Electrohydrodynamic and far-infrared assisted Drying of aloe vera

Abstract

Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) assisted drying has been successfully applied to enhance the drying rate of various materials, while far-infrared radiation (FIR) has also received much attention as an additional heat source for drying a wide range of agricultural products. The aim of the present work was to investigate the feasibility of combining EHD and FIR to assist drying of aloe vera. The experiments were performed at the electric voltages of 0, 5, 50 and 55 kV and at the controlled temperatures at the center of aloe vera pieces of 50 and 70 oC. It was found that the drying time decreased with an increase in the voltage at a fixed controlled temperature as a result of the increased intensity of the generated corona wind. As expected, the drying time decreased and the drying rate increased when the controlled temperature increased. In terms of the specific energy consumption, it was noted that the specific energy consumption decreased with an increase in the electric voltage. On the other hand, the specific energy consumption increased with an increase in the controlled temperature at aloe vera center.