Computational simulation and mathematical modelling of thermal performance and energy enhancement of integrated infrared with hot air heated system
Medicinal herbs are commonly used worldwide for their therapeutic, nutritional, and medicinal benefits, with peppermint being one of the most valued aromatic herbs. Despite their widespread use, energy-efficient drying methods for heat-sensitive medicinal herbs, particularly peppermint leaves, remai...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Alexandria Engineering Journal |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1110016825008208 |
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| author | Hany S. El-Mesery Ahmed H. ElMesiry Oluwasola Abayomi Adelusi Zicheng Hu Sara Elhadad |
| author_facet | Hany S. El-Mesery Ahmed H. ElMesiry Oluwasola Abayomi Adelusi Zicheng Hu Sara Elhadad |
| author_sort | Hany S. El-Mesery |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Medicinal herbs are commonly used worldwide for their therapeutic, nutritional, and medicinal benefits, with peppermint being one of the most valued aromatic herbs. Despite their widespread use, energy-efficient drying methods for heat-sensitive medicinal herbs, particularly peppermint leaves, remain underexplored, and conventional techniques often lead to quality degradation and high-energy consumption. Therefore, this study examined the thermal and energy consumption of drying peppermint leaves using an integrated infrared-hot air system at airflow rates of 0.3, 0.5, and 1.0 m/s, hot-air temperatures of 35, 45, and 55 °C; and radiation intensities of 0.08, 0.10, and 0.15 W/cm². Approximately 300 g of peppermint leaves were evenly spread on a stainless-steel mesh conveyor, and weight loss during drying was tracked using a 0.01 g precision load cell. Infrared intensity, air temperature, and airflow velocity were measured using pyranometers, thermometers, and anemometers, respectively. Furthermore, 11 different machine learning models were applied to predict the relationships between the input parameters (infrared power, airflow rate, and air temperature) and response variables, including total energy utilization, specific energy consumption, and thermal and drying efficiency. Our findings indicate that increasing the infrared power and air temperature shortened the drying periods, while increasing the airflow led to an extended drying time. The study also revealed that increased air temperature, infrared intensity, and reduced airflow rates enhanced energy indices. Among the 11 machine learning models evaluated, the Kucuk and Midilli models best fit the drying curves, making them most suitable for predicting peppermint drying behavior. The findings showed that moderate infrared levels, lower temperatures, and higher air velocities can optimize energy use and reduce drying time in peppermint leaves, highlighting the potential of advanced heating technologies to improve food drying efficiency. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8b192a566c3e40be9089dca4336d8bb8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1110-0168 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Alexandria Engineering Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-8b192a566c3e40be9089dca4336d8bb82025-08-22T04:55:43ZengElsevierAlexandria Engineering Journal1110-01682025-08-0112792094210.1016/j.aej.2025.07.008Computational simulation and mathematical modelling of thermal performance and energy enhancement of integrated infrared with hot air heated systemHany S. El-Mesery0Ahmed H. ElMesiry1Oluwasola Abayomi Adelusi2Zicheng Hu3Sara Elhadad4School of Energy and Power Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; Agricultural Engineering Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki, Giza 12611, EgyptFaculty of Computer Science and Engineering, New Mansoura University, 35742, EgyptDepartment of Biotechnology and Food Technology, Faculty of Science, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein Campus, Johannesburg P.O. Box 17011, South AfricaSchool of Energy and Power Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; Corresponding author.Architecture Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Minia University, Minia 61111, Egypt; Structural Diagnostics and Analysis Research Group, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, University of Pécs, Pécs 7622, Hungary; Corresponding author at: Architecture Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Minia University, Minia 61111, Egypt.Medicinal herbs are commonly used worldwide for their therapeutic, nutritional, and medicinal benefits, with peppermint being one of the most valued aromatic herbs. Despite their widespread use, energy-efficient drying methods for heat-sensitive medicinal herbs, particularly peppermint leaves, remain underexplored, and conventional techniques often lead to quality degradation and high-energy consumption. Therefore, this study examined the thermal and energy consumption of drying peppermint leaves using an integrated infrared-hot air system at airflow rates of 0.3, 0.5, and 1.0 m/s, hot-air temperatures of 35, 45, and 55 °C; and radiation intensities of 0.08, 0.10, and 0.15 W/cm². Approximately 300 g of peppermint leaves were evenly spread on a stainless-steel mesh conveyor, and weight loss during drying was tracked using a 0.01 g precision load cell. Infrared intensity, air temperature, and airflow velocity were measured using pyranometers, thermometers, and anemometers, respectively. Furthermore, 11 different machine learning models were applied to predict the relationships between the input parameters (infrared power, airflow rate, and air temperature) and response variables, including total energy utilization, specific energy consumption, and thermal and drying efficiency. Our findings indicate that increasing the infrared power and air temperature shortened the drying periods, while increasing the airflow led to an extended drying time. The study also revealed that increased air temperature, infrared intensity, and reduced airflow rates enhanced energy indices. Among the 11 machine learning models evaluated, the Kucuk and Midilli models best fit the drying curves, making them most suitable for predicting peppermint drying behavior. The findings showed that moderate infrared levels, lower temperatures, and higher air velocities can optimize energy use and reduce drying time in peppermint leaves, highlighting the potential of advanced heating technologies to improve food drying efficiency.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1110016825008208Peppermint leavesHybrid infrared dryerComputational simulationEnergy efficiencyDrying kineticsThermal analysis |
| spellingShingle | Hany S. El-Mesery Ahmed H. ElMesiry Oluwasola Abayomi Adelusi Zicheng Hu Sara Elhadad Computational simulation and mathematical modelling of thermal performance and energy enhancement of integrated infrared with hot air heated system Alexandria Engineering Journal Peppermint leaves Hybrid infrared dryer Computational simulation Energy efficiency Drying kinetics Thermal analysis |
| title | Computational simulation and mathematical modelling of thermal performance and energy enhancement of integrated infrared with hot air heated system |
| title_full | Computational simulation and mathematical modelling of thermal performance and energy enhancement of integrated infrared with hot air heated system |
| title_fullStr | Computational simulation and mathematical modelling of thermal performance and energy enhancement of integrated infrared with hot air heated system |
| title_full_unstemmed | Computational simulation and mathematical modelling of thermal performance and energy enhancement of integrated infrared with hot air heated system |
| title_short | Computational simulation and mathematical modelling of thermal performance and energy enhancement of integrated infrared with hot air heated system |
| title_sort | computational simulation and mathematical modelling of thermal performance and energy enhancement of integrated infrared with hot air heated system |
| topic | Peppermint leaves Hybrid infrared dryer Computational simulation Energy efficiency Drying kinetics Thermal analysis |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1110016825008208 |
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