Heat and mass transfer in combined convective and far-infrared drying of fruit leather

Abstract

Combined convective and far-infrared drying is a challenging assignment due to complex relationship between heat and mass transfer. In this paper, heat and mass transfer of fruit leather drying with combination of hot air and far-infrared has been carried out. The heat and the mass transfer coefficients were analyzed by heat-mass analogy. It could be found that the ratio between heat and mass transfer coefficients for the combination technique could not be obtained from the heat-mass analogy classical model and a modification is needed. The modified correlations for predicting ratio of heat and mass transfer coefficients and the heat transfer coefficient in term of heat transfer Nusselt number are developed. The model could fit the experimental data quite well within ±10% deviation. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.