

2015-01-01

The diurnal cycle of convective clouds greatly influences the radiative energy balance in convectively active regions of Earth, through both direct presence, and the production of anvil and stratiform clouds. Previous studies show that the frequency and properties of convective clouds can vary on monthly timescales as a result of variability in the monthly mean atmospheric state. Furthermore, the radiative budget in convectively active regions also varies by up to 7 Wm-2 in convectively active regions. These facts suggest that convective clouds connect atmospheric state variability and radiation variability beyond clear sky effects alone. Previous research has identified monthly covariability between the diurnal cycle of CERES-observed top-of-atmosphere radiative fluxes and multiple atmospheric state variables from reanalysis over the Amazon region. ASVs that enhance (reduce) deep convection, such as CAPE (LTS), tend to shift the daily OLR and cloud albedo maxima earlier (later) in the day by 2-3 hr. We first test the analysis method using multiple reanalysis products for both the dry and wet seasons to further investigate the robustness of the preliminary results. We then use CloudSat data as an independent cloud observing system to further evaluate the relationships of cloud properties to variability in radiation and atmospheric states. While CERES can decompose OLR variability into clear sky and cloud effects, it cannot determine what variability in cloud properties lead to variability in the radiative cloud effects. Cloud frequency, cloud top height, and cloud microphysics all contribute to the cloud radiative effect, all of which are observable by CloudSat. In addition, CloudSat can also observe the presence and variability of deep convective cores responsible for the production of anvil clouds. We use these capabilities to determine the covariability of convective cloud properties and the radiative diurnal cycle.

Results for the Aboveground Configuration of the Boiling Water Reactor Dry Cask Simulator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Durbin, Samuel G. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technologies; Lindgren, Eric Richard [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycle Technologies

2016-09-01

The thermal performance of commercial nuclear spent fuel dry storage casks are evaluated through detailed numerical analysis. These modeling efforts are completed by the vendor to demonstrate performance and regulatory compliance. The calculations are then independently verified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Carefully measured data sets generated from testing of full sized casks or smaller cask analogs are widely recognized as vital for validating these models. Recent advances in dry storage cask designs have significantly increased the maximum thermal load allowed in a cask in part by increasing the efficiency of internal conduction pathways and also by increasing the internal convection through greater canister helium pressure. These same canistered cask systems rely on ventilation between the canister and the overpack to convect heat away from the canister to the environment for both above and belowground configurations. While several testing programs have been previously conducted, these earlier validation attempts did not capture the effects of elevated helium pressures or accurately portray the external convection of aboveground and belowground canistered dry cask systems. The purpose of the current investigation was to produce data sets that can be used to test the validity of the assumptions associated with the calculations used to determine steady-state cladding temperatures in modern dry casks that utilize elevated helium pressure in the sealed canister in an aboveground configuration. An existing electrically heated but otherwise prototypic BWR Incoloy-clad test assembly was deployed inside of a representative storage basket and cylindrical pressure vessel that represents a vertical canister system. The symmetric single assembly geometry with well-controlled boundary conditions simplifies interpretation of results. The arrangement of ducting was used to mimic conditions for an aboveground storage configuration in a vertical, dry cask

Conjugate Problems in Convective Heat Transfer: Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abram Dorfman

2009-01-01

Full Text Available A review of conjugate convective heat transfer problems solved during the early and current time of development of this modern approach is presented. The discussion is based on analytical solutions of selected typical relatively simple conjugate problems including steady-state and transient processes, thermal material treatment, and heat and mass transfer in drying. This brief survey is accompanied by the list of almost two hundred publications considering application of different more and less complex analytical and numerical conjugate models for simulating technology processes and industrial devices from aerospace systems to food production. The references are combined in the groups of works studying similar problems so that each of the groups corresponds to one of selected analytical solutions considered in detail. Such structure of review gives the reader the understanding of early and current situation in conjugate convective heat transfer modeling and makes possible to use the information presented as an introduction to this area on the one hand, and to find more complicated publications of interest on the other hand.

