Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
International Journal of Computational and Experimental Science and Engineering, cilt.7, sa.1, ss.29-32, 2021 (Hakemli Dergi)
Hazelnut, which is one of the major export products in Turkey, can be generally
evaluated and preserved in dried form. There are difficulties encountered in keeping
its internal temperature and humidity constant at desired values because it is
commonly exposed to solar energy and dried in outdoor environment. Especially due
to rainy and variable weather conditions, it is possible to decay and decompose the
inner hazelnut without full drying. Because of improper drying, hazelnuts are known
to lose their nutritional value. In this study, the attitude of hazelnut was observed in
different ambient conditions and the drying temperatures in hazelnut drying processes
performed under laboratory conditions. For this purpose, insulated drying booths for
experimental setup were created and air circulation was provided for forced
convection by fans. Approximately equal sized hazelnuts were placed in the cabin.
The main properties of hazelnuts before and after conditioning were recorded for each
experiment. The internal temperature, surface temperature and mass loss of the
hazelnut were evaluated together. Drying attitudes were recorded for different types of
hazelnuts (round, pointed and long). The optimum ambient conditions and drying
temperatures were determined during hazelnut drying process. Drying times at 25-50
0C temperature were determined for hazelnuts with 60% relative humidity under
ambient air conditions at 3 m/s rate. It has been understood that keeping the drying
speed and temperature high or low causes uncontrolled and insufficient drying. It has
been observed that different drying conditions can be applied depending on hazelnut
storage properties.