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Through‐circulation drying of seaweed. V. —Ascophyllum nodosum; fucus serratus; fucus vesiculosus
Author(s) -
Mitchell T. J.,
Potts C. S.
Publication year - 1955
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740060711
Subject(s) - ascophyllum , fucus vesiculosus , fucus , water content , botany , chemistry , algae , biology , geology , geotechnical engineering
The drying characteristics of freshly harvested Ascophyllum nodosum, Fucus vesiculosus and F. serratus have been investigated in a through‐circulation dryer. All tests were carried out with minced seaweed. Variables studied were bed depth (0.5–6 in. approx.), air temperature (100‐220° F), air wet‐bulb depression (30‐115° F), air mass velocity (5‐11 lb./sq. ft. min., and static pressure drops of air through beds of wet and dry weed. Bed‐depth experiments have given equations relating drying times, constant drying rates and outputs to loading. The output versus loading curve shows a well‐defined optimum value for each species of seaweed. Empirical equations have been derived, relating drying times (between definite water content limits) and initial constant drying rates to air mass flow. It has been shown that the drying rates, at average water contents of 3.0 to 0.2, 2.7 to 0.2, and 3.5 to 0.15 lb./lb. of bone‐dry solids (for A. nodosum, F. vesiculosus and F. serratus respectively), are directly proportional and the drying times inversely proportional to the wet‐bulb depression of the air. A study of the water content of various layers in a seaweed bed has been made. A typical drying rate versus water content curve is shown, and a mechanism of drying of deep beds has been postulated. A section is included dealing with the prediction of approximate drying times and rates.