Experimental study on shrinkage and rehydration of seed during drying process

Biomaterial will shrink during the drying process. The characteristics of shrinkage and rehydration of fresh peas were studied. Drying curves, shrinkage and rehydration curves of peas without seed coats and whole peas were compared. In addition, different volumetric shrinkage coefficients were obtained and discussed. The results show that seed coats resist moisture movement not only from inside to outside but also from outside to inside during different drying conditions. During a seed’s drying process, the drying curve is similar to the shrinkage curve. The higher the heat flux is, the less drying time is needed, and in the meantime, volume would shrink more and more intensively. Dried media will break easily at high heat flux. When we create a drying regime, both drying speed and the quality of dried media should be considered.

Second-order difference scheme for a nonlinear model of wood drying process

A numerical simulation for a model of wood drying process is considered. The model is given by a couple of nonlinear differential equations. One is a nonlinear parabolic equation and the other one is a nonlinear ordinary equation. A difference scheme is derived by the method of reduction of order. First, a new variable is introduced and the original problem is rewritten into a system of the first-order differential equations. Secondly, a difference scheme is constructed for the later problem. The solvability, stability and convergence of the difference scheme are proved by the energy method. The convergence order of the difference scheme is secondorder both in time and in space. A prior error estimate is put forward. The new variable is put aside to reduce the computational cost. A numerical example testifies the theoretical result.

Simulation of Wetting and Drying Processes in A Depth Integrated Shallow Water Flow Model by Slot Method

A particular porosity method named ＂slot method＂ is implemented in a depth-integrated shallow water flow model （DIVAST） to simulate wetting and drying processes. Discussed is the relationship between the shape factors of the ＂slot＂ and the preset depth used in ＂wetting-drying＂ algorithm. Two typical tests are conducted to examine the performance of the method with the effect of the shape factors of the ＂slot＂ being checked in detail in the first test. Numerical results demonstrate that： 1 ） no additional effort to improve the finite difference scheme is needed to implement ＂slot method＂ in DIVAST, and 2） ＂slot method＂ will simulate wetting and diying processes correctly if the shape factors of the ＂slot＂ being selected properly.

Bacterial Cellulose-Silver Antibacterial Composites：Effects of Drying Processes of Bacterial Cellulose

A type of antibacterial bacterial cellulose(BC) film was prepared for potential uses as wound dressing.In order to obtain a high antibacterial effect,some forms of BC films,including the wet and dried ones were utilized as the template to in situ synthesize silver nanoparticles(AgNPs).The effects of drying methods including freeze-drying,heat drying and air drying,on the microstructures and physical properties of BC,as well as the silver contents and the antibacterial performances of the BC/AgNPs composites were investigated.It was found that the AgNPs impregnated on the dried BC films were inclined to achieve a faster silver releasing rate than the wet one,which was suitable for acute traumas treatment.

Effect of Different Drying Processes on Active Ingredients of Rheum officinale Baill.

[Objectives]To determine the drying process of different functional rhubarbs.[Methods]The contents of tannins,bianthrone,free anthraquinones and combined anthraquinones in medicinal rhubarb were determined by HPLC.The results were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance.[Results]Under different drying conditions,the contents of tannins,bianthrone,free anthraquinones and combined anthraquinones in medicinal rhubarb were significantly different.Taking the tannins content as the index,the optimum drying condition of the rhizome is 1 cm thick,dried at 60℃,the root is cut 1 cm thick,and dried at 30℃;the bianthrone content is used as an indicator,the rhizome is optimally dried.The condition is to cut 1 cm thick,dry at 60℃,the root is cut to 5 cm thick,and dried at 40℃;the free anthraquinones content is used as an index,and the optimum drying condition of the rhizome is 3 cm thick and dried at 50℃.The root is cut to a thickness of 3 cm and dried at 30℃.The combine anthraquinones content is used as an indicator.The optimum drying conditions for the rhizome are 5 cm thick,dried at 40℃,and the root is cut to 5 cm thick and dried at 70℃.[Conclusions]Different functional components of rhubarb have different directional processing methods.The drying process can reduce the drying temperature or increase the thickness of the slice,and the directional processing of the diarrhea-type rhubarb can be processed.The drying process can be carried out by increasing the drying temperature or reducing the thickness of the slice directed processing of heat-clearing and purging-fire rhubarb.

