Green tea drying in a closed cycle continuous vibro fluidized bed dryer with dehumidified air

Abstract

There is potential for the development of zeolite as an adsorbent material for drying high-value items. This study aims to compare the green tea drying characteristic utilizing vibro-fluidized bed dryers that operate without dehumidification and with dehumidification. The research was carried out experimentally. The drying chamber was set at temperatures of 50oC, 60oC, and 70oC. In the drying with dehumidification setup, zeolite was placed in a dehumidifier with a weight-to-tea leaf ratio of 1:2.86, 1:3.33, 1:4, and 1:5. The results showed that zeolite's impact on decreasing drying time is effective at a specific temperature, in this case is 60oC. The effect is negligible at low temperatures (50oC), while at high temperatures (70oC) it is minor and drying time is primarily influenced by temperature. Utilizing zeolite for dehumidification can enhance the rate of drying during the falling rate period.