Özet:

The main objective of this paper is to evaluate and assess the chosen appropriate form of drying curves available in the open literature for thin layer drying of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) pulp pieces. This goal was achieved by applying non-linear regression analysis included in the Statistica software to the experimental data and determining the best model among the semi-theoretical and/or empirical 23 alternative mathematical models utilizing seven evaluation criteria. For this purpose, thin-layer drying tests were carried out by using a laboratory-scale dryer. The experiments were performed at 50, 60, 70, and 80 oC drying temperatures, 62-75 percent of relative humidity and 1.4 m/s of drying air velocity for 50 g of pulp piece of pumpkin with 3 mm and 5 mm thickness. Upon analyzing the experimental results, it was found that Alibas (modified Midilli-Kucuk) model was selected as the most effective model for drying Cucurbita maxima in a single layer among the adopted drying conditions.

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