Optimized Synthesis of Carbon Aerogels via Ambient Pressure Drying Process as Electrode for Supercapacitors

Carbon aerogels were synthesized via ambient pressure drying process using resorcinolformaldehyde as precursor and P123 to strengthen their skeletons. CO2 activation technology was implemented to improve surface areas and adjust pore size distribution. The synthesis process was optimized, and the morphology, structure, adsorption properties and electrochemical behavior of different samples were characterized. The CO2-activated samples achieved a high specific capacitance of 129.2 F/g in 6 M KOH electrolytes at the current density of 1 m A/cm^2 within the voltage range of 0-0.8 V. The optimized activation temperature and duration were determined to be 950 ℃ and 4 h, respectively.

Intensification of the Banana Drying Processes by Using EFL Electromagnetic Waves

Drying of the banana in the hot water has a negative impact on the quality of the product and drying effect. The purposes of this study are increasing the drying rate, using the relatively low temperature to improve the quality (40℃, 50℃ and 60℃) and investigate the use of electromagnetic waves to increase the drying speed. Therefore, experiments are performed using 5 kHz,10 kHz and 15 kHz low frequency electromagnetic waves in the air velocity values of 0.5 m/s, 1 m/s, 1.5 m/s and 2 m/s and 40℃, 50℃, 60℃ centigrade degrees of air blast in a special compartment. Mathematical model of the drying process has been created as using the electrical circuits methods and experimental results. As a result, a simple equation describing the drying process has been obtained. Nonlinear expression of the diffusion coefficient for a different situation in this equation has been identified for the first time. The obtained theoretical results and experimental results have been provided a good agreement. This study is considered to be useful for all studies in the drying area.

Feasibility Analysis of Drying Process Habanero Chili Using a Hybrid-Solar-Fluidized Bed Dryer in Yucatan, M^xico

Drying processing of Habanero chili was improved, through solar energy usage. Habanero chili is a notable seasonal product being drying such important for Mexican producers; this process is expensive and wasteful of energy. A feasibility analysis was developed, to determine the market tendency and the optimal drying conditions for redesign Habanero chili drying process, through a hybrid solar-electric energy usage. The new drying process would be held in two stages： （a） an open solar dryer was used; （b） an existing pilot fluidized bed dryer was adapted with a low temperature solar collector for air heating. Habanero chili was dehydrated from 90% to 5% moisture in 10.3 h, with good quality product, available for commercialization. A reduction in the average drying time of 50% was obtained, also, in the energy usage of 77% in the fluidized bed dryer, with an energy saving of 0.52 kg of natural gas per kg of fresh Habanero chili. An innovative sustainable efficient drying process was developed, and will be strategic to expand the market for Habanero chili with low energy cost.

Real-time monitoring system for quality monitoring of jujube slice during drying process

The real-time monitoring and prediction system for quality attributes of jujube slices during the drying process was designed to solve the problem of destructive and inconvenient of the traditional quality detection method and realize quality online monitoring.Firstly,machine vision and automatic weighing were employed to monitor the color and moisture content changes of jujube slices in real-time.Secondly,correlation models between color parameter(a^(*)value)and nutritional quality attributes(vitamin C,reducing sugar)were established to predict vitamin C and reducing sugar content of jujube slices during the drying process.Finally,the upper computer monitoring software was integrated and designed based on LABVIEW virtual instrument,and the real-time monitoring system was tested and validated.Results showed that:the changing trends of color(L^(*),a^(*),and b^(*)values)monitored by the system were basically the same as the results detected by color difference meter,and the average errors of L^(*),a^(*),and b^(*)values were 0.93,0.52,and 0.73,respectively.The average relative error of moisture content between the system monitoring and manual static detection was 0.18%.The average error of vitamin C and reducing sugar content between the system prediction and manual detection were 50 mg/100 g in dry basis and 0.71g/100 g in dry basis,respectively.The current work can provide a useful reference for real-time monitoring of quality attributes of fruits and vegetables during the drying process.

