Drying efficiency enhancement in zucchini (<i>Cucurbita pepo L.</i>) using infrared heater film and algorithm-based control


Aktekeli B., Şevik S., Ünal K., Güven Y., Vadi S., Aktaş M.

DRYING TECHNOLOGY, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1080/07373937.2026.2631681
  • Dergi Adı: DRYING TECHNOLOGY
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Chimica, Compendex, INSPEC
  • Gazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

This study introduces a hybrid drying system that incorporates an air-to-air heat recovery unit with infrared heating film (IRHF) technology, experimentally evaluated under classical (on-off), proportional-integral (PI), and adaptive firing angle (AFA) control modes through seven trials on zucchini fruit (Cucurbita pepo L.). Results demonstrate that adaptive control consistently outperforms traditional modes by achieving a favorable balance between efficiency, energy savings, and product quality. Notably, Experiment 5 and Experiment 6 achieved the highest efficiency gains (25.19% and 23.72%), while Experiment 7 delivered remarkable energy savings (78.55%) despite a 21.63% longer drying time. Experiment 4 provided the best overall balance, with 13.44% higher efficiency, 56.73% shorter drying time, and 57.04% energy savings. Experiment 3 offered a conservative option, maintaining visual quality with 45.41% energy and 35.21% time savings. Overall, adaptive protocols enable flexible optimization: aggressive settings maximize energy recovery, while conservative ones safeguard product esthetics. The proposed system highlights the systematic advantages of adaptive algorithms in managing the "efficiency-energy-quality" tradeoff, offering scalable and environmentally conscious solutions for agricultural post-harvest processing.