Pulsed air jet impingement drying characteristics of Winter Jujube slices

Abstract

The drying curves, moisture effective diffusivity and drying activation energy of winter jujube slices were here investigated at different drying temperatures (55, 60, 65, 70, 75, and 80°C), wind speeds (6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 m/s) and pulsation rates (rotatational speed of material disk: 4, 5.5, and 7 rpm) in a single-factor experiment design. A mathematical model of pulsed air-jet impingement drying for winter jujube slices was fitted and verified. The results showed that the entire drying process could be described as falling rate drying; the moisture effective diffusivity was in the range 1.52–4.93 × 10–9 m2/s and increased with increasing drying temperature, wind speed and pulsation rate. The drying activation energy was 43.9 kJ/mol as determined using the Arrhenius equation. According to the statistical parameters of the correlation coefficient (R2), root mean square error (RMSE) and the sum of squared errors (SSE), the modified Page model was selected as best for representing the correlation between moisture ratio and drying time.