Green and Effective Ammonium Carbonate-assisted Process for Drying Hemicellulose Obtained through Alkali Extraction of Bleached Bamboo Kraft Pulp

Hemicellulose has a wide range of applications,including that as an emulsifier for the food industry and raw material for the synthesis of bioethanol/biochemicals and biodegradable films.Hemicellulose is usually present as a spent liquor,such as the prehydrolysis liquor of the prehydrolysis kraft dissolving pulp production process and the alkali extraction liquor of the cold caustic extraction of pulp fibers.Due to its dilute nature,hemicellulose needs to be dried for practical utilization,and this is challenging.In this study,cellulose and hemicellulose in a bleached bamboo kraft pulp were separated using an alkali extraction process.Hemicellulose obtained from the extraction liquor was dried by an ammonium carbonate-assisted drying process.The effects of drying time and drying temperature were determined.Structure of the hemicellulose obtained by the ammonium carbonate-assisted drying process was similar to that of original hemicellulose,as revealed by detailed Fourier transform infrared and X-ray diffraction analyses.The novel drying method was more energy efficient and required a shorter drying time than the conventional freeze drying method,and the excellent solubility in alkaline solutions favored the chemical modification of hemicellulose.The dried hemicellulose can be used as a renewable raw material for the preparation of hydrogels and other substances such as bioethanol/biochemicals and biodegradable films.

Effects of drying process on total phenolics,antioxidant activity and flavonoid contents of common Mediterranean herbs

Four different fresh and dried herb species(sage,thyme,mint and lemonbalm)were evaluated to study the effect of drying process on the total phenolics,antioxidant activity,flavonoid contents and color properties.Fresh mint had the highest contents of total phenolics(335.4 mg GAE/100 g),whereas lower levels were respectively found in sage(316.4 mg GAE/100 g)followed by lemonbalm(303.2 mg GAE/100 g)and thyme(299.2 mg GAE/100 g).Dry processing significantly decreased the phytochemical contents of all investigated herbs.Compare to air drying,total phenolics,antioxidant activity and flavonoids content in herbs decreased apparently by oven dried.Fresh mint had the highest antioxidant activity(87.46%)and flavonoids content(298.51 mg CE/100 g),while the fresh sage,thyme and lemonbalm were found to have antioxidant activity values of 86.81%,86.56% and 85.26%,respectively.Results showed that air drying herbs contained more total phenolics,antioxidant activity,and flavonoids than oven drying herbs.

Effects of drying process of Yuanzhi (Radix Palygalae) on its bioactive ingredients

OBJECTIVE： To study the effects of the drying processing in terms operational parameters on the bio- active constituents of six YuanzhJ （Radix Palygalae） samples across China. METHODS： Six Yuanzhi （Radix Palygalae） samples were investigated using thermogravimetry analysis. The heating courses were set in two ways： the temperature-programmed process from room temperature to 150℃ ,and the constant-temperature course at 50℃, 70℃ and 90℃. RESULTS： The peak temperature of six Yuanzhi （Radix Palygalae） samples ranged from 78℃ to 88℃. The mass loss rate of Yuanzhi （Radix Palygalae） alcohol-soluble extract was significantly increased when heated at 90℃. Four types of bioactive ingredients were detected in volatile oils of Yuanzhi （Radix Palygalae） sample from Shanxi province by Gas Chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy results showed that the drying temperature exerted a great influence on types and amount of ingredients of Yuanzhi （Radix Palygalae）. The kinetic study showed that the constant-temperature drying process of Yuanzhi Radix Palygalae） samples could be well de- scribed by the Page Model, especially for the drying process at 50~C, in which R2 and SD values were more than 0.98 and less than 0.04, respectively.The drying constant k of three Yuanzhi （Radix Palygalae） samples from Shanxi, Gansu and Shaanxi provinces in China was corresponding to the Arrhenius equation, and their activation energies were 28.07, 2.5.38 and 21.48 kJ/mol, respectively. CONCLUSION： The drying process of Yuanzhi （Radix Palygalae） was very important for bioactive ingredients improvement in Yuanzhi （Radix Palygalae）. Temperature was a thermodynamic property significantly affecting the process.

