DISCUSSION

In this experiment we were need to determine the effect of air temperature and air velocity to the
drying rate. Grated coconut were used in this experiment since they have low moisture content
therefore they require short duration of drying time. The air is heated using either conduction or
radiation and inserted into the trays. The heated air is useful in order to remove the water vapors.

Based on the plotted graph of moisture content against time, it shows that the mass of the sample
which is grated coconut is decreasing with time as the slope is decreasing. It is because the water
content inside the grated coconut are evaporated because of the temperature and the humidity of
the surrounding.

According to the experiment, the average value of dry bulb T1 and T2 are 53.4C and 51.5C the
difference in temperature is only 1.9C. The difference in temperature may be due to the size of
grated coconut which will affect the drying rate as the larger the surface area, the higher the drying
rate.

Based on this experiment, we can observed that at first the drying rate is increasing but then at
the middle of the experiment, the drying rate is decreasing. This is because drying process occurs
in three different periods, or phases, which can be clearly defined. The first phase, or initial period,
is where sensible heat is transferred to the product and the contained moisture. In the beginning
the solid is usually at a colder temperature than its ultimate temperature, and the evaporation rate
will increase. The second phase, or constant rate period, is when the free moisture persists on the
surfaces and the rate of evaporation alters very little as the moisture content reduces. In the
constant-rate drying period, the surface of the solid is initially very wet and a continuous film of
water exists on the drying surface. This water is entirely unbound water and it acts as if the solid
were not present. The third phase, or falling rate period, is the phase during which migration of
moisture from the inner interstices of each particle to the outer surface becomes the limiting factor
that reduces the drying rate and the entire surface is no longer wetted and the wetted area
continually decreases in this failing rate period until the surface is completely dry.

From the graph of drying rate against moisture content, we can see that the changing pattern is not
consistent or in mannered pattern. Hence, it is well said that the drying rates is not depending much
upon time.
CONCLUSION
The objective of this experiment was to determine the drying rate of sample by drying method
using tray dryer. This objective was achieved successfully because we were able to determine the
drying rate of sample. Based on the data plotted, we can conclude that the moisture content and
mass of the sample decreasing by time while the drying rates of the sample shows inconsistent
reading by time based on the graph of drying rate against moisture content. Drying
rates is not much depending by time but is actually depends on the moisture content of the
sample used.