Investigation of the Performance of a Hybrid Dryer Designed for the Food Industry

In this study, a microwave energy conveyor dryer with the support of solar energy was researched with respect to its usability in the food industry and its short drying time and low energy requirements. The hot air produced using a collector (which was designed in the shape of a hemisphere for the purpose of getting high efficiency from solar energy) was transferred to a conveyor drying chamber operating with microwave energy at the speed of 0.245 m/min. Drying kinetics of the selected black radishes for the experiments were determined using samples sliced into 4, 6, and 8 mm. At the end of the drying, the duration and specific energy consumption for the drying process as well as color changes in the samples were measured, and the collector’s efficiency was calculated. In addition, as a result of statistical analysis, the most suitable model among the seven drying models was determined.