LTHV (LOW TEMPERATURE AND HIGH VELOCITY) DRYING CARACTERISTICS AND MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF ANCHOVY (ENGRAULIS ENCRASICOLUS)

The main target of this work is to investigate the LTHV drying properties of Anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) experimentally. For this purpose, 100 g of anchovy samples were dried using ~7 m/s velocity and ~38% relative humidity at 4, 10, 15 and 20 °C. During the drying experiments, temperature, mass loss, drying air velocity and humidity were investigated. The weight of raw Anchovy fillets decreased from 100 g to 47.6 g at 4 °C for 25 h, 46.7 g at 10 °C for 23 h, 45.3 g at 15 °C for 20 h and 44.67 g at 20 °C for 13 h. In this context, Twenty-three common mathematical models were used on the experimental LTHV drying results. As result, the most suitable models of LTHV drying were determined for the each LTHV drying temperature. The R2 (determination coefficient), X2 (chi square) and RMSE (root mean square error) were applied to find the most suitable models. In this regard, Logarithmic (Asymptotic), Midilli-Kucuk, Demir et al, Balbay-Sahin models were chosen as the best mathematical models for each LTHV drying temperature at 4, 10, 15 and 20 °C. Consequently, the best single layer drying curve equations were chosen as the optimal models for LTHV drying of anchovy.