Assessment of the initial moisture content on soybean drying kinetics and transport properties

ABSTRACT

Several researchers have developed studies to obtain a mathematical model able to describe grain drying kinetics. However, most of these studies neglect the effect of grain initial moisture content on drying curves. In this study, we assessed the dependence of drying curves and mass transfer coefficients on this initial moisture, air temperature, and its velocity by measuring grain mass losses within time on a tray dryer. Mathematical models were adjusted and results indicated that initial grain moisture content has significant influence on drying curves and mass transfer coefficients.

KEYWORDS:

• Drying kinetics
• initial moisture content
• mass transfer coefficient
• mathematical model
• soybean