Dynamic Control for Convective Apricots Dryer

The optimal control methodology is used to develop a control system for a thin-layer drying process. A multi-objective function is defined. It takes into account energy consumption, process duration and desired quality of the final products. The function is used in the process control in a laboratory dryer. It is necessary for the proposed control to determine the ambient air parameters, moisture content and quality assessment of the fruits and vegetables in the course of the process. The efficiency of the proposed control has been demonstrated for the drying of apricots. The proposed control system can be applied in the thin-layer drying of various fruits and vegetables.