Thin-layer Drying Characteristics of Rapeseed

Purpose: The aims of this study were to define the drying characteristics of rapeseed and to determine the optimum thin-layer drying model for rapeseed by considering the effects of drying temperature and relative humidity. Methods: The thin-layer drying experiments were conducted at different combinations of drying air temperature levels of 40, 50, and $60^{\circ}C$ and relative humidity levels of 30, 45, and 60%, on both of which drying rate depends. The drying rate increased with increasing air temperature as well as decreasing relative humidity. The 13 models were fitted to the experimental data. Results: From the results of the regression analysis for empirical constants of the Page model, the values of $R^2$ were the highest (ranging from 0.9924 to 0.9966) and the values of RMSE were the lowest (ranging from 0.0169 to 0.0296). Conclusions: For all drying conditions considered, the Page model was determined to be the most suitable model for describing the thin-layer drying of rapeseed (P-value < 0.01). The moisture diffusion coefficients were calculated using the moisture diffusion equation for a spherical shape, based on Fick's second law.