A Comparative Study on Exergetic Performance Assessment for Drying of Broccoli Florets in Three Different Drying Systems

Abstract

This article deals with the exergy analysis and evaluation of broccoli in three different drying systems. The effects of drying air temperature on the exergy destruction, exergy efficiency, and exergetic improvement potential of the drying process were investigated. The exergy destruction rate for the drying chamber increased with the rise in the drying air temperature at 1.5 m/s, both in the tray and the heat pump dryer. The highest exergy efficiency value was obtained as 90.86% in the fluid bed dryer in comparison to the other two drying systems and the improvement potential rate was the highest in the heat pump dryer during drying of broccoli at the drying air temperature of 45°C and the drying air velocity of 1.0 m/s.

Keywords:

• Exergy analysis
• Exergy performance
• Fluidized bed dryer
• Heat pump dryer

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors are grateful for the financial support provided for the project entitled “Design, Test and Performance Evaluation of a Gas Engine-Driven Solar Assisted Band Conveyor Heat Pump Drying System” under project no: 106M482 by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK). They also are grateful for the valuable comments of the reviewers and editor, which have been utilized to increase the quality of the paper.

Notes

^a Nominal value was taken as 0.030.

^b Nominal value was taken as 78.11.

^c Nominal value was taken as 0.061.

^d Nominal value was taken as 0.013.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Arif Hepbasli

Arif Hepbasli is also Visiting Professor, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.