Directions for the development of energy saving at vacuum drying of plant materials

DOI: 10.17586/1606-4313-2024-23-4-32-38
UDC 620.9:66.047.3

Directions for the development of energy saving at vacuum drying of plant materials

Rumyantsev Alexander A.

For citation: Rumyantsev A.A. Directions for the development of energy saving at vacuum drying of plant materials. Journal of International Academy of Refrigeration. 2024. No 4. p. 32-38. DOI: 10.17586/1606-4313-2024-23-4-32-38

Abstract
Drying plant materials under vacuum has advantages over convective drying. Vacuum drying takes place without oxygen and at a moderate temperature, which allows you to preserve most of the properties of vegetable raw materials. Compared with convective drying, the cost of vacuum drying equipment is relatively high and the productivity is low. There is increased interest in resource conservation during drying all over the world, but due to the disparate and contradictory information in publications, there is a need for analysis, systematization, concentration and generalization of this information. The purpose of the study is to conduct an analytical review of resource-saving directions for vacuum drying of porous plant materials and raw materials. Resource-saving directions of vacuum drying of plant materials and raw materials have been identified. The reduction of energy costs and time of vacuum drying of materials is ensured by the use of combined methods (vacuum microwave drying, vacuum drying with IR heating, vacuum high-frequency drying, and convective vacuum drying); the use of pretreatment for raw materials (high vacuum pressure, ultrasound, and pulsation mode in an electric field) and heat-accumulating materials (paraffin); optimization of process parameters and its management, as well as the improvement of dryer designs; the use of heat pumps and renewable energy sources (solar vacuum drying). The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility to trace the extent of studying resource conservation in vacuum drying of materials at the present stage of scientific knowledge. The conclusions presented in the article may be useful for other researchers who are interested in studying the directions of resource conservation and can identify relevant problems for them.

Keywords: energy saving, vacuum drying, plant materials.

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