Application of power ultrasound on the convective drying of fruits and vegetables: effects on quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez, Óscar; Eim, Valeria; Rosselló, Carmen; Femenia, Antoni; Cárcel, Juan A; Simal, Susana

2018-03-01

Drying gives rise to products with a long shelf life by reducing the water activity to a level that is sufficiently low to inhibit the growth of microorganisms, enzymatic reactions and other deteriorative reactions. Despite the benefits of this operation, the quality of heat sensitive products is diminished when high temperatures are used. The use of low drying temperatures reduces the heat damage but, because of a longer drying time, oxidation reactions occur and a reduction of the quality is also observed. Thus, drying is a method that lends itself to being intensified. For this reason, alternative techniques are being studied. Power ultrasound is considered as an emerging and promising technology in the food industry. The potential of this technology relies on its ability to accelerate the mass transfer processes in solid-liquid and solid-gas systems. Intensification of the drying process with power ultrasound can be achieved by modifying the product behavior during drying, using pre-treatments such as soaking in a liquid medium assisted acoustically or, during the drying process itself, by applying power ultrasound in the gaseous medium. This review summarises the effects of the application of the power ultrasound on the quality of different dried products, such as fruits and vegetables, when the acoustic energy is intended to intensify the drying process, either when the application is performed before pretreatment or during the drying process. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Convective Influence and Transport Pathways Controlling the Tropical Distribution of Carbon Monoxide at 100 Hpa

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Eric; Bergman, John; Pfister, Leonard; Ueyama, Rei; Kinnison, Doug

2014-01-01

Trajectory calculations with convective influence diagnosed from geostationary-satellite cloud measurements are used to evaluate the relative importance of different Tropical Tropopause Layer (TTL) transport pathways for establishing the distribution of carbon monoxide (CO) at 100 hPa as observed by the Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) on board the Aura satellite. Carbon monoxide is a useful tracer for investigating TTL transport and convective influence because the CO lifetime is comparable to the time require for slow ascent through the TTL (a couple of months). Offline calculations of TTL radiative heating are used to determine the vertical motion field. The simple trajectory model does a reasonable job of reproducing the MLS CO distributions during Boreal wintertime and summertime. The broad maximum in CO concentration over the Pacific is primarily a result of the strong radiative heating (indicating upward vertical motion) associated with the abundant TTL cirrus in this region. Sensitivity tests indicate that the distinct CO maximum in the Asian monsoon anticyclone is strongly impacted by extreme convective systems with detrainment of polluted air above 360 K potential temperature. The relative importance of different CO source regions will also be discussed.

Ozone mixing ratios inside tropical deep convective clouds from OMI satellite measurements

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J. R. Ziemke

2009-01-01

Full Text Available We have developed a new technique for estimating ozone mixing ratio inside deep convective clouds. The technique uses the concept of an optical centroid cloud pressure that is indicative of the photon path inside clouds. Radiative transfer calculations based on realistic cloud vertical structure as provided by CloudSat radar data show that because deep convective clouds are optically thin near the top, photons can penetrate significantly inside the cloud. This photon penetration coupled with in-cloud scattering produces optical centroid pressures that are hundreds of hPa inside the cloud. We combine measured column ozone and the optical centroid cloud pressure derived using the effects of rotational-Raman scattering to estimate O₃ mixing ratio in the upper regions of deep convective clouds. The data are obtained from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI onboard NASA's Aura satellite. Our results show that low O₃ concentrations in these clouds are a common occurrence throughout much of the tropical Pacific. Ozonesonde measurements in the tropics following convective activity also show very low concentrations of O₃ in the upper troposphere. These low amounts are attributed to vertical injection of ozone poor oceanic boundary layer air during convection into the upper troposphere followed by convective outflow. Over South America and Africa, O₃ mixing ratios inside deep convective clouds often exceed 50 ppbv which are comparable to mean background (cloud-free amounts and are consistent with higher concentrations of injected boundary layer/lower tropospheric O₃ relative to the remote Pacific. The Atlantic region in general also consists of higher amounts of O₃ precursors due to both biomass burning and lightning. Assuming that O₃ is well mixed (i.e., constant mixing ratio with height up to the tropopause, we can estimate the stratospheric column O₃ over

