FOOD SCIENCE ›› 2013, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (11): 104-108.doi: 10.7506/spkx1002-6630-201311023

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Drying Characteristics and Mathematical Modeling for Heat Pump Drying of Litchi

YANG Wei-jie,TANG Dao-bang,XU Yu-juan,WU Ji-jun,XIAO Geng-sheng   

  1. 1. Guangdong Key Laboratory of Agricultural Product Processing, Sericulture and Farm Product Processing Research Institute,Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou 510610, China;2. College of Bioscience and Bioengineering,Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
  • Received:2012-03-13 Revised:2013-04-27 Online:2013-06-15 Published:2013-06-03

Abstract:

The heat pump drying characteristics of whole litchis were investigated. Drying experiments were carried out at
different levels of temperature (55, 60 ℃ and 65 ℃) and air velocity (0.4 m/s and 1.0 m/s). Different mathematical models
were developed to test the drying behavior of litchis. The results showed that temperature affected the drying rate of whole
litchis: the higher the drying temperature, the shorter the drying time. Minimum influence of air velocity was observed on the
processing time of litchis. The falling-rate period was a key stage in the heat pump drying process of litchis. The proposed
Midilli model fitted very well the heat pump drying process of whole litchis. There was good agreement between the
predicted and experimental values, indicating the reliability of this model.

Key words: litchi, heat pump drying, mathematical modeling, drying curve, drying rate

CLC Number: