Hot Air Drying and Vacuum Drying Characteristics of Scarlet Runner Beans

Abstract

Abstract The drying characteristics and volume changes of scarlet runner beans were measured under various conditions to obtain useful basic information for the optimum drying method and conditions. The sample was dried using two drying methods: hot air drying and vacuum drying. The measured changes in moisture content of the sample with the hot air drying process were in good agreement with the exact solution of the infinite plane sheet model. The estimated diffusion coefficients were 3.8×10 -7 -7.4×10 -7 (m 2 h -1) for hot air drying and were related to absolute temperature by an Arrhenius-type equation. The hull of the scarlet runner bean is hard and thick, and the drying rate of the sample was much slower than that of other beans. To establish an efficient drying method without the quality loss, the vacuum drying characteristics of the sample were measured at several levels for temperature and initial moisture content. For the vacuum drying process, an exponential model could be used to estimate the changes in moisture content of the sample. The values of diffusion coefficient for vacuum drying were approximately twice as much as the values of diffusion coefficient for hot air drying at the same temperature. The effects of drying method, temperature, and initial moisture content on the sample quality were investigated, and the optimum drying method and conditions for scarlet runner beans were proposed. Volumetric changes in the sample were determined by measuring particle density. The specific volume of the sample was represented as a linear function of moisture content.