The effect of convective drying temperature (Td), air velocity (v), rehydration temperature (Tr), and kind of rehydrating medium (pH) was studied on the following apple quality parameters: water absorption capacity (WAC), volume ratio (VR) color difference (CD). To model, simulate, and optimize parameters of the drying and rehydration processes hybrid methods artificial neural network and multiobjective genetic algorithm (MOGA) were developed. MOGA was adapted to the apple tissue, where the simultaneous minimization of CD and VR and the maximization of WAC were considered. The following parameters range were applied, 50 ≤ Td ≤ 70 °C and 0.01 ≤ v ≤ 6 m/s for drying and 20 ≤ Tr ≤ 95 °C for rehydration. Distilled water (pH = 5.45), 0.5% solution of citric acid (pH = 2.12), and apple juice (pH = 3.20) were used as rehydrating media. For determining the rehydrated apple quality parameters the mathematical formulas were developed. The following best result was found. Td = 50.1 °C, v = 4.0 m/s, Tr = 20.1 °C, and pH = 2.1. The values of WAC, VR, and CD were determined as 4.93, 0.44, and 0.46, respectively. Experimental verification was done, the maximum error of modeling was lower than 5.6%.

The drying behaviour of carrot, parsley, red beetroot and onion slices of 5 and 10 mm thickness was investigated in a convective dryer at a drying temperature of 50, 60 and 70°C under natural convection conditions. The experimental drying data of the vegetables slices obtained were fitted to five empirical thin-layer models: Lewis (Newton), Henderson and Pabis, Page, Modified Page, Wang and Singh. The effects of the vegetable species, air drying temperature, and slice thickness on the model parameters were determined. Four statistical tools, namely, the determination coefficient, root mean square error, reduced chi-square, and t-statistic method were applied to determine the fittings. The Page model with the model parameters determined by a summation equation, a square type dependence for the drying air temperature and a rational one for the slice thickness is recommended as the most suitable model (R 2 = 0.9699, RMSE = 0.0587, χ 2 = 0.0035, t-stat = 0.6739). K e y w o r d s: root vegetables, onion, drying kinetics, modelling, drying models

The accuracy of the available from the literature models for the dew point temperature determination was compared. The proposal of the modelling using artificial neural networks was also given. The experimental data were taken from the psychrometric tables. The accuracies of the models were measured using the mean bias error MBE, root mean square error RMSE, correlation coefficient R, and reduced chi-square χ2. Model M3, especially with constants A=237, B=7.5, gave the best results in determining the dew point temperature (MBE: -0.0229 – 0.0038 K, RMSE: 0.1259 – 0.1286 K, R=0.9999, χ2: 0.0159 – 0.0166 K2). Model M1 with constants A=243.5, B=17.67 and A=243.3, B=17.269 can be also considered as appropriate (MBE=-0.0062 and -0.0078 K, RMSE=0.1277 and 0.1261 K, R=0.9999, χ2=0.0163 and 0.0159 K2). Proposed ANN model gave the good results in determining the dew point temperature (MBE=-0.0038 K, RMSE=0.1373 K, R=0.9999, χ2=0.0189 K2).

The effect of dried apple varieties on their rehydration characteristics was investigated. Four varieties of apples, Champion, Cortland, Grey Reinette and Ligol, were taken into consideration. Rehydration properties and color of apples were investigated. In order to examine the influence of apple variety on its rehydration properties, the process of rehydration was modeled. The model parameters obtained for investigated apple varieties were compared. Apple cubes were dried in a tunnel dryer (air temperature 60 °C and air velocity 2 m/s) and next rehydrated in distilled water at temperature: 20, 45 and 70 °C. Mass, dry matter mass, volume and color attributes of apples (raw, dried and rehydrated) were measured. The process of rehydration was modeled using empirical (Peleg and Weibull models) and theoretical (the Fick’s second law) models. Results of the analysis showed that the apple variety affects values of mass and volume increase, dry matter decrease and color of the rehydrated apple. Discussed parameters were also affected by rehydration temperature. Fick’s second law model can be considered as the most appropriate. Apple variety and rehydration temperature influenced the values of the model’s constants. Obtained values enabled attempts of the explanation of the rehydration course. It can be stated that apple var. Champion showed a greater rate of water absorption during the entire process of rehydration than other investigated varieties.

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