Field performance of alternate wetting and drying furrow irrigation on tomato crop growth, yield, water use efficiency, quality and profitability

Sustainable irrigation method is now essential for adaptation and adoption in the areas where water resources are limited. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to test the performance of alternate wetting and drying furrow irrigation（AWDFI） on crop growth, yield, water use efficiency（WUE）, fruit quality and profitability analysis of tomato. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with six treatments replicated thrice during the dry seasons of 2013-2014 and 2014-2015. Irrigation water was applied through three ways of furrow： AWDFI, fixed wetting and drying furrow irrigation（FWDFI） and traditional（every） furrow irrigation（TFI）. Each irrigation method was divided into two levels： irrigation up to 100 and 80% field capacity（FC）. Results showed that plant biomass（dry matter） and marketable fruit yield of tomato did not differ significantly between the treatments of AWDFI and TFI, but significant difference was observed in AWDFI and in TFI compared to FWDFI at same irrigation level. AWDFI saved irrigation water by 35 to 38% for the irrigation levels up to 80 and 100% FC, compared to the TFI, respectively. AWDFI improved WUE by around 37 to 40% compared to TFI when irrigated with 100 and 80% FC, respectively. Fruit quality（total soluble solids and pulp） was found greater in AWDFI than in TFI. Net return from AWDFI technique was found nearly similar compared to TFI and more than FWDFI. The benefit cost ratio was viewed higher in AWDFI than in TFI and FWDFI by 2.8, 8.7 and 11, 10.4% when irrigation water was applied up to 100 and 80% FC, respectively. Unit production cost was obtained lower in AWDFI compared to TFI and FWDFI. However, AWDFI is a useful water-saving furrow irrigation technique which may resolve as an alternative choice compared with TFI in the areas where available water and supply methods are limited to irrigation.

High energy density in ultra-thick and flexible electrodes enabled by designed conductive agent/binder composite

Thick electrodes can increase incorporation of active electrode materials by diminishing the proportion of inactive constituents,improving the overall energy density of batteries.However,thick electrodes fabricated using the conventional slurry casting approach frequently exhibit an exacerbated accumulation of carbon additives and binders on their surfaces,invariably leading to compromised electrochemical properties.In this study,we introduce a designed conductive agent/binder composite synthesized from carbon nanotube and polytetrafluoroethylene.This agent/binder composite facilitates production of dry-process-prepared ultra-thick electrodes endowed with a three-dimensional and uniformly distributed percolative architecture,ensuring superior electronic conductivity and remarkable mechanical resilience.Using this approach,ultra-thick LiCoO_(2)(LCO) electrodes demonstrated superior cycling performance and rate capabilities,registering an impressive loading capacity of up to 101.4 mg/cm^(2),signifying a 242% increase in battery energy density.In another analytical endeavor,time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy was used to clarify the distribution of cathode electrolyte interphase(CEI) in cycled LCO electrodes.The results provide unprecedented evidence explaining the intricate correlation between CEI generation and carbon distribution,highlighting the intrinsic advantages of the proposed dry-process approach in fine-tu ning the CEI,with excellent cycling performance in batteries equipped with ultra-thick electrodes.

Extraction and Drying Technique of Bawei Shangke Huoxue Tablets

[Objectives]To optimize the water extraction process of Bawei Shangke Huoxue tablets and determine the best drying method of the extract.[Methods]The orthogonal test method was used to select the optimal water extraction process,with the content of total flavonoids and the yield of dry extract as the test indicators,and the soaking time,the amount of water added,the extraction time and the extraction times as the main test factors.The water content of spray powder was taken as the evaluation indicator,the inlet air temperature,the density of liquid phase and the outlet air temperature were selected as the factors,and the spray drying process of water-extracted concentrated liquid was optimized by orthogonal test.[Results]The optimal water extraction process was no immersion,water decoction and extraction twice,adding 10 times of water each time,extraction for 1h,in which the amount of water added was the main factor.The liquid density of spray dried extract powder is 1.05-1.08(60℃),the inlet air temperature is 180℃,the outlet air temperature is 80℃is the most suitable,and the liquid density is the main factor.[Conclusions]The extraction and drying technology of Bawei Huangke Huoxue tablet is feasible,scientific and reasonable,and can be used for industrial production.

