Investigation of the Kinetic Dynamics in the Intermittent Microwave–Hot-Air Combined Drying of Peanut Pods

Jiyou An, Jianchun Yan, Hai Wei (), Xuan Liao, Tao Liu and Huanxiong Xie ()
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Jiyou An: Nanjing Institute of Agricultural Mechanization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanjing 210014, China
Jianchun Yan: Nanjing Institute of Agricultural Mechanization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanjing 210014, China
Hai Wei: Nanjing Institute of Agricultural Mechanization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanjing 210014, China
Xuan Liao: Nanjing Institute of Agricultural Mechanization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanjing 210014, China
Tao Liu: Nanjing Institute of Agricultural Mechanization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Nanjing 210014, China
Huanxiong Xie: Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100083, China

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 12, 1-17

Abstract: The drying process is crucial for maintaining the quality of peanut pods and mitigating the risk of mold proliferation. The aim of this study was to investigate the kinetic characteristics of a synergistic intermittent microwave and a hot-air-drying technique, with an emphasis on enhancing efficiency and reducing energy consumption. A comprehensive analysis was performed on key parameters—including moisture content, moisture ratio, drying rate, and effective moisture diffusion coefficient—to elucidate moisture migration during the drying process. The findings indicated that higher microwave power significantly accelerates the drying rate while substantially shortening the drying time for peanut pods. The effective moisture diffusion coefficient was found to range from 0.987 × 10 −9 to 1.227 × 10 −9 m 2 /s, with the Verma model demonstrating superior accuracy in predicting drying behavior. The experiment achieved a minimum specific energy consumption of 12,535 kJ/kg and a maximum thermal efficiency of 18.1% at a microwave power density of 0.8 W/g combined with a temperature of 40 °C. However, the observed thermal efficiency was lower than that in previous studies, mainly due to the suboptimal regulation of experimental parameters. Future research should focus on optimizing these parameters and further exploring the impact of this drying method on energy consumption to achieve more efficient and sustainable peanut drying.

Keywords: drying kinetics; energy consumption; intermittent microwave–hot-air drying; moisture diffusion coefficient; peanut pods (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: 2024
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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