Determining the predictive model for drying characteristics of ripe plantain (Musa paradisiaca) slices using thin-layer models

Abstract

Vegetable drying is the most effective method for preserving agricultural products and is an energy-intensive process. The study investigated the effects of temperature and slice thick-ness on the moisture diffusivity effectiveness and the activation energy on dehydration kinetics of ripe plantain (Musa paradisiaca). Different slice thicknesses (3 mm, 4 mm and 5 mm) in a thin layer using a laboratory-convective oven dryer multiples of 10°C in the temperature range of 60 to 80°C were chosen and used. A suitable estimating thin-layer model was selected by fitting the results to the three thin-layer models of Lewis, Henderson, and Page. The parameters R², RMSE, and X², were used. It was observed that Henderson model R² ranged from 0.9064-0.996, RMSE ranged from 0.021838-0.000346 and X² ranged from 0.0017765712-0.0000000447730. Slice thickness increases with activation energy, and temperature increases with an increase in effective moisture diffusivity. As a result, the statistical analysis revealed that the Henderson model provided a reliable prediction for the drying characteristics of ripe plantain slices at the selected temperatures without a constant rate period but with the observed falling rate period.