A NEW APPROACH TO THE KINETICS OF CONVECTIVE PLUM DRYING USING SENSORS

This study investigates the dehydration kinetics of halved plums under controlled conditions, focusing on the drying rate (Water Loss Speed, WLS) over time. Conducted at an average temperature of 55.4 ± 6.7 °C and air velocity of 3 m s-1, the experiment involved 823 g of plums in a mono-layer tray. The maximum WLS reached 7.83 g min-1 within the first 6 – 7 minutes, followed by a slower diffusion-controlled phase. Over a drying period of approximately 20 hours, 562 g of water was removed, reducing moisture content from 85% to 52.7%, with energy consumption measured at 8.81 kWh kg-1. Sensor technology played a critical role in ensuring uniform drying and quality retention.