Center for Advanced Research in Drying » Performance Evaluation of Atmospheric Plasma Pretreatments by Enhanced Drying in CARD Smart Dryer

Overview

Based on our preliminary experiments, plasma pretreatment can significantly reduce the drying times of various foods, including blueberries, apples, and cookie dough, thus saving energy, carbon footprint, and financial costs. Additionally, in the case of fruit drying, our preliminary findings indicate that bioactive compounds are better preserved when plasma pretreatments are introduced. In the proposed project, the atmospheric-plasma treatments we previously developed at UIUC will be scaled up via incorporation into the Smart Dryer located in the CARD lab at WPI. This will allow for a deep understanding of how plasma pretreatment can potentially be configured and operated as a real-world drying pretreatment. Meanwhile, we will continue to investigate the fundamental mechanisms underlying plasma-enhanced drying.

Wang (UIUC) and Yagoobi (WPI)