MODELLING OF MICROWAVE DRYING FOR FOODS

Growth in the number of homes with microwave ovens, combined with the industrial use of microwaves, has created a large market for microwave processed foods. There are two main steps to model an industrial dryer: thin layer and deep bed. Parameters which must be considered during microwave drying modelling are process air variables, product variables and dimensional variables. More than 11 mathematical models are used to fit the microwave drying rates of foods; It has been shown that for most foods, the Midilli et al. Model give the best fit for all the microwave drying data points. In modelling of microwave-convective drying for foods, page model give the best fit with experimental data. By modelling of microwave-freeze drying, the moisture content and the temperature distributions in drying material can be obtained.

Keywords:

Numerical Method , Thin Layer , Page Model