BACKGROUND FOR BUILDING A MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF THE PUMPKIN SEEDS FILTER DRYING PROCESS

Abstract

The main objective reason for holding back the spread of such a valuable crop as pumpkin is the lack of high-quality sowing material. This is due to the imperfection of technologies for post-harvest processing of seed products, namely drying and, to a lesser extent, the separation process. The successful implementation of the drying process depends on many factors, including the properties of the material and the methods and means of implementing the process. To create a mathematical model of the drying process for high-moisture pumpkin seeds, it is necessary to conduct a detailed review of the methods for presenting the theoretical foundations of the task. The layer of pumpkin seeds has increased cohesive and adhesive properties, a tendency to create conglomerates, sticking to the working bodies of machines. To minimize the negative effect of the physical properties of pumpkin seeds on the course of the drying process, it is advisable to apply a vibration action that increases the difference in the layer, which prevents the seeds from sticking to the working bodies. Another feature of pumpkin seeds, which complicates their successful drying, is their high initial moisture content (about 50%). Therefore, in order to reduce energy consumption at the first stage, it is advisable to remove free unbound surface moisture by the method of filtration drying. In the design practice of filtration drying, four main physical and mathematical models of filtration are used. The main disadvantage of these models is the uncertainty of individual values, in particular, the diameter of the capillaries, since a real porous medium consists of pores of different diameters and shapes. The use of vibration action significantly intensifies the filtration drying process.