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Abstract
In the pursuit of advancing post-processing techniques for Arabica coffee, our research introduces a rotary dryer, known as a roto-aerated dryer, marking its first application in coffee drying and surpassing conventional methods. This study delves into the evaluation of heat and mass transfer dynamics between coffee and drying air within the innovative dryer. Characterization of raw materials precedes a series of drying experiments under varied conditions, forming the basis for a mathematical two-phase model elucidating the underlying dynamics of the drying process. Noteworthy is the significantly reduced material residence time (14.60–27.47 min) compared to conventional dryers. Drying rates (0.09–0.24 g water/100 g solid/min) surpass those achieved by other methods. Simulated results from the numerical solution of the two-phase model closely align with experiments (average error of 2.39% for moisture content and 0.89% for temperature). The effective preservation of material quality, particularly acidity, underscores the valuable insights offered for optimizing drying processes, holding substantial potential for advancing the specialty coffee industry.
Acknowledgments
The authors express their gratitude for the financial support provided by esteemed Brazilian research funding agencies, namely CAPES (Federal Agency for the Support and Improvement of Higher Education), CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development), and FAPEMIG (State of Minas Gerais Research Support Foundation).
Disclosure statement
The authors report no conflicts of interest to disclose regarding this manuscript. The responsibility for the content and composition of the paper rests solely with the authors. This declaration is by the ethical standards of the journal.