Catfish liver microwave dehydration modeling based on its kinetic patterns identification

Fish liver has unique properties, which opens up opportunities for creating specialized food ingredients. The quality of the dried product largely depends on the conditions of its dehydration. The aim of the study is to simulate micro wave drying of catfish liver under temperature restrictions and to study its kinetic patterns. The object of the study is the liver of the common catfish (Silurus glanis). The key aspect of this study is the adaptation of the mathematical model of heat energy and mass transfer to the conditions of microwave dehydration of a thin layer of catfish liver to determine the temperature distribution and control the process parameters. The article presents the plan and re sults of an experimental series to study catfish liver dehydration, the parameters affecting the drying rate, the curves of microwave drying of catfish liver at a drying layer thickness of 1.5 cm and a radiation frequency of 2.45 GHz. It has been determined the operating parameters for carrying out microwave drying of catfish liver in a thin layer: initial moisture content of the dried raw material (68 ± 2) %; the initial temperature of the raw material to be dried was (10 ± 1) °C; the thickness of the layer to be dried was (1.5 ± 0.1) cm; the area of the surface to be dried must be strictly within the range of the high-frequency electromagnetic radiation field with a frequency of 2450 MHz; the power of microwave radiation was (180 ± 10) W; the final moisture content of the raw material to be dried was (5 ± 1) %; the final temperature of the raw material to be dried was (85 ± 1) °C; the duration of dehydration was (28 ± 1) min. Comparison of the obtained results with the data for similar materials confirms their reliability and the possibility of successful application in engineering practice in the food industry.