The model and mass transfer characteristics of convection drying of peach slices

The influences of drying temperature, hot air velocity and thickness of peach slice on the drying process were studied in a laboratory convective hot air dryer. The experimental data of moisture ratio of peach slices were used to fit the models and the effective moisture diffusion coefficients (Deff) were calculated. Moreover, the relative relations between the Deff and drying temperature was also related. The result showed that the Page model showed the best fit to experimental drying data for drying temperature, with the increase of temperature from 60 to 80 °C, the Deff varied from 5.6083 × 10−10 to 1.3388 × 10−9 m2·s−1, it fitted the Arrhenius equation, which the activation energy was 42.53 kJ·mol−1; the Wang and Singh model was found to be the most satisfactory for air velocity, with velocity from 0.423 to 1.120 m·s−1, the values of Deff varied from 6.6626 × 10−10 to 1.1350 × 10−9 m2·s−1; the Logarithmic model was found to be the most satisfactory for the thickness of peach slice, with thickness from 0.002 to 0.004 m, the values of Deff varied from 4.1543 × 10−10 to 1.1007 × 10−9 m2·s−1.