The model of sustainable energy production of dried fruit conducted by using combined technology – the model that has been developed at the Faculty of Agriculture in Novi Sad – includes osmotic dehydration of fruit in sucrose solution. During the process of dehydration the moisture content of the solution is increased due to mass transfer of moisture from fruit. This article examines different models of recycling and concentrating of the solution. Thus, the model for concentrating of the solution has been chosen according to this analysis, and it has been applied within its own technology. Evaporators of the low temperature solution have been used and they are based on the solar energy source. Two types of devices have been made on the basis of the heating process of evaporating. One type is filled with the stainless steel shavings, while the other type is based on the fillings by plates. The paper presents the evaluation model of the benefits of this concentrating manner as well as the evaluation criterion of the evaporators’ fillings types. The energy support used here was an original solar air heater of semi-concentrated type.

osmotic drying; osmotic solvent; evaporating; fruit drying; solar energy

Published by University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagreb, CROATIA
Sponsored by Ministry Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia