Experimental Investigation of Drying Behavior of Carrots in a Fluidized Bed with Energy Carrier

Abstract A pilot scale fluidized bed dryer with inert particles as energy carrier was used to investigate the drying characteristics of carrot in this type of dryer. Glass beads, hollow steel balls and pieces of dry carrot were used as inert materials. The effects of sample diameter, inert material type, inert material diameter, amount of inert material, air velocity and temperature on the rate of drying were studied. It was found that the presence of inert particles enhances the rate of drying. The results of this study also revealed that, although the rate of drying increased with decreasing sample diameter, increasing of inert material thermal conductivity, and increasing of air temperature, but the inert material diameter and air velocity did not have any significant effect on the rate of drying. The independence of the rate of drying on air velocity in well fluidized systems, indicates that external diffusion is not the controlling step in this process. It was also found that the presence of inert materials caused the drying material to reach its final internal temperature more rapidly. The internal temperature of the drying material, also increased with increasing diameter and thermal conductivity of the inert materials.