Experimental Study on the Characteristics of Camellia oleifera Fruit Shell Explosion by Hot Air Drying

The shell explosion by hot air drying is a critical step in the processing of Camellia oleifera fruit (COF), which directly affects the degree of the shell explosion, and the separation effect of Camellia oleifera seed and Camellia oleifera shell after the shell explosion of COF. To reveal the characteristics of the COF shell explosion, a hot air drying device was designed based on mass conservation and drying principles. The physical characteristics of COF and the evolution of drying parameters were thoroughly analyzed with a combination method of drying analysis and experimental. Moreover, under the conditions of air temperature 50–70 °C, relative humidity 20–50%, and air velocity 1.3–1.9 m/s, the internal relationship between COF shell explosion formation through hot air drying and the hot air drying medium was systematically investigated by response surface methodology, and a prediction model for the shell explosion rate of COF by hot air drying was constructed using statistical methods. Results demonstrated that decreasing the relative humidity and increasing the temperature and air velocity of the drying medium could reduce the dehydration time of COF. The moisture content of Camellia oleifera shell was found to be 177.45% d.b. (dry basis) at the initial cracking stage of COF. Furthermore, at temperatures ranging from 50 to 70 °C Deff values of COF were estimated to be within the range of 0.915 × 10−9 to 1.782 × 10−9 m2/s. Similarly, at relative humidity levels of 20 to 50%, Deff values ranged from 1.226 × 10−9 to 1.501 × 10−9 m2/s. At an air velocity of 1.3 to 1.9 m/s, Deff values ranged from 0.956 × 10−9 to 1.501 × 10−9 m2/s. The measured values of the shell explosion rate were in close agreement with that calculated using the fitted model, with a correlation coefficient of 0.997 and a root mean square error of 0.9743. This study will provide a theoretical basis for optimizing the shell explosion process and improving shell explosion rate of COF by hot air drying.