Drying of seeds through oscillating infrared heating

ABSTRACT

Oscillating infrared (IR) drying of onion, white mustard, sweet pepper, and wheat seeds as well as the effect of this drying method on the seeds’ stimulation have been studied. It was found that oscillating IR drying was highly advantageous for onion seeds which possess the lowest germination degree and germination energy. The influence of initial moisture content of the onion seeds, the duration of the oscillating IR drying, and the processing temperature on the stimulation effect have been established. The most favorable stimulation temperature was determined. It was shown that this stimulation effect holds unchanged for at least eight months. A mathematical model for drying kinetics based on the solution of the mass conductivity equation was proposed and the method of the process engineering calculation has been developed and validated for onion and mustard seeds. The necessary experimental data on mass conductivity and concentration equilibrium for onions and mustard seeds have been obtained.

KEYWORDS:

• Drying kinetics
• IR heating
• mass conduction
• mathematical model
• oscillating mode
• seed stimulation