Drying Characteristics Research Articles

Effect of ultrasound-assisted osmotic dehydration on the drying kinetics, water state, and physicochemical properties of microwave vacuum-dried potato slices

The effects of pre-treatments on the drying characteristics, water state, thermal properties, and bulk shrinkage of potato slices during microwave vacuum drying (MVD) were investigated. The pre-treatment included ultrasound in distilled water (USOD-0%), and ultrasound-assisted osmotic dehydration in a 60% sucrose solution (USOD-60%). Results showed that the drying time of potato slices was reduced and the drying rate was increased when USOD-0% was used as a pretreatment, whereas USOD-60% had a negative effect on the drying rate of the samples. The Weibull model was effective in predicting the water changes in potato slices during the drying process. NMR analysis revealed that the relative content of immovable water (M22) increased initially, then decreased for drying, while the transverse relaxation time (T2) and the relative content of free water (M23) decreased consistently. The DSC results indicated that the glass transition temperature (Tg) had an inverse relationship with the water content of the samples, yet had virtually no influence on the volume shrinkage. The sample volumes decreased linearly with the decrease in water content during the initial drying stages. USOD pre-treatment lessened the volume shrinkage of MVD potato slices. Static gravimetry was used to determine the moisture sorption isotherms of MVD potato slices at 30 °C within the aw range of 0.113–0.923. The GAB model accurately fitted the experimental sorption data, which showed sigmoid shape curves for the MVD samples. When aw values exceeded 0.7, the USOD-60% treatment significantly reduce the water sorption capacity of MVD potato slices, while USOD-0% treatment was observed to increase the hygroscopic properties of MVD samples. Compared with the control, USOD-0% pretreatment significantly increased the monolayer water content (X0), sorption surface area (S0), the thickness of sorbed water multilayer (tm), and density of sorbed water (Ds) values of MVD potato slices, while USOD-60% decreased these values.

Kinetic Model Research on Drying Characteristics of Composite Green Pellet in Rotary Hearth Furnace

Kinetic Model Research on Drying Characteristics of Composite Green Pellet in Rotary Hearth Furnace

Evaluating Kinetics of Convection Drying and Microstructure Characteristics of Asian Seabass Fish Skin without and with Ultrasound Pretreatment.

Convection drying in combination with ultrasound pretreatment has emerged as a promising technology for seafood manufacturing. The primary objective of this research was to model the mass transfer process of Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer) fish skin without and with ultrasound pretreatment during convection drying at different temperatures (45, 55, and 65 °C). Additionally, the study aimed to examine the impact of ultrasound pretreatment and temperatures on the drying characteristics and specific energy consumption for drying of Asian seabass fish skin. Seven semi-theoretical models, namely Lewis, Page, modified Page, Vega-Lemus, Verma, Henderson and Pabis, and two-term models, were employed to characterize the moisture transfer process. The results of the study indicated a decrease in the moisture content as the drying time increased at different drying temperatures. Higher drying temperatures were associated with an increased drying rate. Among the mathematical models tested, the modified Page model provided a satisfactory description of the thin-layer drying characteristics of fish skin. Fick's law of diffusion was utilized to determine the effective moisture diffusivities. Comparing the drying of fish skin without (SS) and with ultrasound pretreatment (US-SS), the drying of the latter generally showed higher Deff values. The temperature dependence of the effective diffusivity coefficient was well described by the Arrhenius-type model. An increase in the drying temperature resulted in an increment of the effective moisture diffusivity. In general, the skin pretreated using ultrasound had a reduced drying time, by up to 28%. Additionally, this approach contributed to an approximate 22% reduction in the specific energy consumption, concurrently enhancing the energy efficiency. The microstructure analysis showed that fresh and dried US-SS samples had a more open structure and higher porosity, in comparison to the corresponding SS samples. These findings contribute to the knowledge on the application of ultrasound as the pretreatment of fish skin before drying and provide valuable insights for the development of potential drying techniques in the seafood industry.