Synergistic estimation of surface parameters from jointly using optical and microwave observations in EOLDAS

Science.gov (United States)

Timmermans, Joris; Gomez-Dans, Jose; Lewis, Philip; Loew, Alexander; Schlenz, Florian

2017-04-01

The large amount of remote sensing data nowadays available provides a huge potential for monitoring crop development, drought conditions and water efficiency. This potential however not been realized yet because algorithms for land surface parameter retrieval mostly use data from only a single sensor. Consequently products that combine different low-level observations from different sensors are hard to find. The lack of synergistic retrieval is caused because it is easier to focus on single sensor types/footprints and temporal observation times, than to find a way to compensate for differences. Different sensor types (microwave/optical) require different radiative transfer (RT) models and also require consistency between the models to have any impact on the retrieval of soil moisture by a microwave instrument. Varying spatial footprints require first proper collocation of the data before one can scale between different resolutions. Considering these problems, merging optical and microwave observations have not been performed yet. The goal of this research was to investigate the potential of integrating optical and microwave RT models within the Earth Observation Land Data Assimilation System (EOLDAS) synergistically to derive biophysical parameters. This system uses a Bayesian data assimilation approach together with observation operators such as the PROSAIL model to estimate land surface parameters. For the purpose of enabling the system to integrate passive microwave radiation (from an ELBARRA II passive microwave radiometer), the Community Microwave Emission Model (CMEM) RT-model, was integrated within the EOLDAS system. In order to quantify the potential, a variety of land surface parameters was chosen to be retrieved from the system, in particular variables that a) impact only optical RT (such as leaf water content and leaf dry matter), b) only impact the microwave RT (such as soil moisture and soil temperature), and c) Leaf Area Index (LAI) that impacts both

Differences in CAPE between wet and dry spells of the monsoon over the southeastern peninsular India

Science.gov (United States)

Mohan, T. S.; Rao, T. N.; Rajeevan, M.

2018-03-01

In the present research we explored the variability of convective available potential energy (CAPE) during wet and dry spells over southeast India. Comparison between India Meteorological Department (IMD) observations and reanalysis products (NCEP, ERA-interim, and MERRA) reconfirms that gridded data sets can be utilized to fill the void of observations. Later, GPS radiosonde measurements made at Gadanki (13.5 N, 79.2 E) Andre analysis output are utilized to address key scientific issues related to CAPE over the southeastern peninsular region. They are: (1) How does CAPE vary between different spells of the Indian summer monsoon (i.e., from wet to dry spell)? (2) Does differences in CAPE and in the vertical structure of buoyancy between spells are localized features over Gadanki or observed all over southeastern peninsular region? (3) What physical/dynamical processes are responsible for the differences in CAPE between spells and how do they affect the convection growth in dry spell? Interestingly, CAPE is higher in wet spell than in dry spell, in contrast to the observations made elsewhere over land and warm oceans. Similar feature (high CAPE in wet spell) is observed at all grid points in the southeastern peninsular India. Furthermore, vertical buoyancy profiles show only one peak in the middle-upper troposphere in wet spell, while two peaks are observed in most of the profiles (66%) in dry spell over the entire study region in all the reanalysis products. Plausible mechanisms are discussed for the observed CAPE differences. They are, among others, timing of sounding with reference to rain occurrence, rapid buildup of surface instabilities, moistening of lower troposphere by evaporation of the surface moisture in wet spell, enhanced low-level moisture convergence, evaporation of rain in relatively warm and dry atmosphere, and reduction of positive buoyancy in dry spell. The omnipresence of stable layers and strong and deep shear in the presence of weak updrafts

Experimental research of solid waste drying in the process of thermal processing

Science.gov (United States)

Bukhmirov, V. V.; Kolibaba, O. B.; Gabitov, R. N.

