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Published on: April 19, 2021
Thin layer drying kinetics of by-products from olive oil processing
Irene Montero1, Teresa Miranda, Jose Ignacio Arranz
1Department of Mechanical, Energetic, and Materials Engineering, Industrial Engineering School, University of Extremadura, Avenue Elvas s/n, 06006, Badajoz, Spain; E-Mails: tmiranda@unex.es (T.M.); jiarranz@unex.es (J.I.A.); cvrojas@unex.es (C.V.R.).
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|December 17, 2011
Summary
Drying olive by-products like pomace and sludge in a solar dryer is faster at higher temperatures. Effective diffusivity increases with temperature, influenced by convection modes, aiding in waste valorization.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Engineering
- Renewable Energy Technologies
- Waste Management
Background:
- Olive oil production generates significant by-products, including olive pomace, sludge, and wastewater.
- Efficient processing of these by-products is crucial for environmental sustainability and resource recovery.
- Solar drying offers a promising, eco-friendly method for dehydrating these organic materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the thin-layer drying behavior of olive oil by-products in a solar dryer.
- To determine the effect of temperature and convection modes (passive and active) on drying kinetics.
- To analyze the effective diffusivity and activation energy of the drying process for different by-products.
Main Methods:
- Thin-layer drying experiments were conducted on olive pomace, sludge, and olive mill wastewater.
- Drying was performed in a solar dryer under passive (natural convection) and active (forced convection) modes.
- Temperatures ranged from 20-50 °C, and moisture ratio was analyzed using Fick's diffusion model.
- Effective diffusivity and activation energy were calculated based on experimental data and Arrhenius-type relationships.
Main Results:
- Increased air temperature significantly reduced the drying time for all tested olive by-products.
- Effective diffusivity values varied between 9.136 × 10(-11) to 1.406 × 10(-9) m(2)/s, generally increasing with temperature.
- Activation energies differed between by-products and convection modes, indicating distinct drying characteristics.
Conclusions:
- Solar drying is an effective method for reducing moisture content in olive oil production by-products.
- Temperature is a key parameter influencing drying rates and effective diffusivity.
- Understanding these drying characteristics is vital for optimizing solar dryer design and operation for waste valorization.
