Effects of solar tunnel drying, shade drying and microwave drying methods on the drying kinetics of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa)

Abstract

Whole and halved strawberries were dried by using three methods, which were solar tunnel drying, shade drying, and microwave drying (180W, 540W, and 900W) to determine drying characteristic and modelling. The researchers measured solar irradiation at ambient and drying air temperatures and air velocity at specific intervals in various parts of the dryer. How microwave drying (180, 540, and 900 W) affected the drying time and drying ratio of the whole and halved strawberry samples was investigated. In addition, the data on the drying process were applied to 5 different mathematical models, which were Weibull distribution, Midilli et al., Jena and Das and Aghbashlo et al. Equation Models. The researchers compared the performance levels of the models according to correlation coefficient (R2), chi-square value (χ2), besides the root mean square error (RMSE) between moisture ratios that were observed and predicted. Furthermore, the Weibull Distribution and Midilli et al. models were found to reveal the ratio of drying in a satisfactory way for all the methods of drying.