Abstracto

Drying kinetics study of food pulps by continuous relative humidity measurements: Air flowrate and electric field effects

L.Khezami*, A.B.Jemaib, R.Capartb, E.Vorobiev

In this investigation, a method based on continuous measurements of the variation of air relative humidity () is used tomonitor the drying kinetics of food pulps. For this purpose an experimental set-up devoted to the study of drying of vegetable pulps consisting of a laboratory-scale filter-press type apparatus (capacity of 50 cm3) is used. The moister content of the pulp could thus be indirectly and un-interruptedly evaluated from the measurements of the humidity of the drying air at the inlet and the outlet of the filter-press, by two thermo-hygrometers. In order to validate the method, the effect of flow rate of air as well as the impact of a pulsed electric field treatment, were investigated.