Investigation of heat and mass transfer at the fluidized bed drying process of hazelnut

INVESTIGATION OF HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER AT THE FLUIDIZED BED DRYING PROCESS OF HAZELNUT SUMMARY Keywords: Fluidized bed, hazelnut, drying, fluidized bed drying. In the agriculture industry, harvesting and storing of grain and providing of store conditions are very important. After harvesting the grain, they must be dried enough to be store. The drying processes are different dependent on physical, chemical and other properties of the grain. It is most commonly prefer to drying of just harvested grain with spreading out and aided the solar energy. But at this processes, because of various climate conditions, it is rather delay to complete of drying. In this study, a new method for the hazelnut, fluidized bed drying has been tested. Drying of the hazelnuts in the fluidized bed is principle aim of this study. In the experiments, two groups of hazelnut have been used. First group is harvested 5-6 months ago, dried with spreading out and stored, second group is just harvested hazelnuts. In our country, first group of hazelnuts are stored for 3-4 months. Therefore, the hazelnuts are taken moisture and the breakage of them is not done enough productive. Before breaking of hazelnuts, last drying operation in the fluidized bed is reduced the losses. Also, just harvested hazelnuts have been used the experiments to obtain the results of the new drying methods dependent on fresh grain. In this study, a laboratory scaled fluidized bed has been constructed. Drying process of the hazelnuts harvested from Sakarya, has been experimentally investigated. In the literature, mathematical modeling of fluidized bed drying of the hazelnuts is not adequate. Experimental and model results have been comparative evaluated. This model has been solved by using finite difference approximation, therefore a new computer program has been produced in the matlab. There is a good agreement between experimental and model results. XIII