2015-10-01

The convective drying process of municipal solid waste layer as a polydispersed multicomponent porous structure is studied. On the base of the experimental data criterial equations for calculating heat transfer and mass transfer processes in the layer, depending on the humidity of the material, the speed of the drying agent and the layer height are obtained. These solutions are used in the thermal design of reactors for the thermal processing of multicomponent organic waste.

Vacuum drying of apples (cv. Golden Delicious): drying characteristics, thermodynamic properties, and mass transfer parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Nadi, Fatemeh; Tzempelikos, Dimitrios

2018-01-01

In this work, apples of cv. Golden Delicious were cut into slices that were 5 and 7 mm thick and then vacuum dried at 50, 60 and 70 °C and pressure of 0.02 bar. The thin layer model drying kinetics was studied, and mass transfer properties, specifically effective moisture diffusivity and convective mass transfer coefficient, were evaluated using the Fick's equation of diffusion. Also, thermodynamic parameters of the process, i.e. enthalpy (ΔH), entropy (ΔS) and Gibbs free energy (ΔG), were determined. Colour properties were evaluated as one of the important indicators of food quality and marketability. Determination of mass transfer parameters and thermodynamic properties of vacuum dried apple slices has not been discussed much in the literature. In conclusion, the Nadi's model fitted best the observed data that represent the drying process. Thermodynamic properties were determined based on the dependence of the drying constant of the Henderson and Pabis model on temperature, and it was concluded that the variation in drying kinetics depends on the energy contribution of the surrounding environment. The enthalpy and entropy diminished, while the Gibbs free energy increased with the increase of the temperature of drying; therefore, it was possible to verify that variation in the diffusion process in the apple during drying depends on energetic contributions of the environment. The obtained results showed that diffusivity increased for 69%, while the mass transfer coefficient increase was even higher, 75%, at the variation of temperature of 20 °C. The increase in the dimensionless Biot number was 20%.

Precipitation and Latent Heating Distributions from Satellite Passive Microwave Radiometry. Part 2; Evaluation of Estimates Using Independent Data

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Song; Olson, William S.; Wang, Jian-Jian; Bell, Thomas L.; Smith, Eric A.; Kummerow, Christian D.

2004-01-01

Rainfall rate estimates from space-borne k&ents are generally accepted as reliable by a majority of the atmospheric science commu&y. One-of the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRh4M) facility rain rate algorithms is based upon passive microwave observations fiom the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). Part I of this study describes improvements in the TMI algorithm that are required to introduce cloud latent heating and drying as additional algorithm products. Here, estimates of surface rain rate, convective proportion, and latent heating are evaluated using independent ground-based estimates and satellite products. Instantaneous, OP5resolution estimates of surface rain rate over ocean fiom the improved TMI algorithm are well correlated with independent radar estimates (r approx. 0.88 over the Tropics), but bias reduction is the most significant improvement over forerunning algorithms. The bias reduction is attributed to the greater breadth of cloud-resolving model simulations that support the improved algorithm, and the more consistent and specific convective/stratiform rain separation method utilized. The bias of monthly, 2.5 deg. -resolution estimates is similarly reduced, with comparable correlations to radar estimates. Although the amount of independent latent heating data are limited, TMI estimated latent heating profiles compare favorably with instantaneous estimates based upon dual-Doppler radar observations, and time series of surface rain rate and heating profiles are generally consistent with those derived from rawinsonde analyses. Still, some biases in profile shape are evident, and these may be resolved with: (a) additional contextual information brought to the estimation problem, and/or; (b) physically-consistent and representative databases supporting the algorithm. A model of the random error in instantaneous, 0.5 deg-resolution rain rate estimates appears to be consistent with the levels of error determined from TMI comparisons to collocated radar

