Thermophysical properties of okara during drying

Abstract

The simulation of heat transfer during thermal treatments of foods requires the knowledge of thermophysical properties of the material. In this study some thermophysical properties of okara, such as density, specific heat, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, heat transfer coefficient, and mass transfer coefficient, were obtained during a drying process. Okara was extruded in the shape of spherical pellets and then dried in a fixed bed dryer from 78% of moisture content (w.b.) until 3%. During the drying process, the water content and the temperature of the samples were periodically measured. The thermal properties were obtained from empirical correlations found in the literature, which use the okara centesimal composition, analyzed in a laboratory, and the relative humidity and velocity of the drying air, measured during the process. The results in this study showed that it is possible to estimate the thermal properties cited using the experimental moisture content history and the centesimal composition of the food. Copyright © Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.