DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF DESICCANT DEHUMIDIFICATION SYSTEM TO ASSIST TAMARIND DESEEDING PROCESS
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Date
2023-04-14
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University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore
Abstract
Desiccant dehumidification system (DDS) was designed and developed to obtain a dryness of dehulled tamarind pods with the help of desiccant to assist mechanical deseeding process. Prior to this, moisture sorption isotherms of dehulled pods under controlled atmospheric condition (2 Factors – 3 levels of temperature viz., 20, 30 & 40 ℃ and 4 levels of relative humidity viz., 63, 75, 84 & 97%) for 6 days and also in open atmospheric condition (4 months: May, June, August & October) for 10 days were studied. Five different mathematical models (Exponential, Linear, Logarithmic, Polynomial & Power models) were used to predict the moisture sorption behavior of pods in which Polynomial model was found to be best. Selection of suitable desiccant and its quantification for development of DDS were studied (2 Factors - 2 levels of solid desiccants viz., silica gel & activated alumina beads and 4 levels of Pod: Desiccant ratio viz., 1:0.25, 1: 0.50, 1:0.75 & 1:1) under both dry and saturated conditions. Activated alumina beads with Pod: Desiccant ratio of 1: 0.25 under dry condition was found to be best in many aspects, thus selected for design and development of DDS. The performance evaluation of newly developed prototype of DDS was carried out by conducting deseeding trials of pods stored for 6 days in DDS using UAS (B) developed tamarind deseeder. With the help of DDS, dehulled pods could be stored for 6 days under desiccant dehumidification condition to maintain dryness and more than 90% deseeding efficiency could be achieved.