The study of heat and mass transfer during dehydration of gelatin from waste products of hydrobionts

Abstract

Fish processing waste is rich in collagen and promising as a source of raw materials for the production of gelatin. Gelatin today remains one of the most popular collagens in various industries, while the main share in the Russian gelatin market is occupied by imported products. Given there are structural, mechanical and foam structural characteristics of gelatin extract, including from fish processing waste, one of the ways to increase the effectiveness of dried gelatin technology will be its radiation dehydration in foamy form. The formation of a stable foam structure leads to a significant intensification of the moisture removal operation due to the growth of the phase contact surface during transfer and exchange of thermal energy and substance, a decrease in adhesion between the drying object and the working surface of the unit and, as a result, to simplification of the separation of the dehydrated material from it and the elimination of the energy-intensive crushing operation finished products. The purpose of this research was to develop rational drying regimes of gelatin extract based on the study of kinetic laws of choosing ways to intensify the process of moisture removal. Foamed gelatin extract was dried in the form of round rods with volumetric convective and convective-radiation energy supply. Based on the results of experimental and analytical studies of convective and convective-radiation foam drying of gelatin, practical recommendations are given on the hardware design of the drying process, including the design of a complex convective-radiation drying installation, which is applicable both to the production of dry gelatin and similar complex properties thermolabile elastic-viscous, gel-like and paste-like materials.