Drying efficiency enhancement in zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) using infrared heater film and algorithm-based control

OpenAlex English

This study introduces a hybrid drying system that incorporates an air-to-air heat recovery unit with infrared heating film (IRHF) technology, experimentally evaluated under classical (on-off), proportional-integral (PI), and adaptive firing angle (AFA) control modes through seven trials on zucchini fruit (Cucurbita pepo L.). Results demonstrate that adaptive control consistently outperforms traditional modes by achieving a favorable balance between efficiency, energy savings, and product quality. Notably, Experiment 5 and Experiment 6 achieved the highest efficiency gains (25.19% and 23.72%), while Experiment 7 delivered remarkable energy savings (78.55%) despite a 21.63% longer drying time. Experiment 4 provided the best overall balance, with 13.44% higher efficiency, 56.73% shorter drying time, and 57.04% energy savings. Experiment 3 offered a conservative option, maintaining visual quality with 45.41% energy and 35.21% time savings. Overall, adaptive protocols enable flexible optimization: aggressive settings maximize energy recovery, while conservative ones safeguard product esthetics. The proposed system highlights the systematic advantages of adaptive algorithms in managing the “efficiency–energy–quality” tradeoff, offering scalable and environmentally conscious solutions for agricultural post-harvest processing.