Analysis of two-dimensional (2D) Fruit Drying Process through Heat and Mass Transfer Model

Abstract

The production of dried fruit occurs when there is removal of water content, either naturally, through sun drying, or through the use of the specialized dryers. However, the amount of water left and the temperature inside the fruit cannot be accurately known and only a rough idea is obtained by observation during the drying process. In this paper, two-dimensional fruit drying was analysed through Fick's Law of Diffusion and Fourier's Law of Heat Conduction to allow the effect on the front and rear faces of the fruit to be shown during drying. These equations were used and solved using the Finite-Difference Method (FDM). The result shows that, as time increases, the moisture content decreases and this occurs at each location of the fruit. The reduction rate of moisture in the region near the surface is higher than the interior of the fruit because of the high initial moisture gradient in this region, which drives diffusion from the inside to the surface. The model allows us to predict temperature and moisture distribution as time increases. A Graphical User Interface (GUI) was developed, which can present the results graphically and can aid the development of a food product. The model will be presented in such a way that it can be used by those less familiar with the process of drying, and so that it can be adapted for different food products.