Drying characteristics and moisture migration of ultrasound enhanced heat pump drying on carrot

Drying characteristics and moisture migration of ultrasound enhanced heat pump drying on carrot

Mathematical modelling of roselle seeds (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) drying kinetics

Roselle seeds (Hisbiscus sabdariffa L.) are among the seeds that are high in nutrients and can be useful in several applications. Through the drying process, the seeds can be preserved for a long time. The roselle seeds were oven-dried at different temperatures 55, 60, 65 and 70oC, giving different outlet values for yield and final moisture. A total of five empirical mathematical models (Newton, Henderson and Pabis, Logarithmic, Diffusion approach and Page) were selected to describe and compare the drying characteristics of roselle seeds at respective drying temperatures. The adequately suitable drying temperature was found to be 70oC with a drying time of 4 hrs. The effective moisture diffusivity was calculated using the Fick diffusion equation. The results showed that the moisture content of the seeds gradually decreased with time. The effective diffusivity coefficient of moisture transfer varied from 5.4262×10-10 to 1.074×10-9 m2/s over the temperature range investigated. Mathematical models were fitted to the experimental data and by statistical comparison, the Page model represented drying characteristics better than the other equations with the highest R2 (0.998) and the lowest values of χ2 (0.00033) and RMSE (0.00023) observed for drying air temperature of 70°C. The dependence of moisture diffusivity on temperature was described by the Arrhenius equation, with the estimated activation energy being 43.08 kJ/mol within 55 to 70oC. Based on the selected model, it is possible to predict the moisture change during the drying of roselle seeds and thereby better control the process.

Drying and Rehydration Characteristics of Microwave Dried Mytilus edulis

Rehydration is a critical factor in the processing and consumption of dried food products. This study investigated the kinetics of microwave drying and rehydration of blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) in the range of 140 - 350 W power levels and 20 - 40°C temperatures, respectively. The drying data were utilized to calculate effective diffusivity coefficients (Deff) and activation energy (EA), while rehydration rates and time were also determined. Mathematical modeling was employed to describe the drying and rehydration processes, and the performance of different models was evaluated. The drying process took between 13 - 4.5 minutes, while rehydration was concluded within 360 - 480 minutes. The Deff values ranged from 1.22 - 3.91×10-7 m2/s, and the EA was calculated as 11.417 kW/kg. Rehydration rates resulted in 0.000061 - 0.000126 g/g×min at the highest 40°C and 0.000018 - 0.000032 g/g×min at the lowest 20°C. The drying and rehydration processes were best described by the Alibas model among 11 models and the Two-Term Exponential model among 2 models, respectively. Overall, this study aims to provide valuable insights into the kinetics of microwave drying and rehydration of blue mussels, which can help optimize the processing and preservation of dried food products before consumption.

Evaluation of the Effect of Ultrasonic Pretreatment on the Drying Kinetics and Quality Characteristics of Codonopsis pilosula Slices Based on the Grey Correlation Method.

Ultrasonic (US) maltreatment was performed before the vacuum far-infrared drying (VFID) of Codonopsis pilosula (CP) slices to investigate the effects of different US parameters on the drying characteristics and nutrients of CP slices. The grey correlation method with relative correlation degree (ri) as the evaluation measure was used to construct a model for the evaluation of the pretreatment quality of CP and to determine the optimal pretreatment conditions. The results showed that with the increase in US frequency and power, the drying rate increased. Under the conditions of US power of 180 W, frequency of 60 kHz and a pre-treatment time of 30 min, the drying time reduced by 28.6%. The contents of polysaccharide and syringin in dried CP slices pretreated by US increased by 14.7% and 62.0%, respectively, compared to the non-pre-treated samples, while the total flavonoid content decreased by 10.0%. In terms of colour, pretreatment had a certain protective effect on the red colour of dried products. The highest relative correlation (0.574) and the best overall quality of performance were observed at 180 W, 60 kHz and 30 min. Overall, US technology is suitable for the pretreatment processing of CP, which is of great significance to the drying of CP.

Study on Low Temperature Drying Characteristics of Chicken Manure in a Humid Environment

Drying chicken manure with exhaust air from a chicken house is a new manure management method developed in recent years. The majority of the heat for this drying method comes from the waste heat of ventilation in a poultry house or ambient air, so the drying process is carried out at a low temperature. When met with continuous rain or when the wet curtain in the chicken house is turned on, the relative humidity of the exhaust air from the chicken house will rise to high levels, and the drying process will be under the condition of high relative humidity. In order to explore the low-temperature drying characteristics of chicken manure in a humid environment, drying experiments were carried out in an experimental cross-flow drying system. The experiment mainly studied the effect of process parameters such as drying temperature, air velocity, and manure layer thickness on the low-temperature drying characteristics of chicken manure in a humid environment. The results showed that the low-temperature drying process of chicken manure in a humid environment only had a falling rate period, with no accelerated or constant rate period. Additionally, five common thin-layer drying models (Lewis model, Page model, Henderson and Pabis model, Wang and Singh model, and Exponential model) were applied to simulate the performance of the manure drying process. The exponential model was considered to be more suitable for describing the low temperature drying process in a humid environment, and the effective diffusivity changed between 6.37 × 10−7 and 2.17 × 10−6 m2/h.

