Abstract
MODELLING THE DRYING KINETICS OF RED CHILIES AS A FUNCTION OF LAYER THICKNESS
M. M. M. Najla and R. Bawatharani*
ABSTRACT
Modelling the drying kinetics of red chilies (Capsicum annuum L) were studied as thin layer with sample thicknesses of 1, 2 and 3 cm in a natural convective solar dryer. Red chilies were dried from an initial moisture content of about 81.23% (w.b) to a moisture content of 7.13% (w.b). The drying data were fitted with two thin layer drying models namely Page model and Henderson-Pabis model. The values of the empirical parameters for the models were determined by the regression equation of the best fitted line. The fit of goodness of the models were evaluated by using correlation coefficient (r), Chi-square (?2) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). Both models satisfactorily described the drying curve of chilies at 1cm layer thickness. In comparing the experimental moisture values with those model predicted values, it was shown that the Henderson-Pabis model displayed the best fit quality with correlation coefficient of 0.85, ?2 of 0.0213 and RMSE of 0.128 concluding that Henderson-Pabis model is optimal for simulating drying kinetics of red chilies at 1cm layer thickness.
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