Resumen

FERREIRA, Sebastião R  y  COSTA, Antônio R. S. Mass Transfer Parameters in Fruit Drying, without using Shrinkage Data. Inf. tecnol. [online]. 2010, vol.21, n.5, pp. 87-98. ISSN 0718-0764.  doi: 10.4067/S0718-07642010000500012.

An analytical methodology was developed to determine mass transfer parameters during cylindrical fruit drying, without the need for shrinkage data, but implicitly considering radius shrinkage R during the drying process. With the method one can simultaneously evalúate the external mass transfer coefficient k_m, the effective water diffusivity in fruit D_ef, the Biot number Bi and the average radius R_m during drying. To test the methodology, experimental data of the water mass in fruit M_A versus time t, and its characteristic dimensions at the start of process were needed. The valúes obtained for Bi, Def and kmwere in good agreement with valúes found in the literature, calculated by a numerical method. The proposed methodology can be used to estímate drying parameters with good accuracy without the need of shrinkage data.

Palabras clave : mass transfer parameters; effectively water diffusivity; mass transfer; fruitdrying; mathematical modeling.