Mathematical Modelling of the Drying Characteristics of Indian Spinach Using Machine Learning Approach

This study employs machine learning techniques to investigate the drying characteristics of Indian spinach leaves. Drying experiments were conducted at varying air temperatures (50°C, 60°C, 70°C) and velocities (1.2m/s and 1.4m/s) while monitoring drying time, moisture content, and important parameters. Artificial neural networks and support vector machine were used to predict drying rate and final moisture content based on conditions. Higher temperatures and air velocities lead to shorter drying times and lower moisture contents, with higher air velocities enhancing moisture diffusion and reducing energy intensity. Nine drying models were fitted, with the Page and Hii, et al. models showing strong performance. The MultiLayer Perceptron (MLP) 3-8-1 configuration achieves high accuracy, and Support Vector Machine (SVM) models with the Radial Basis Function (RBF) kernel perform well in predicting moisture ratio. These findings offer insights into Indian spinach drying behavior and highlight the effectiveness of machine learning models. The obtained values aid in optimizing drying conditions, and the robust performance of MLP and SVM models holds potential for applications beyond drying, including diabetic retinopathy diagnosis.

Influence of Drying Temperature on Drying Characteristics and Moisture Diffusivity of Custard Apple Pulp

Custard apple is multi-nutritional fruit with uncountable benefits to human health as well as honoured with delicious test. The custard apple pulp scooped hygienically from the fruits was dried in a thin layer of 4 mm thickness, temperatures of 50, 55, 60 and 65°C and an air velocity of 2 m/s in a tray dryer. Dehydration characteristics were found in terms of moisture content, dry matter, moisture ratio, drying rate to determine moisture diffusivity and activation energy using standard methodologies. The result data revealed that the custard apple pulp drying process was in falling rate period only. There was a maximum 22.22% decrease in drying time from 60 to 65°C temperature increase while drying rate was recorded to varied from 0.00052 to 0.0008 g water per g dry matter per sec for the selected temperature range. Variation of moisture diffusivity was recorded from 3.20 × 10-9 m2/s to 4.80 × 10-9 m2/s, and activation energy for complete drying experiment was noted as 29.436 kJ/mol. The above result show that as the drying temperature increased the effective moisture diffusivity also increased and linear relationship obtained between reciprocal of absolute temperature and logarithm of diffusivity.

Farmers’ first rain: investigating dry season rainfall characteristics in the Peruvian Andes

In the Peruvian Andes, the first light rainfalls towards the end of the dry season in August-September are known as pushpa. Softening soils and improving sowing conditions, these rains are crucial for planting dates and agricultural planning. Yet pushpa remains to date unexplored in the literature. This study uses observations and convection-permitting model simulations to describe the characteristics of pushpa in the Rio Santa valley (Peru). Comparing an observed pushpa case in August 2018 with a dry and wet event of the same season, we find pushpa to coincide with upper-level westerly winds that are otherwise characteristic for dry periods. These conditions impose an upper-level dry layer that favours small-scale, vertically-capped convection, explaining the low rainfall intensities that are reportedly typical for pushpa. Climatologically, we find 83% of pushpa-type events to occur under westerly winds, dominating in August, when 60% of the modelled spatial rainfall extent is linked to pushpa. Larger, more intense deep-convective events gradually increase alongside more easterly winds in September, causing the relative pushpa cloud coverage to drop to ̃20%. We note high inter-annual and -decadal variability in this balance between pushpa and intense convective rainfall types, with the spatial extent of pushpa rainfall being twice as high during 2000-2009 than for the 2010-2018 decade over the key sowing period. This result may explain farmers’ perception in the Rio Santa valley, who recently reported increased challenges due to delayed but more intense pushpa rains before the rainy season start. We thus conclude that the sowing and germination season is crucially affected by the balance of pushpa-type and deep-convective rain, resulting in a higher probability for late first rains to be more intense.

