Heat Pump Dryer Design Optimization Algorithm

Drying food involves complex physical atmospheric mechanisms with non-linear relations from the air-food interactions, and those relations are strongly dependent on the moisture contents and the type of food. Such dependence makes it complex to design suitable dryers dedicated to a single drying pro...

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Main Authors: Bernardo Andrade, Ighor Amorim, Michel Silva, Larysa Savosh, Luís Frölén Ribeiro
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2019-10-01
Series:Inventions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5134/4/4/63
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author Bernardo Andrade
Ighor Amorim
Michel Silva
Larysa Savosh
Luís Frölén Ribeiro
author_facet Bernardo Andrade
Ighor Amorim
Michel Silva
Larysa Savosh
Luís Frölén Ribeiro
author_sort Bernardo Andrade
collection DOAJ
description Drying food involves complex physical atmospheric mechanisms with non-linear relations from the air-food interactions, and those relations are strongly dependent on the moisture contents and the type of food. Such dependence makes it complex to design suitable dryers dedicated to a single drying process. To streamline the design of a novel compact food-drying machine, a heat pump dryer component design optimization algorithm was developed as a subprogram of a Computer Aided Engineering tool. The algorithm requires inputting food and air properties, the volume of the drying container, and the technical specifications of the heat pump off-the-shelf components. The heat required to dehumidify the food supplied by the heat exchange process from condenser to evaporator, and the compressor&#8217;s requirements (refrigerant mass flow rate and operating pressures) are then calculated. Compressors can then be selected based on the volume and type of food to be dried. The algorithm is shown via a flow chart to guide the user through three different stages: Changes in drying air properties, heat flow within dryer and product moisture content. Example results of how different compressors are selected for different types of produces and quantities (<i>Agaricus blazei</i> mushroom with three different moisture contents or fish from <i>Thunnini</i> tribe) conclude this article.
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spelling doaj.art-6283d2009c0d43c6a980d2fcc3383a942022-12-22T00:41:01ZengMDPI AGInventions2411-51342019-10-01446310.3390/inventions4040063inventions4040063Heat Pump Dryer Design Optimization AlgorithmBernardo Andrade0Ighor Amorim1Michel Silva2Larysa Savosh3Luís Frölén Ribeiro4Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 30421-169, BrazilMechanical Technology Department, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, 5300-252 Bragança, PortugalMechanical Technology Department, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, 5300-252 Bragança, PortugalDepartment of International Economic Relations, Lutsk National Technical University, 43000 Lutsk, UkraineMechanical Technology Department, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, 5300-252 Bragança, PortugalDrying food involves complex physical atmospheric mechanisms with non-linear relations from the air-food interactions, and those relations are strongly dependent on the moisture contents and the type of food. Such dependence makes it complex to design suitable dryers dedicated to a single drying process. To streamline the design of a novel compact food-drying machine, a heat pump dryer component design optimization algorithm was developed as a subprogram of a Computer Aided Engineering tool. The algorithm requires inputting food and air properties, the volume of the drying container, and the technical specifications of the heat pump off-the-shelf components. The heat required to dehumidify the food supplied by the heat exchange process from condenser to evaporator, and the compressor&#8217;s requirements (refrigerant mass flow rate and operating pressures) are then calculated. Compressors can then be selected based on the volume and type of food to be dried. The algorithm is shown via a flow chart to guide the user through three different stages: Changes in drying air properties, heat flow within dryer and product moisture content. Example results of how different compressors are selected for different types of produces and quantities (<i>Agaricus blazei</i> mushroom with three different moisture contents or fish from <i>Thunnini</i> tribe) conclude this article.https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5134/4/4/63algorithmheat-pumpdryingfooddesignoptimization
spellingShingle Bernardo Andrade
Ighor Amorim
Michel Silva
Larysa Savosh
Luís Frölén Ribeiro
Heat Pump Dryer Design Optimization Algorithm
Inventions
algorithm
heat-pump
drying
food
design
optimization
title Heat Pump Dryer Design Optimization Algorithm
title_full Heat Pump Dryer Design Optimization Algorithm
title_fullStr Heat Pump Dryer Design Optimization Algorithm
title_full_unstemmed Heat Pump Dryer Design Optimization Algorithm
title_short Heat Pump Dryer Design Optimization Algorithm
title_sort heat pump dryer design optimization algorithm
topic algorithm
heat-pump
drying
food
design
optimization
url https://www.mdpi.com/2411-5134/4/4/63
work_keys_str_mv AT bernardoandrade heatpumpdryerdesignoptimizationalgorithm
AT ighoramorim heatpumpdryerdesignoptimizationalgorithm
AT michelsilva heatpumpdryerdesignoptimizationalgorithm
AT larysasavosh heatpumpdryerdesignoptimizationalgorithm
AT luisfrolenribeiro heatpumpdryerdesignoptimizationalgorithm