Preparation of Cationic Starch by Electromagnetic Dry Process (EMDP)

Introduction Cationic starches are a series of products of which various sorts with different properties and usages can all be produced via cationic reactions by using different types of etherification agents under different conditions. As an additive and strengthening agent,

Numerical Study on Dry Deposition Processes in Canopy Layer

A coupling model between the canopy layer(CL) and atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) for the study of dry deposition velocity is developed. The model consists of six parts: chemical species conservation equation including absorptive factor; the species uptake action including detailed vertical variation of absorptive element in CL; momentum exchange in CL which is represented by a first-order closure momentum equation with an additional larger-scale diffusive term; momentum exchange in ABL which is described by a complete set of the ABL turbulent statistic parameters; absorptivity (or solubility or reflection) at the surface including effects of the physical and chemical characters of the species, land type, seasonal and diurnal variations of the meteorological variables; and deposition velocity derived by distributions of the species with height in CL. Variational rules of the concentration and deposition velocity with both height and time are simulated with the model for both corn and forest canopies. Results predicted with the bulk deposition velocity derived in the paper consist well with experimental data.

An Investigation of Error Sources in Computational Fluid Dynamics Modelling of a Co-current Spray Dryer

The paper is focused on identifying error sources in computational fluid dynamics(CFD) predictions of a spray drying process. Seven groups of drying and atomisation parameters were selected for analysis and 13simulation trials were performed. The theoretical results were compared with experimental data and sensitivity of the simulation results to the analysed factors was determined. The following parameters affecting the accuracy of CFD spray modelling were found: gas turbulence model, particle dispersion, atomising air, initial parameters of atomisation and heat losses to the environment. A major difference in the errors committed during modelling of spray drying process for fine and coarse sprays was observed.

Microstructure formation mechanism of catalyst layer and its effect on fuel cell performance:Effect of dispersion medium composition

The design of the catalyst layer(CL)offers a feasible way to realize the commercialization of proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs).An in-depth understanding of catalyst inks is critical to achieving the optimal CL structure and cell performance.In this work,the effects of the solvent evaporation process during ink drying on the formation of the CL microstructure are particularly considered to reveal the structure-property correlations among the catalyst ink,drying process,CL microstructure and fuel cell performance.An increase in the alcohol content of the catalyst ink increases the amount of free ionomers while allowing the ionomer backbone to be more stretched in the dispersion medium.The higher alcohol content contributes to rapid solvent evaporation and thus inhibits the formation of coffee rings;as a result,a more developed ionomer network with a denser pore structure is obtained.Therefore,the alcohol-rich electrode exhibits better proton conduction capability,but higher oxygen transport resistance.For complex fuel cell operating conditions,a catalyst ink formulation with 50 wt%alcohol content is preferred due to its proper ionomer and pore size distribution,providing satisfactory fuel cell performance.

Feasibility of flue-gas desulfurization by manganese oxides

For the purpose of effective and economic desulfurization of flue-gas, the predominance area diagram of the Mn-S-O system at different temperatures was constructed based on the thermodynamic data obtained from the literatures. It is seen from this figure that flue-gas desulfurization by manganese oxides is feasible from the thermodynamic point of view. Additionally, the most appropriate temperature range for flue-gas desulfurization is between 600 and 800 K, and the reaction is strongly exothermic to maintain the heat balance. The natural manganese ores encompass large tunnels that exhibit large surface areas and highly chemical activity, which can provide a high enough SO2 removing efficiency. From the superposition of the diagrams of Mn-S-O and Fe-S-O systems, it is found that there is a coexistent stability region of MnSO4 and Fe2O3, which provides the possibility of desulfurization by selective sulfation without ferric sulfate forming. A multi-stage desulfurization system has been discussed briefly.