Estudio del secado de anacardo (Anacardium occidentale L.) mediante secador solar de radiación directa

Abstract

In this work solar drying tests with direct radiation and its mathematical modeling to evaluate the kinetics of cashew-nut (Anacardium occidentale L.) drying comparing their efficiency concerned to natural solar drying board are presented. The experiments were performed using fruit slices with 1 cm and 2 cm of thickness, obtaining its water content versus time. Using a direct solar radiation dryer, the drying time was lower than that of natural drying board, therefore adding value to products. Diffusivity values obtained from water sliced fruits were similar to other data available in the literature. The dried products had good organoleptic properties, aroma, color and crunchy texture