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Abstract
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The objective of the present issue was to inquire the effect of ultrasound assisted con-vective drying on a thin layer of sunflower seeds. The process was carried out utilizing ahybrid chamber dryer, outfitted with an ultrasound generator with indirect transmissiontoward the material surface. Drying behavior was analyzed by drying time, effective mois-ture diffusivity (Deff), energy consumption (EC), water activity (aw), and total color change(E). Independent variables of air temperature and ultrasound power determined the effi-ciency of sonication during drying. So that, ultrasound contributed to a noticeable increasein Deffup to 44.84%. Thereafter, a reasonable decrease was found in drying time, energyconsumption, and total color change up to 40.85%, 32.95%, and 44.56%, respectively whencollocating the variables of 35◦C, 3.5 m/s, and 2.4 W/g. The optimum drying condition in thepure convective drying domain was improved from 50.74◦C and 2 m/s to the condition of40.64◦C, 2 m/s, and 3.932 W/g after sonication. In this point, significant reductions of 19.89%and 19.32% were observed in drying time and energy consumption. Optimization resultsconfirmed that ultrasound intervention could provide an intensified and energy-efficientdrying process, which generates sustainable and qualified dried seeds.
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