Research Information System
DRYING TECHNOLOGY, vol.44, no.5, pp.670-697, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
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.