Characterisation of dry spells for agricultural applications in Malawi

Dry spells are one of the climate change hazards that continue to exert pressure on the agriculture sector, hence affecting food security. Understanding dry spell characteristics of an area helps in coming up with interventions and adaptive measures among other advantages. This study aimed at understanding characteristics of dry spells for Malawi by using climate hazards group infrared precipitation with stations precipitation data from 1981 to 2019. The study focused on the spatial distribution, maximum number of dry days, trend of maximum dry days and time of occurrence of dry spells. Data was analysed using Mann–Kendal trend analysis in R software. The results indicate a high number of occurrences of dry spells in the southern region than the other two regions of Malawi. In addition, the southern region experienced the highest maximum number of dry days. However, there is an upward trend for maximum days of dry spells in central region than all other regions. Local scale topographic influences on dry spell occurrence were also apparent. The study further established that the number of dry spell occurrence in the rainfall season starts to increase towards end of March. In this regard, although rainfall season in the study area is considered to be from November to April, the study recommends that growing season should be considered to be November to March so that crops are not affected by end of season dry spells which are common. Farmers should ensure that they plant crops that will mature with this growing period.

Observed and projected changes in wet and dry spells for the major river basins in East Asia

AbstractSpatiotemporal changes in wet and dry spells had significantly contributed to climate‐related natural hazards in East Asia, especially in river basins undergoing warming. However, few studies have systematically analysed these changes for river basins at different latitudes. Herein, we investigated the observed and projected variations in wet and dry spells for East Asian river basins at different latitudes. We found that river basins at low latitudes (Yangtze and Pearl rivers) had obvious wet characteristics, whereas those at high latitudes (Amur and Yellow rivers) had obvious dry characteristics. In general, the river basins presented a ‘wet south but dry north’ spatial pattern. Long‐duration wet spells have been shown to be the primary contributor to total wet spells in low‐latitude river basins, while long‐duration dry spells have been found to be the primary contributor to total dry spells in high‐latitude river basins. Importantly, climate is changing from prolonged wet spells to short, intense wet spells in low‐latitude river basins, whereas the climate is changing from single, short dry spells to moderate, prolonged dry spells at high latitudes. These changes indicate a high probability of flash floods in river basins at low latitudes and a high probability of droughts at high latitudes. In the future, more temporally clustered heavy precipitation events and prolonged dry spells may lead to increasingly uneven precipitation in high‐latitude river basins and the Pearl River basin, especially under the higher shared socioeconomic pathway scenarios. In contrast, more frequent consecutive heavy precipitation events may aggravate the risk of flooding in the Yangtze River basin. These findings are expected to serve as a guide for flood and drought risk mitigation in East Asia under a warming climate.

Effect of Biopolymer Dip-Coating Pretreatments as a Non-Thermal Green Technology on Physicochemical Characteristics, Drying, and Rehydration Kinetics of Santa Maria Pears

This research was conducted to determine the influences of biopolymer dip-coating pretreatments as a non-thermal green technology on the drying behavior, retention of bioactive compounds, and quality properties of pears. The fresh pears were washed, peeled, and diced into cubes of 5 × 5 mm with a 2 mm thickness and were dipped into 0.3% (w/v) solutions of sodium alginate (SA), pectin (PC), xanthan gum (XG), Arabic gum (AG), and gelatin (GE) before hot air drying (70 °C, 2.0 m/s). The weight loss of samples during drying was recorded online, and the moisture ratio (MR) and drying rate were plotted against drying time. Biopolymers significantly decreased the drying time (maximum 33.33% by SA) compared with uncoated samples except for XG. Moisture diffusion coefficients were determined according to Fick’s second law of diffusion by plotting LnMR against drying time, and a linear regression analysis was applied to the data for the determination of moisture diffusion coefficients which ranged from 2.332 to 3.256 × 10−9 m2/s. The molecular transport of momentum, heat, and mass were determined from Newton’s law of viscosity, Fourier’s law, and Fick’s law, respectively. The results indicated that the friction drag force, convective heat, and mass transfer coefficients were 6.104 × 10−6 N, 76.55 W/m2·K, and 0.0636 m/s, respectively. Mathematical modeling showed the suitability of the Midilli and Kucuk and the Peleg models for the prediction of drying and rehydration processes, respectively. Thermal conductivity, specific heat, and density of coated samples ranged from 0.559–0.579 (W/m·K), 3735–3859 (J/kg·K), and 850.90–883.26 (Kg/m3), respectively. The porosity was reduced due to the penetration of biopolymers into the cellular matrix of samples. The highest total polyphenol content and antioxidant activity belonged to the AG samples. The biopolymers covering the surface of samples produced a protection layer against the loss of bioactive compounds. Biopolymers can be successfully used as a non-thermal green process for improving the drying and quality characteristics of pears at the industrial level.

