Studies on Effect of Slice Thickness and Temperature on drying behaviour of Kothimbda (Cucumis Callosus)
D. K. Gojiya*, D. M. Vyas
The Kothimbda slice was dried in Industrial tray dryer with three levels of drying temperature (50, 60 and 70 °C) and three levels of thickness (3mm, 5mm and 7 mm). The air velocity was kept constant at 1.5 m/sec throughout the experiment. Besides mechanical drying the slices of 3, 5 and 7 mm thickness were dried in solar cabinet dryer also. The observations on reduction in weight were taken regularly with increase in time and were evaluated in terms of drying characteristics. Three drying models i.e. Page, Henderson and Pabis and Logarithmic were tested for their validity. The values of coefficient of determination (r2) for all the three models under all the treatments were found to be above 0.9, suggesting good fit of the observations. Though, the value of r2 under the Logarithmic Model was more followed by page and Henderson and Pabis, indicating the Logarithmic model more reliable for prediction and found best fitted. For all the drying treatments taken the value of drying constants a, k and c under Logarithmic Model was varying from 0.00018 to 0.00233, 1.17 to 1.66 and -0.05244 to 0.01749 respectively
