Author(s):
1. Jelena Janevski, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Niš, Serbia
2. Mladen Stojiljković, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Niš, Serbia
3. Branislav Stojanovic, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Niš,

Abstract:
The world is facing an increase in human population and consequently need to produce more fresh and dried products for this expanding population. New technologies should fulfill the objective of economical profitability, which is mostly dependable on energy efficiency due to the trend of increasing energy cost. Currently, as a drying process consumes up to 50% of the total amount of energy used in industrial purposes. One of the relatively new technologies for these requirements is heat pump drying (HPD). In this work a laboratory heat pump drying is applied for vegetables drying. The drying of vegetables was conducted in fluidized bed. Fluidized bed gives important advantages such as good solid mixing, high rates of heat and mass transfer and easy movement of materials. The air drying was adjusted on temperature regimes of 45oC and 15oC with three relative humidity levels. Some of the limitations in fluidized bed drying application are hihg pressure drop and high electrical power consumption. The results have shown that higher temperatures increase the rate of moisture removal from the vegetables (green peas). Difference in relative humidity of the air drying plays an important role in the process.

Key words:
drying, fluidized bed, vegetables, heat pump

Thematic field:
Energetics and Thermal Engineering

Date of abstract submission:
27.02.2017.

Conference:
13th International Conference on Accomplishments in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

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