Fruits and vegetables are dried to enhance storage stability, minimize packaging requirement and reduce transport weight. Preservation of fruits and vegetables through drying based on sun and solar drying techniques which cause poor quality and product contamination. Energy consumption and quality of dried products are critical parameters in the selection of drying process. An optimum drying system for the preparation of quality dehydrated products is cost effective as it shortens the drying time and cause minimum damage to the product. To reduce the energy utilization and operational cost new dimensions came up in drying techniques. Among the technologies osmotic dehydration, vacuum drying, freeze drying, superheated steam drying, heat pump drying and spray drying have great scope for the production of quality dried products and powders.

/pdf/recent-advances-in-drying-and-dehydration-of-fruits-and-5chud9fawi.pdf

Recent advances in drying and dehydration of fruits and vegetables: a review

High-temperature thermal storage using a packed bed of rocks - Heat transfer analysis and experimental validation

http://web.mit.edu/scot/public/temp/sdarticle.pdf

An analysis of a packed bed latent heat thermal energy storage system using PCM capsules: Numerical investigation

Survey and evaluation of heating technologies for worldwide agricultural greenhouse applications

http://lms.ctl.cyut.edu.tw/sysdata/39/6339/doc/5e2207c540e47682/attach/77098.pdf

Multi-criteria selection of electric power plants using analytical hierarchy process

https://krishi.icar.gov.in/jspui/bitstream/123456789/37329/3/Effect-of-greenhouse-design-parameters-on-conservation-of-energy-fo_2002_Ene.pdf

Effect of greenhouse design parameters on conservation of energy for greenhouse environmental control

Pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics of air-rockbed thermal storage systems☆

A theoretical procedure, using energy balance princi-ples, is developed to estimate the energy conserving potential of night curtains used in greenhouses. The pro-cedure is tested by comparing the results of the analysis with published experimental data.

Analytical Determination of the Effect on Greenhouse Heating Requirements of Using Night Curtains

RISING fuel prices are having a significant effect on further development of the greenhouse industry. This has directed research efforts along two paths: (a) improving the greenhouse structure to reduce energy losses, while maintaining a desirable growth environ-ment; and (b) developing alternate energy sources such as solar, wind, waste heat from power plants, and geo-thermal energy to meet greenhouse heating demand. Although a number of greenhouse thermal environ-ment models (analytical and numerical) are available at present, each model is restrictive in its applicability. A more general time-dependent analysis of greenhouse thermal environment is desirable to detect and control thermal stress on plants, to design so as to reduce heat-ing and cooling requirements, and to consider intermit-tent sources of heating and cooling such as solar and wind.

A Time Dependent Analysis of Greenhouse Thermal Environment

Summary

Investigations were carried out to see the impact of blanching time, pretreatment and storage and packaging on the physico-chemical properties of solar dehydrated cauliflower. The processing treatments selected for the study were blanching time of 3, 5, 7 and 9 min, potassium metabisulphite (KMS) pretreatment having 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5% concentration level and storage in high-density polyethylene, laminated aluminium foil and polypropylene. The cauliflowers were further processed and dehydrated in solar dryer before packing it into different packaging materials. Packed dehydrated cauliflower was stored for 6 months at room temperature. The stored cauliflower samples were tested periodically for their moisture content, rehydration ratio, rehydration coefficient, ascorbic acid and browning. Ranking of blanching time, chemical concentration level and packaging materials were statistically analysed by using SAS package. The samples with 9 min blanching time, followed by dipping in 1.0% KMS solution, and packed in laminated aluminium foil showed better results in comparison with other treatments.

Pitam Chandra

Papers

Effect of greenhouse design parameters on conservation of energy for greenhouse environmental control

Pressure drop and heat transfer characteristics of air-rockbed thermal storage systems☆

Analytical Determination of the Effect on Greenhouse Heating Requirements of Using Night Curtains

A Time Dependent Analysis of Greenhouse Thermal Environment

Impact of processing treatments and packaging material on some properties of stored dehydrated cauliflower