TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

College of Engineering
Design of Experiment

FOOD DRYER – ALTERNATIVE WAY OF FOOD DRYING BY AIR

Course Code: ME 15L Program: BSME

Course Title: Mechanical Engineering Lab 3 Date Performed: September 6, 2017
Section: 5D Date Submitted:
Members: Instructor: Engr. Nelson D. Dela Peña, Jr.
1. Rivamonte, Rocky R. Leader
2. Bundang, Ryan Jay A. Safety Officer
3. Gozon, Jonel B. Quality Inspector
4. Bautista, John Lerry Document Controller
5. Bascon, Arvin Loui DF. Assistant Data Controller

2. Intended Learning Objectives (ILOs):

The students shall be able to:
1. Design a process of Fruit Dehumidification that can:

a. Show reasonable evaluation and comparison to sun drying and the likes.

b. Be interchangeable by means of switching one path to another.

2. Construct a machine that can validate the relation of dehumidification to changes in temperature,

humidity, and air flow.

3. Discussion:
 Drying
 Drying is a mass transfer process consisting of the removal of water or another solvent by
evaporation from a solid, semi-solid or liquid. This process is often used as a final production step
before selling or packaging products. To be considered "dried", the final product must be solid, in
the form of a continuous sheet (e.g., paper), long pieces (e.g., wood), particles (e.g., cereal grains
or corn flakes) or powder (e.g., sand, salt, washing powder, milk powder). A source of heat and
an agent to remove the vapor produced by the process are often involved. In terms of food and
grain the solvent to be removed is almost invariably water.

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 Food Drying

 Food drying is a method of food preservation in which food is dried (dehydrated or desiccated).
Drying inhibits the growth of bacteria, yeasts, and mold through the removal of water. Dehydration
has been used widely for this purpose since ancient times; the earliest known practice is 12,000
B.C. by inhabitants of the modern Middle East and Asia regions. Water is traditionally removed
through evaporation (air drying, sun drying, smoking or wind drying), although today electric food
dehydrators or freeze-drying can be used to speed the drying process and ensure more
consistent results.

 Methods of Food Drying

 Oven Drying

Oven drying is the simplest way to dry food because you need almost no special equipment. It is
also faster than sun drying or using a food dryer. But oven drying can be used only on a small
scale. An ordinary kitchen oven can hold only 4 to 6 pounds of food at one time.

 Food Dryer

A commercial or homemade food dryer or convection oven provides automatically controlled heat
and ventilation. Most households will not need a dryer unless they dry large quantities of food. A
food dryer takes less electricity than drying the same amount of food in an electric oven.
However, the temperature is usually lower (about 120 °F or 50 °C.), so drying takes a little longer
than in an oven.

 Sun Drying

Sun drying is the old-fashioned way to dry food because it uses the heat from the sun and the
natural movement of the air. But bright sun, low humidity, and temperatures around 100 °F or 38
°C are necessary. This process is slow and requires a good deal of care. The food must be
protected from insects and covered at night. Sun drying is not as sanitary as other methods of
drying.

 Air Drying

Air drying differs from sun drying, since it takes place indoors in a well-ventilated attic, room, or
screened-in porch. Herbs, hot peppers, and mushrooms are the most common air-dried items.

 Air Preheater

An air preheater (APH) is a general term used to describe any device designed to heat air before
another process (for example, combustion in a boiler) with the primary objective of increasing the

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 thermal efficiency of the process. They may be used alone or to replace a recuperative heat
system or to replace a steam coil.

The purpose of the air preheater is to recover the heat from the boiler flue gas which increases
the thermal efficiency of the boiler by reducing the useful heat lost in the flue gas. As a
consequence, the flue gases are also conveyed to the flue gas stack (or chimney) at a lower
temperature, allowing simplified design of the conveyance system and the flue gas stack. It also
allows control over the temperature of gases leaving the stack (to meet emissions regulations, for
example).

Primarily, air preheaters are used in power plants but for the study, it will be used to preheat the
atmospheric air to increase the efficiency of the prototype to be constructed.

