Influence of Temperature and Ginger Piece Size on Heat and Mass Transfers During Convective Drying

This study examines the influence of temperature and sample size on the drying of ginger in a convective dryer. Cubic samples of various sizes (0.5 cm, 1 cm, 1.5 cm, and 2 cm) were dried at temperatures of 50°C, 60°C, 70°C, and 80°C. The results show that increasing the temperature accelerates the drying process and reduces the time required to reach an almost negligible level of residual moisture. Furthermore, smaller samples dry faster than larger ones due to their reduced thickness and improved water diffusion. These findings highlight the importance of controlling both sample size and temperature to optimize the drying process while preserving the quality of the ginger. The diffusion coefficient values calculated for cubic samples with different sizes of 0.5 cm, 1 cm, 1.5 cm, and 2 cm at temperatures of 50°C, 60°C, 70°C, and 80°C range from 3.019×10-10 to 7.109×10-9 m²/s, and they increase with air temperature. The activation energy calculated using the Arrhenius equation ranges from 16.72 to 60.75 kJ/mol, and it increases with sample size.