Modeling of Drying of Selected Varieties of Australian Peanuts

Thin-layer drying studies were conducted on two peanut varieties, Middleton and Sutherland. The range of inlet conditions used were drying air temperatures between 35 and 55°C, air humidities of 5 to 10 g/kg, and an air velocity of 2.5 m/s. The initial product moisture contents were 39 ± 3% (Middleton) and 43 ± 4% (Sutherland). A two-compartment drying model was fitted to the experimental data. The goodness of fit was assessed by comparing correlation coefficients and sums of squares. The coefficients of determination (R 2) were greater than 0.94 for both varieties, indicating that the models were adequate to describe the drying process. The results showed that the drying air temperature was the predominant factor in peanut drying. No significant difference in drying rates was found between the two varieties.