Study of the dehydration kinetics of uchuva (physalis peruviana l.) in a fluidized bed dryer

Abstract

The objective of this research was to study the drying kinetics of cape gooseberries in a fluidized bed dryer, using temperatures of 60, 70 and 80°C, with air velocities of 9.5 m/s. The effects of the drying temperature on product characteristics such as pH, °Bx, acidity, humidity and color were evaluated. The kinetics of moisture loss and drying rate were established and the effective diffusion coefficient was obtained for each working temperature. An Arrhenius equation was fitted to establish the relationship between the diffusion coefficient and the temperature. The results showed that color of cape gooseberry was affected mainly for the treatment at 80°C. Additionally, the drying times to reach equilibrium were 8, 5.5 and 5 hours for 60, 70 and 80°C respectively; with moisture losses of 92, 85 and 94%.