Physicochemical characterization of the peach palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth, Arecaceae fruit skin residue flour obtained by convective drying

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jader Martínez-Girón

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The production of flour from residues of peach -palm fruit skin has been a forgotten topic from the view point of its physicochemical properties, because studies reported in the literature have focused on mesocarp flour characterization. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical properties of the peach palm fruit epicarp flour obtained by convective drying at 60±2 °C through a specific production and storage process. As a result, the flour was found to be a source of bioactive compounds, showing total phenol concentration (23.40±1.30 mg gallic acid/100 g, antioxidant activity (33.10%±3.20, total carotenoids (59.31±1.61 mg β-carotene/100 g, color a* (4.95±0.58, color b* (3.25±0.57, and luminosity (33.95±3.16. On the other hand, there was a high level of total carotenoids (85% and phenolic compounds (94% retention after six months. Additionally, color change showed no significant difference during storage. In conclusion, the flour obtained is a byproduct with properties that can be used as an alternative to agroalimentary substitutes, mainly due to its color and antioxidant activity attributes. It is noteworthy to mention that this is one of the first studies to physicochemically characterize peach palm fruit skin flour from Valle del Cauca (Colombia.

Effect of vegetation on soil moisture sensing observed from orbiting microwave radiometers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, J.R.

1985-01-01

The microwave radiometric measurements made by the Skylab 1.4 GHz radiometer and by the 6.6 GHz and 10.7 GHz channels of the Nimbus-7 Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer were analyzed to study the large-area soil moisture variations of land surfaces. Two regions in Texas, one with sparse and the other with dense vegetation covers, were selected for the study. The results gave a confirmation of the vegetation effect observed by ground-level microwave radiometers. Based on the statistics of the satellite data, it was possible to estimate surface soil moisture in about five different levels from dry to wet conditions with a 1.4 GHz radiometer, provided that the biomass of the vegetation cover could be independently measured. At frequencies greater than about 6.6 GHz, the radiometric measurements showed little sensitivity to moisture variation for vegetation-covered soils. The effects of polarization in microwave emission were studied also. (author)

The role of solid-solid phase transitions in mantle convection

Science.gov (United States)

Faccenda, Manuele; Dal Zilio, Luca

2017-01-01

With changing pressure and temperature conditions, downwelling and upwelling crustal and mantle rocks experience several solid-solid phase transitions that affect the mineral physical properties owing to structural changes in the crystal lattice and to the absorption or release of latent heat. Variations in density, together with phase boundary deflections related to the non-null reaction slope, generate important buoyancy forces that add to those induced by thermal perturbations. These buoyancy forces are proportional to the density contrast between reactant and product phases, their volume fraction, the slope and the sharpness of the reaction, and affect the style of mantle convection depending on the system composition. In a homogeneous pyrolitic mantle there is little tendency for layered convection, with slabs that may stagnate in the transition zone because of the positive buoyancy caused by post-spinel and post-ilmenite reactions, and hot plumes that are accelerated by phase transformations in the 600-800 km depth range. By adding chemical and mineralogical heterogeneities as on Earth, phase transitions introduce bulk rock and volatiles filtering effects that generate a compositional gradient throughout the entire mantle, with levels that are enriched or depleted in one or more of these components. Phase transitions often lead to mechanical softening or hardening that can be related to a different intrinsic mechanical behaviour and volatile solubility of the product phases, the heating or cooling associated with latent heat, and the transient grain size reduction in downwelling cold material. Strong variations in viscosity would enhance layered mantle convection, causing slab stagnation and plume ponding. At low temperatures and relatively dry conditions, reactions are delayed due to the sluggish kinetics, so that non-equilibrium phase aggregates can persist metastably beyond the equilibrium phase boundary. Survival of low-density metastable olivine