Developing ultrasound-assisted infrared drying technology for bitter melon (Momordica charantia)

The design of specific drying equipment requires correct knowledge of kinetic and thermodynamic characteristics of agricultural products. The purpose of this research is to find a suitable mathematical model to describe the experimental drying process, obtain the activation energy to specify the thermodynamic properties and calculate the specificity energy consumption. Bitter melons were dried in an infrared dryer with different temperatures, ultrasonic pretreatment times, and diverse distances from infrared lamps to reach moisture 0.1 kg(w).kg(d)(-1). The Midilli's model, best model to describe the drying process of bitter melon was chosen. The effective diffusion coefficient of bitter melon increased from 1.14 x 10(-8) to 3.60 x 10(-8) m(2).s(-1) with increasing drying temperature and duration of ultrasound treatment and decreasing the distance from infrared lamps. Also, Specific energy consumption decreased from 161.96 to 303.57 kWh.kg(-1) by increasing the temperature and duration of ultrasound pretreatment and reducing the distance of infrared lamps.Practical applicationsReducing moisture through mass and heat transfer is necessary to maintain the quality and shelf life and reduce the waste of medicinal plants and food materials. The controlled and scientific drying of bitter melon is of utmost importance due to the sensitivity of its effective constituents to the application of heat during the drying process. The utilization of mathematical modeling to conduct theoretical research offers a robust and expeditious means of evaluating the phenomena of mass and heat transfer in the context of natural drying conditions. In order to ensure quality control, a thorough investigation of the product's drying procedure and reducing energy consumption is imperative. The findings of this investigation are applicable to the enhancement of drying processes within the medicinal plant drying sector.