Effects of different drying methods on the drying characteristics and drying quality of Cistanche deserticola

The characteristics and quality of Cistanche deserticola (C. deserticola) such as drying rate, color, texture, shrinkage, and microstructure have been investigated under hot air drying (HA), infrared drying (IR), freeze drying (FD), and microwave vacuum freeze drying (MFD). The results showed that the drying rates of C. deserticola were all in the stage of slow-down drying, and there was no obvious constant-speed drying stage under the four different drying methods. Only MFD had the highest drying rate and required 9.6 times less drying time than FD. MFD could obtain the samples that had the most similar color to the fresh sample with the least shrinkage and the greatest hardness and crispness. MFD was similar to FD dried products, with a flat and clear surface and spongy porous structure, but MFD had slightly larger pores than FD. The cell wall structure of IR and HA dried products was damaged and the tissue cells were severely wrinkled; also, the quality characteristics of the products were poor. Through comprehensive analysis, we showed that MFD is a potential drying method that can be used as reference for the production of dried C. deserticola.

Effect of Ultrasonic Pretreatment on the Far-Infrared Drying Process and Quality Characteristics of Licorice.

In this paper, the effects of different ultrasonic pretreatment processes on the far-infrared drying characteristics, quality indexes, and microstructure of licorice are evaluated. The results showed that ultrasonic pretreatment, combined with far-infrared drying, significantly reduced the drying time and moisture content of licorice compared with those of the control group. The highest total flavonoid content was obtained at an ultrasound power of 80 W. The total phenolic content (0.686 mg gallic acid equivalent/g) was higher than that in the control group, the increase was 19.4%, and its content was the highest at the sonication frequency of 20 kHz. The antioxidant capacity tended to increase and then decrease with the increase in sonication time, sonication power, and sonication frequency, and was the highest at 30 min of sonication. The soluble sugar content (31.490 mg glucose equivalent/g) was the highest at 30 kHz and 30 min. Observation of the microstructure revealed that the surface structure of the ultrasonic pretreated licorice slices changed significantly, forming more micropore channels, which facilitated the mass heat transfer during the drying process. In conclusion, ultrasonic pretreatment can significantly improve the quality of licorice tablets and significantly reduce the time required for subsequent drying. The combination of pretreatment parameters of 60 W ultrasonic power and 40 kHz ultrasonic frequency for 30 min was found to be an optimal combination of pretreatment parameters; therefore, this study may provide a technical reference for the industrialization of licorice drying.

Controlling the drying characteristics of suspensions via colloidal interactions: Particle-scale modeling

During drying of colloidal suspensions, evaporation of the suspending liquid drives the formation of concentrated particle layers beneath the receding free surface. The particle layers can lower the drying rate especially when the suspensions contain small nanoparticles. We investigate how such drying characteristics are affected by interactions between particles by use of Langevin dynamics simulations, for which we develop an analytical model to evaluate the decreasing drying rate from the permeation resistance of the formed particle layers. Considering aqueous suspensions where the particles interact through DLVO potentials, we show that there is an ionic strength where the drying rate is the most lowered and that the decrease in the drying rate is remarkably suppressed when the particles aggregate at sufficiently high ionic strength. This behavior reflects the structure of particle layers varied by the interactions. Our result provides an example how to control the drying characteristics by suspension composition.

Thin-layer drying and mathematical modeling for Simarouba glauca leaves

A comparative drying study was conducted to investigate the thin-layer drying characteristics of Simarouba glauca leaves, known for their presence of quassinoids, phenols, flavonoids and antioxidants. The study aimed to determine the most effective drying method for preserving the best quality of the leaves. Shade drying, sun drying and tray drying at 55oC were employed, and the drying process was evaluated based on drying rate, drying time and moisture ratio. The results demonstrated that tray drying exhibited the highest drying rate (0.3307 kg/kgd.h), while shade drying showed the lowest drying rate (0.0810 kg/ kgd.h). Ten mathematical models for thin-layer drying were applied to describe the drying behavior of Simarouba glauca leaves. These models were assessed based on their fit to the moisture ratio data, using correlation co-efficient (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE) as comparison metrics. The midilli model displayed the highest correlation co-efficient and the lowest RMSE, indicating its superior performance in describing the drying characteristics of the leaves. In terms of the drying methods, the midilli model exhibited the highest R2 and the lowest RMSE, suggesting its suitability for predicting the drying behaviour under various conditions.

