Single layer solar drying behaviour of Citrus aurantium leaves under forced convection

Convective solar drying experiments in thin layers of Citrus aurantium leaves grown in Marrakech, morocco, were conducted. An indirect forced convection solar dryer consisting of a solar air collector, an auxiliary heater, a circulation fan and a drying cabinet is used for the experiments. The air temperature was varied from 50 to 60 °C; the relative humidity from 41% to 53%; and the drying air flow rate from 0.0277 to 0.0833 m3/s. Thirteen statistical models, which are semi-theoretical and/or empirical, were tested for fitting the experimental data. A nonlinear regression analysis using a statistical computer program was used to evaluate the constants of the models. The Midilli-Kucuk drying model was found to be the most suitable for describing the solar drying curves of Citrus aurantium leaves with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.99998, chi-square (χ2) of 4.664 × 10−6 and MBE of 4.8381 × 10−4.