Optimisation of Energy and Thermal Parameters in the Drying Process of Modified Starch with Cold Plasma Pretreatment

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

• A. Taghavi
• A. Ranjbar Nedamani
• A. Motevali
• S. J. Hashemi

Department of Mechanical Engineering of Biosystems, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22067/jam.2025.94207.1405

Abstract

Introduction
Drying is one of the important steps in starch modification, after applying the modification treatments. Starch is obtained from the seeds and fruits of various plants and used in a dried state to achieve a longer shelf life, potentially saving on transportation and storage costs for commercial purposes. Drying is the final necessary step in starch modification, often performed using a conventional oven, a freeze dryer, or an organic solvent (typically ethanol or acetone). In food drying processes, energy consumption is considered a key parameter. The method used to dry pre-gelatinised starch is crucial, as drying is one of the most important steps in the production of modified starch powder. On the other hand, considering the global tendency to use renewable energies, especially in food drying, to reduce thermal damage, energy consumption and drying time, it is of great importance to investigate drying with reflectance window systems, which are environmentally friendly, have high efficiency and cause less damage to the food product components. The effect of drying modified starch with cold plasma by a reflectance window system at a temperature of 50 °C was investigated, and its results were compared with data from the traditional oven drying system.
 Materials and Methods
Potato starch powder was obtained from Zamen Food Products Manufacturing Company, located in Mashhad Industrial City, Iran, in plastic packs. A laboratory-scale cold plasma generator device available at the Sari University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Growth Centre was used. This device consists of two main parts: the cold plasma generation section and the sample storage section. The device generated cold plasma through direct contact of the sample with the resulting ionised air. Cold plasma was applied to the sample produced by a plasma reactor with copper and steel electrodes at a voltage of 20 kV, a current of 3 mA, and a frequency of 50 Hz, using atmospheric air. A randomised complete factorial design was implemented with the factors of pre-gelatinisation temperature (55 and 60 ℃), cold plasma treatment time (0, 15, and 30 min), and starch drying temperature in the oven (60, 70, and 80 ℃). To prepare pre-gelatinised samples, 10 g of starch was dissolved in 90 g of distilled water to prepare a 10% (w/w) solution. The energy analysis included calculations of drying efficiency, energy efficiency, thermal efficiency, and specific heat consumption. The resulting data were optimized using Design-Expert software.
Results and Discussion
The results showed that the pre-gelatinisation temperature had a significant effect on all the studied parameters (energy, drying, and temperature efficiency), with a confidence level of p < 0.05. Drying temperature did not significantly affect energy efficiency, but it had a significant impact on both drying efficiency and temperature efficiency. Plasma treatment had a substantial effect on energy efficiency and drying efficiency, but no significant effect was observed on temperature efficiency. Based on regression models, the linear model has the best fit to the experimental data and was able to accurately predict the responses, which indicates the importance of the factors under study in process optimisation. Based on optimisation analysis, the optimal conditions indicate a temperature of 60 ℃ for pre-gelatinisation, 70 ℃ for oven-drying, and 30 min for cold plasma treatment time. This combination results in maximum efficiency and reduced energy consumption.
Conclusion
This analysis shows that the studied temperature changes and different treatments have distinct effects on drying processes and energy consumption, which can be considered in optimising these processes. The results of this research can help improve starch production processes and increase their efficiency in related industries. This research simultaneously investigates two new methods for modifying and drying starch, which can result in practical improvements to starch quality.
Funding Sources: This research was funded by the Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University in the form of a Master's thesis with registration number 6490/1403/D and registration date 16/9/2024 from the research budget related to the thesis grant.
Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest has been declared by the authors.
Acknowledgements: We would like to thank Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University for their financial and moral support in conducting this research.

Keywords

• Cold Plasma
• Drying
• Energy Consumption
• Starch Modification

Main Subjects

• Post-harvest technologies

Authors retain the copyright. This is an open access article distributed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0)

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