Drying of garlic slices by electrohydrodynamic-hot air method

Abstract

In this study, garlic slices were dried with a new drying method, electrohydrodynamic-hot air combined drying system, under different temperatures (55 and 60 degrees C) and voltages (15, 20, 25, and 30 kV), and the effects of drying conditions on drying time, color parameters, rehydration capacity, energy values, and microstructure were investigated. In addition, experimental data were fitted into 10 different mathematical models that are widely used to select the appropriate model that could describe the drying behavior of garlic slices. The longest drying time required for constant moisture content was observed under 30 kV-60 degrees C treatment for 100 min, while the shortest drying time was observed under 15 kV-55 degrees C treatment for 160 min. Verma et al., Diffusion Approach, and Newton models were determined so as to find the most suitable model for the drying behavior of thin-layer dried garlic samples at different temperatures and voltages. Increasing drying temperature caused a decrease in the a* and b* values of the garlic samples. The lowest energy consumption during the drying of the garlic slices was found at 30 kV-55 degrees C treatment combination. It was observed that the temperature and kV values have impact on the product microstructures. Practical Application Drying is the preservation process to extend the shelf life of products. The traditional method is the most used one in the drying industry. The low energy efficiency of this method and the loss of quality due to the high contact of the hot air with the product have led to the research of new methods. Therefore, the electrohydrodynamic method is used as a new approach that results in high energy efficiency and a high-quality product. As a result, integrating the electrohydrodynamic system into the hot air drying method will reduce the contact of the hot air with the product, thus prevents the negative effect of temperature and provides better quality products. In addition, this system can increase the drying efficiency and energy economy by reducing the drying time and energy consumption in drying procedure of garlic samples.