The study of the processes of honey vacuum drying

The study was devoted to the selection of effective modes of vacuum drying of honey. The effect of drying layer thick- ness and heat flux density on the efficiency of vacuum dehy- dration of honey was studied. The experiments on vacuum drying of honey with heat flux density from 2 to 10 kW/m2 were carried out. The dependences of relative mass of the product on the duration of vacuum drying were obtained. With increasing heat flux density, drying time was shortened: at heat flux density of 2, 4 and 6 kW/m2, drying time was 270 ± 10, 240 ± 10 and 225 ± 10 minutes, and with heat flux densityof 8 and 10 kW/respectively 210 ± 10 and 195 ± 10 minutes. It also changed the moisture content of dehydrated product: with an increase in the heat flux density from 2 to 10 kW/m2, it varied from 4.5 to 5 %. Experimental studies on vacuum dry- ing of honey with the thickness of the product layer from 5 to 25 mm were carried out. It was found out that increasing the thickness of the layer entailed the increase in the duration of drying, an increase in the moisture content of dehydrated product and the decrease in its quality...