Comparative study of green peas using with blanching & without blanching techniques

This paper attempts to analyze the kinetics involved in the drying of green peas in ‘with blanching’ and ‘without blanching’ techniques. Blanching by hot water mixed with a solution of citric acid (0.1–0.2 mg/ml) at 70 °C–100 °C is the treatment provided to the samples of green peas. Experimental analysis shows that the moisture content in green peas of three different sizes is reduced at different temperatures and demonstrates the effect of the rate of drying of the moisture content. Under different diameters and temperatures, the parameters are analyzed using ‘with blanching’ and ‘without blanching’ techniques. It is observed that ‘with blanching’ process plays a significant role in the reduction of moisture content under different temperatures and diameters in a lesser time as compared to ‘without blanching’. The operative activation energy and moisture diffusivity are described by using Fick’s law of diffusion. The calculation of effective moisture diffusivity can be done via the utilization of slope. The drying data is subjected to two models of mathematical nature: Simple Exponential model, and Page model. The performance of these models is examined by means of comparing the coefficient of determination (R2), chi-square (χ2) and root mean square error (RMSE) between the experimental and forecasted value of moisture ratio obtained ‘with blanching’ and ‘without blanching’. The experimental data was seen to be in accordance with the Page model. The comparisons of energy consumption, energy efficiency and also the cost of the drying processes for ‘with blanching’ and ‘without blanching’ have been accomplished to optimize and reduce process condition and the cost of the process, respectively. Keywords: Hot air drying, Green peas, Drying kinetics, Blanching, Fluidized bed drye