IR-drying fruit and berry raw materials
Due to the deterioration of the environmental situation in Ukraine and other European countries, the main objective of the food industry is to improve the biological value of food. One way of improving the quality of food and nutrition structure of the people is to introduce in their diet and fruit and berry raw products (FBRP). One of the main directions of processing the FBRP, which allows to preserve the maximum value of food and biological of the products is to use drying technology. Theoretical and experimental studies have shown that the use of IR-radiation in FBRP drying technology allows to preserve the BAS (biologically active substances) in the product, and the main goal in the design of dryers with infrared radiation is to achieve a uniform distribution of heat flow from the source of the radiator on the receiving surface (product tray). Data obtained in this research enabled to design an industrial prototype of the IR-dryer of minimum energy and metal consumption, as well as the possibility of using the secondary heat medium (hot air), simplicity of operation and maintenance. Based on the results of studies a vertical IR-dryer was designed, providing the following advantages: decreases the duration of the drying process by forced convection; improves the quality of the final product by mild heating and low temperature; provides uniform thermal field at the receiving surface and between the trays due to the cylindrical shape of the IR-dryers; reduces dimensions and ease of construction due to rectangular carbon infrared heater in the vertical IR-dryer; intensifies the drying process due to the possibility of controlling the amount of fresh air incoming into the working chamber and the use of waste heat in the process of IR-drying.