Characteristics of Microwave Drying of Bighead Carp

Abstract

The characteristics of microwave drying (MD) and combined air-microwave drying (AMD) of bighead carp muscle were studied experimentally. The results show that the moisture ratio (MR) decreases with an increase in microwave drying time when microwave (MW) power is fixed. The drying rate is fast initially and then falls slowly. Finally, the curve of AMD was steeper than that of MD alone during the initial period of 0–120 seconds. The equation MR = a exp (−kt) fitted the data better than other models.

Keywords:

• Bighead carp
• Microwave drying
• Air-microwave drying
• Mathematical model
• Hybrid drying

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors thank the Ningbo Science and Technology Bureau, China, for supporting the research work under contract No. 2000C10018. Thanks are given to Prof. Arun S. Mujumdar of the National University of Singapore for beneficial discussion and assistance with the revision of this article.

Notes

Note: t=time, a, k, n=constants.