Simulation of hot airinfrared-assistedgreen peas drying using finite element method

The objective of this study was to simulate the drying kinetics of green peas in a hot-air infrared-assisted dryer using an appropriate finite element method (FEM). To achieve the aim of the study, the axisymmetric FEM with the Galerkin approach was employed to model and predict the drying behavior. One of the key physical properties required for the modeling was to determine the effective moisture diffusivity obtained from previous study on green peas drying in a lab-scale hot-air infrared-assisted dryer. To compare the simulated moisture transfer results with those of experiments several experiments consisting of combination of main factors namely drying air temperatures (30 degrees C, 40 degrees C, and 50 degrees C), infrared power intensity (0 as a control, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 W cm(-2)), and drying air flow velocity (0.5, 1, and 1.5 ms(-1)) were conducted in three replications. The predicted average moisture contents by the proposed mathematical model showed reasonably a good agreement with the experimental data (maximum error value: RMSE = 2.18 and MARE = 5.08%). The simulation was also compared by two-dimensional FEM. The results demonstrated that the accuracy of the axisymmetric FEM was higher than two-dimensional FEM. Based on the results, the developed FEM model has reasonable accuracy and can be applied to provide more information on the dynamics of moisture movement without running any experiments. Furthermore, the useful information about optimum design of industrial dryers and drying behavior can be achieved by simulation of the drying process. Practical Applications Food security is an important issue for every developing country. Fruits are a major source of nutrients that widely used as fresh or processed. Drying process is widely used to improve the security, quality, shelf time, and also the packaging and transportation of the foodstuff. Design of dryer requires a high degree of attention. The useful information about optimum design of dryer and drying behavior can be achieved by simulation of the drying process. In this study, the finite element method is used to model and simulate the drying process of green peas (Pisum sativumL.). Green peas are one of the ancient cultivated and nutritious popular vegetables with a most useful amount of fiber that enjoy the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.