Guava thin layer drying kinetics for an indirect solar dryer

Abstract

Drying kinetics for ripe and unripe Guava are studied for an indirect solar dryer. Drying Temperatures were considered between 33 to 61 °C inside drying chamber. The Fick behavior of the drying process was examinated, observing a significant effect related to the ripeness degree of the fruit. The effective diffusion coefficients (Df) were 3.161x10-10 m 2 /s and 3.038x10-10 m 2 /s, for the ripe and unripe Guava, respectively. Solar drying is sough as an alternative post-harvest processing allowing the formulation of new products, such as in teas or in formulating mixtures for traditional Mexican beverages (so-called “ponche”).