Efficiency analysis of the process of peach osmotic dehydration in molasses

Abstract

Energy consumption reduction per unit of product' removed moisture is necessary to lower production costs and increase the overall efficiency of the dehydration process. The goal of this research was to analyse efficiency and economics of the peach in molasses osmotic dehydration process, by investigating mass transfer parameters. Time, concentration and temperature of the osmotic dehydration of peach in molasses were varied and responses of water loss and solid gain were measured. The results showed that with the technological parameters of time, concentration and temperature increase, individual mass transfer parameters also increased, where maximal values of 0.7524 g/gi.s. and 0.1069 g/gi.s., were obtained for water loss and solid gain, respectively. On the basis of experimental data, mathematical models of peach osmotic dehydration in molasses responses dependence from applied technological parameters were developed, which showed good correlations between experimental and calculated results. Combined technological efficiency parameter analysis showed a total efficiency increase in the range of 40.67 to 51.71%, by using process temperature of 20°C. The highest process economics was obtained by application of energy undemanding process temperature of 20°C, where energy costs were avoided while at the same time achieved highest value of technology efficiency.

Keywords

• osmotic dehydration
• peach
• molasses
• technology efficiency
• mathematical modeling