@article{Akinola_Talabi_Ezeorah_2018, title={Refratance Window Dryer Dehydration Characterization of Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus) Slices at Different Temperatures}, volume={23}, url={http://jer.unilag.edu.ng/article/view/975}, abstractNote={<p><span class="fontstyle0">Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) slices were dehydrated using a Refractance Window</span><span class="fontstyle0">TM </span><span class="fontstyle0">dryer in which the flume water<br>temperatures were varied at 65</span><span class="fontstyle0">o</span><span class="fontstyle0">C, 75</span><span class="fontstyle0">o</span><span class="fontstyle0">C, and 85</span><span class="fontstyle0">o</span><span class="fontstyle0">C. The kinetic data obtained experimentally was fitted to 8<br>dehydration models categorized as empirical and semi-empirical models. The dehydration curves, the effective<br>diffusivities and activation energy of the cucumber slices were estimated. Also, samples of the dried cucumber<br>slices were rehydrated at room temperature (27</span><span class="fontstyle0">o</span><span class="fontstyle0">C). The experimental rehydration data were used to construct the<br>rehydration ratio plot. The values of the ascorbic acid content of the cucumber’s slices were also determined after<br>experimentation for the process conditions studied. Observations indicated that the cucumber slices dried to a<br>moisture content of 0.11 g-water/g-solid (dry basis) in about 40 to 115 minutes for the process conditions studied.<br>The regression analysis results suggest that the Haghi and Ghanadzadeh thin layer model, best described the<br>drying behavior for the 3.0 mm thick cucumber slices at 65</span><span class="fontstyle0">o</span><span class="fontstyle0">C, 75</span><span class="fontstyle0">o</span><span class="fontstyle0">C and 85</span><span class="fontstyle0">o</span><span class="fontstyle0">C and coefficient of determination </span><span class="fontstyle2">( </span><span class="fontstyle3">R</span><span class="fontstyle4">2 </span><span class="fontstyle2">)<br></span><span class="fontstyle0">values of 0.9923, 0.9993 and 1.0000 respectively. The rehydration ratio of the cucumber samples increased to 5.25<br>in about 300 minutes after which the moisture content was about 11.50g-water/g-cucumber (92% wet basis). The<br>rehydration data were also observed to fit a two-term exponential model with a coefficient of determination </span><span class="fontstyle2">( </span><span class="fontstyle3">R</span><span class="fontstyle4">2 </span><span class="fontstyle2">)<br></span><span class="fontstyle0">value of 0.9941. Finally, there was a decrease of 7.93 to 38.94% in the ascorbic acid content of the cucumber slices<br>for the process conditions studied.</span> </p&gt;}, number={2}, journal={Journal of Engineering Research}, author={Akinola, A.A and Talabi, O.G. and Ezeorah, S.N}, year={2018}, month={Dec.}, pages={1-12} }