Drying kinetics of tomato in conventional dryer and heat pump

• Autor(a) principal: Jordan, Rodrigo Aparecido
• Data de Publicação: 2020
• Outros Autores: Quequeto, Wellytton Darci, Martins, Elton Aparecido Siqueira, Siqueira, Valdiney Cambuy, Hoscher, Renata Henrique, Silva, Rodrigo Vital da, Melo, Carlos De Oliveira Moreira de, Freitas, Ricardo Lordelo, Battilani, Maurício, Oliveira, Fabrício Correia de
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Research, Society and Development
• Texto Completo: https://rsdjournal.org/index.php/rsd/article/view/8024
• topic: Baixa temperatura; Lycopersicon esculentum; Taxa de remoção de água.; Baja temperatura; Lycopersicon esculentum; Tasa de remoción de agua.; Low temperature; Lycopersicon esculentum; Water removal rate.

Tomatoes are considered highly perishable, requiring from the market the application of post-harvest techniques that promote their conservation and increase shelf life, among them, drying is essential, as it aims to reduce the moisture content to safe levels that allow the stability during storage. Due to the sensitivity of this product, the use of a low temperature heat pump has been studied, in order to reduce degradation and ensure better quality. The objective of the work was to fit mathematical models to describe the drying kinetics of tomato slices using an oven and a heat pump dryer. Three dryings were carried out with tomato slices, with an initial moisture content of approximately 94.70% (wet basis), until they reached 25.00 ± 1% (w.b.). The first and second used a greenhouse with forced circulation and air renewal, at temperatures of 50 and 65 ºC, respectively, while the third was conducted in a dryer with heat pump at a temperature of 45 ºC. To the experimental data of the drying of the tomato slices different mathematical models were adjusted to describe the drying kinetics. The Valcam model fitted the proposed conditions satisfactorily. At the beginning of drying, the rate of water removal was higher for drying in the oven at 60 ºC. The slices of tomato dried with heat pump at 45 ºC showed better aspect in terms of color.