Experimental and Theoretical Investigation of Drying of Green Peas in a Fluidized Bed Dryer of Inert Particles Assisted by Infrared Heat Source

Drying of green peas in a Fluidized Bed Dryer (FBD) with inert particle, heated by combined sources of hot air and InfraRed (IR) radiation, has been experimentally and theoretically studied. For this purpose, an experimental set up was constructed. This setup was composed of a cylindrical bed dryer containing some inert particles which are fluidized by hot air. Some infrared lamps were also placed around the bed for heating assistance. A sample of green pea was hung in the fluidized bed and its moisture content, surface and central temperature were measured with time. A mathematical model, based on the two layers concept of penetration and conduction was also proposed for this process. The results obtained by the proposed model were compared with the experimental data.  Once the validity of the model was checked, it was used to investigate the effects of parameters such as inlet air velocity and temperature, drying sample size and the amount of inert particles on the rate of drying.