Plant Photosynthesis and Dry Matter Accumulation Response of Sweet Pepper to Water–Nitrogen Coupling in Cold and Arid Environment

In order to optimize the water and nitrogen management mode and realize the efficient scale production of sweet pepper, from 2021 to 2022, field experiments on sweet pepper cultivation with different water and nitrogen coupling modes were conducted in the Hexi Oasis irrigation areas. The regulation effects of the water–nitrogen coupling mode on the dry matter accumulation characteristics, photosynthesis, yield, and water–nitrogen utilization efficiency of sweet pepper were further discussed. Irrigation was set for full irrigation (W1, 75–85% FC [field capacity]), mild (W2, 65–75% FC), and moderate (W3, 55–65% FC) water deficit levels. Three levels of nitrogen were applied, high (N1, 300 kg·ha−1), medium (N2, 225 kg·ha−1) and low (N3, 150 kg·ha−1), with full irrigation and no nitrogen application used as the control (CK). The results showed that the appropriate water–nitrogen coupling mode could enhance the photosynthetic rate, increase dry matter accumulation and the accumulation rate, advance the days of a maximum rate of dry matter accumulation, and improve yield and water–nitrogen utilization efficiency. N1W1 had the greatest dry matter accumulation, the mean rate and the maximum increase rate of dry matter accumulation in sweet pepper, which was not a significant difference from N2W2, but significantly increased by 19.61%, 19.67%, and 23.45%, respectively, compared with CK. Water deficit significantly advanced the days of a maximum rate of dry matter accumulation. The days of a maximum rate of dry matter accumulation appeared 1.18–5.79 days earlier at W3 than at W2 and W1, and the maximum rate appeared gradually later with increasing irrigation. The net photosynthetic rate, the transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance of N2W2 sweet pepper showed the best performance at all growth stages, significantly increasing by 23.87%, 27.71%, and 27.39%, respectively, compared with CK. Moreover, the Intercellular CO2 concentration was significantly reduced by 14.77% in N2W2 compared to CK. The N2W2 had the highest yield, water use efficiency, and irrigation water use efficiency of sweet pepper, significantly increasing 26.89%, 33.74%, and 31.22% compared to CK. Excessive water and nitrogen dosage reduced nitrogen partial factor productivity, while an appropriate increase in irrigation under reduced nitrogen conditions facilitated the water nitrogen potential. Passage path analysis further showed that water–nitrogen coupling promotes plant biomass formation and distribution by increasing photosynthetic assimilation capacity, ultimately increasing yield. Therefore, the N2W2 treatment (65–75% FC, 225 kg·ha−1) is the ideal water and nitrogen mode for obtaining higher yields and water and nitrogen use efficiency of sweet pepper in a cold and arid environment.

Evaluation of drying behavior and characteristics of potato slices in multi–stage convective cabinet dryer: Application of artificial neural network

The inconsistency in the quality of dried products at different coordinates within a conventional multi-stage convective cabinet dryer is a critical but often neglected problem. In this study, the drying behavior (moisture ratio) occurring in each drying tray layer and the drying characteristics (shrinkage or area ratio) occurring at different coordinates within a multi-stage convective cabinet dryer was assessed. Potato slices were used as raw materials in the drying process. Experiments were carried out by varying three different hot air velocities and two different drying temperatures. It was found that under the same hot air temperature and air velocity, the change in moisture content in each drying tray and the shrinkage in each coordinate of the potato slices were different. Artificial neural network model was used to predict the moisture ratio and the area ratio of the potato slices based on the experimental data. The moisture ratio obtained from the experiment was evaluated by comparing it with the drying model. The results showed a good confidence level with the coefficient of determination in the range of 0.962 7–0.993 3. The shrinkage analysis was based on the photographic data taken through image processing before usage as the output data for the predictive model. The predictive model was designed to have various architectures with different parameters; both hidden layer and hidden layer size, learning rate, training cycles, sampling type and split ratio. The best moisture ratio and area ratio model provided the coefficient of determination of 0.996 and 0.970, respectively.