Drying kinetics of a solar dryer for drying of potato chips in Western Maharashtra, India

The current study focuses on the performance of a solar greenhouse dryer for drying of potato chips in Solar Dryer and Open sun conditions in Western Maharashtra. Potato chips is a value added product that can be effectively used during throughout the year as snacks, a side dish or an appetizer. It can be either deep dried or backed for consumption. The dried potato contains a high fiber content and it helps to lower the cholesterol level in blood reducing the risk of blood pressure if consumed backed. Potato chips can effectively be stored for one year to six months and consumed as snacks. The experiment was conducted for drying of potato chips in Solar Greenhouse Dryer and open sun conditions on 1st of April 2021 for 6 hours. The initial weight of the potato chips to be dried was 500 grams both for the solar greenhouse dryer and open sun drying conditions. The experiment was conducted at Bahe, Borgaon, Tal-Walwa, Dist-Sangli, Maharashtra, India located at 17.115°N and 74.33°E. The experimental observations collected during the tests were set as input data for the Design of the Experiments (DoE) i.e., for Response Surface Modelling (RSM). The main aim of using DoE i.e., Response Surface Modelling, is to obtain an optimum region for drying of potato chips in the Solar Greenhouse Dryer, from the surface plot; the region of maxima and minima was obtained. The contour plot obtained during modeling resembles the optimum region of drying; the optimum region for drying of potato chips is 47 to 50°C respectively. The Moisture Removal Rate (MRR) for drying of potato chips in the Solar Greenhouse Dryer and Open sun drying is 83% and 78% respectively. The drying rate observed during the experiment has a better resemblance with simulated Response Surface Modelling.

---

Opracowanie rekordu ze środków MEiN, umowa nr SONP/SP/546092/2022 w ramach programu "Społeczna odpowiedzialność nauki" - moduł: Popularyzacja nauki i promocja sportu (2024). (PL)