Mathematical Modelling of the Drying Kinetics of Clupea harengus from Congo
Arnaud W. G Tamba Sompila *
National Institute for Research in Engineering Sciences, Innovation and Technology, Brazzaville, Congo and National Superior Polytechnic School, Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Congo.
Nadia P. G. Pambou-Tobi
National Institute for Research in Engineering Sciences, Innovation and Technology, Brazzaville, Congo and National Superior Polytechnic School, Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Congo.
Madiélé Mabika Aimé Bertrand
National Institute for Research in Engineering Sciences, Innovation and Technology, Brazzaville, Congo and Plant and Life Chemistry Unit (UC2V), Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Congo.
Michel Elenga
National Institute for Research in Engineering Sciences, Innovation and Technology, Brazzaville, Congo and Pole of Excellence in Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Science and Technology, Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Congo.
Reyes H. Gampoula
National Institute for Research in Engineering Sciences, Innovation and Technology, Brazzaville, Congo.
Gloire H. Louya Banzouzi
National Institute for Research in Engineering Sciences, Innovation and Technology, Brazzaville, Congo.
Haïshat Souleymane Mahoumi
National Institute for Research in Engineering Sciences, Innovation and Technology, Brazzaville, Congo.
Sylvia Petronille Ntsossani
National Institute for Research in Engineering Sciences, Innovation and Technology, Brazzaville, Congo.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Modeling means finding a mathematical relationship between coordinates. focused on the kinetics of herring fish. Herring fish, known in the Congo vernacular as “makouala”, is available in large quantities in the country. Its consumption and exploitation constitute an important source of nutrients and revenue. The aim of this study is to investigate the behavior of herring (Clupea harengus) flesh during continuous convective oven drying at three different temperatures (50, 60 and 70°C). The expriment was carried out by oven-drying kinetics at the three (3) temperatures mentioned above. Five (5) semi-theoretical mathematical models were used to describe the drying kinetics, with the coefficient of determination (R2), the statistical parameters reduced ki-square (χ2) and the root-mean-square error (RMSE) being used to assess the quality of the smoothing of the curves for mass loss, dry base content and drying speed as a function of time. Effective diffusivity and activation energy were also evaluated and discussed in this work. The results obtained provided plots of the evolution of mass, dry base content and drying rate as a function of time. Among the models examined, the “Midilli et al. [1]” model appeared to best describe the drying behavior of herring fish under the experimental conditions studied, with coefficient of determination (R2) values of 0.99808, 0.99663 and 0.99811 at 50, 60 and 70°C respectively. Effective diffusivity (Deff) values calculated in m2/s were for the same temperature order 2.52993 x 10-5 m2/s ; 2.45657 x 10-6 and 4.21370 x 10-6 for an activation energy (Ea) equal to 83.80 kj/mol.
Keywords: Activation energy, effective diffusion, modeling, Clupea harengus, drying