DRYING BEHAVIOUR OF HAYANI DATE VARIETY USING INFRARED RADIATION

Abstract

A study was carried out to test and evaluate the use of infrared radiation as heat energy source for drying date palm. Where in this study an infrared dryer was developed and tested at the laboratory of the Department of Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University. The initial moisture content of the freshly harvested hayani date was 58.5 %(w.b.).High moisture hayani date was dried (infrared method and convection heating method) by using infrared radiation intensity included four different levels of infrared radiation intensity (0.649, 0.973, 1.093 and 1.161 kW/m2), three different levels of air temperature (40, 50 and 60°C) and three different levels of air velocity (0.5, 1 and 1.5 m/s). However, the experiments of convection heating method were conducted at three levels of inlet air temperature of about (40, 50 and 60°C) and three levels of air velocity of (0. 5, 1 and 1. 5 m/s) without infrared.