Optimization of Hot-Air and Microwave Combined Drying Technical Parameters for Extruded Cotton Stalks Based on Response Surface Methodology

Hongti Wang, Fangyan Wang, Hongwei Gao, Xinting Zhai and Peng Li ()
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Hongti Wang: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China
Fangyan Wang: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China
Hongwei Gao: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China
Xinting Zhai: College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China
Peng Li: College of Food Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-14

Abstract: Drying is an important process of cotton-stalk reconstituted material. The aim of this study was to find the best drying process of extruded cotton stalks by using three drying methods and applying single-factor experiments combined with response surface methodology (RSM). For experimental design, the central composite design approach was used. The hot-air temperature, moisture content at the conversion point, and microwave power were selected as influencing factors; the drying rate and energy consumption per unit precipitation were selected as experimental indexes. The regression equation between each experimental factor and the performance index was established, and the optimization calculation was carried out. The experimental results showed that the optimum drying parameters were as follows: hot-air temperature 95 °C, moisture content at the conversion point 57%, and microwave power 700 W. With these experimental conditions, it was verified that the drying rate was 4.14 kg (100 kg min) −1 and the energy consumption per unit precipitation was 70.89 MJ kg −1 , which were 106.7% and 10.4% lower than that of hot-air drying and microwave drying, respectively. The research results will provide a theoretical and technical basis for the large-scale drying process of cotton stalks and the design of drying equipment.

Keywords: extruded cotton stalks; drying; process; response surface methodology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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