4. Materials and Equipment:

 Food dryer (title ng PS ni boss rocky)

 Different kinds of fruits (not too wet/juicy)
5. Procedure:

I. Procedure and General Laboratory Safety

1. Never eat, drink, or smoke while working in the laboratory
2. Read labels carefully
3. Do not use any equipment unless you are trained and approved as a user by your supervisor
4. Wear safety glasses or face shields when working with hazardous materials and/or equipment.
5. Wear gloves when using any hazardous or toxic agent.
6. Clothing: When handling dangerous substances, wear gloves, laboratory coats, and safety shield
or glasses. Shorts and sandals should not be worn in the lab at any time. Shoes are required when
working in the machine shops.
7. If you have long hair or loose clothes, make sure it is tied back or confined.
8. Keep the work area clear of all materials, except those needed for your work. Coats should be hung
in the hall or placed in a locker. Extra books, purses, etc. should be kept away from equipment that
requires air flow or ventilation to prevent overheating.
9. Disposal – Students are responsible for the proper disposal of used material if any in appropriate
containers.
10. Equipment Failure – If a piece of equipment fails while being used, report it immediately to your lab
assistant or tutor. Never try to fix the problem yourself because you could harm yourself and others.
11. If leaving a lab unattended, turn off all ignition sources and lock the doors.
12. Never pipette anything by mouth.
13. Clean up your work area before leaving.
14. Wash hands before leaving the lab and before eating.

II. Preparing the experiment

1. Observed Proper Safety Precaution measures, wear safety eye goggles, remove all laces, no
playing around during activity.

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 2. Conduct a visual and actual inspection of the equipment room to ensure that it is in good working
condition.
3. Prepare the equipment/ tool to measure the weight of the fruit.
4. Measure the initial weight, and resulting weight after drying.
5. Record the statistical data using data acquisition instruments.
6. Analyze and interpret the statistical data.

Instruction:

1. Identify and label the major components, accessories, auxiliaries

2. Record the statistical data.
3. Analyze and interpret the statistical data.

6. Data and Results:

Project Evaluation:

Test Results
Trial 1
Initial Mass Final Mass Drying Time Drying Rate
Inside 600 grams 226 grams 8 hours 46.75 grams/hr
Outside 200 grams 132 grams 8 hours 8.5 grams/hr
Trial 2
Initial Mass Final Mass Drying Time Drying Rate
Inside 900 grams 420 grams 10 hours 48 grams/hr
Outside 300 grams 161 grams 10 hours 13.9 grams/hr

References:

 #1http://blog.kingspaninsulation.co.uk/calculate-u-values/
 #2http://personal.cityu.edu.hk/~bsapplec/cooling.htm
 #3https://www.slideshare.net/quillshare/heat-load-calc
 #4https://snuggpro.com/help/article/windows-u-value-shgc
 #5http://article.sapub.org/10.5923.j.arch.20120204.03.html
 #6http://nptel.ac.in/courses/112105129/pdf/R%26AC%20Lecture%2034.pdf
 #7http://www.zonbak.com/knowledge/passive%20solar%20design/passivesolar11.html\
 #8https://www.archtoolbox.com/materials-systems/thermal-moisture-protection/rvalues.html

7. Computations, Analysis and Interpretation of Statistical Data and Results:

8. Illustration/Diagram:

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9. Conclusion and Recommendation:

10. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Leader: Rivamonte, Rocky R.

o Organize and keeps the group cooperation.
o Checks the process and the flow of the data inputs in the experiment.

Safety Officer: Bundang, Ryan Jay A.

o Checks the machine before doing the experiment.
o Warns member if there are unnecessary actions.

Quality Inspector: Gozon, Jonel B.

o Secure the quality of the experiment
o Checks the output if it is complete and well organized.

Document Controller: Bautista, John Lerry

o Keeps the data needed for the documentation of the experiment.
o Ensures that every member has a copy of the document or file.

Assistant Document Controller: Bascon, Arvin Loui D.F.

o Make sure that there is always a backup file.
o Edits the document.

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11. Documentation: