Kinetic Study and Mathematical Modelling of Microwave Drying of Whole Peeled Tomato
Haffiata Koné-Soro *
Laboratoire de Biotechnologies et Valorisation Agroalimentaire, Université Peleforo GON COULIBALY, BP 138 Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire.
Monty Abibata Camara
Laboratoire de Biotechnologies et Valorisation Agroalimentaire, Université Peleforo GON COULIBALY, BP 138 Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire.
Yves Bleouh Jean Nyamien
Laboratoire de Biotechnologies et Valorisation Agroalimentaire, Université Peleforo GON COULIBALY, BP 138 Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire.
Kisselmina Youssouf Kone
Laboratoire des Procédés Industriels de Synthèses de l'Environnement et des Energies Nouvelles, Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny, BP 1093 Yamoussoukro, Côte d’Ivoire.
Mady Cisse
Ecole Supérieure Polytechnique, Département Génie Chimique et Biologie Appliquée, Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar, BP. 5035 Dakar, Sénégal.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Tomato is highly perishable because of its high moisture content, making efficient drying essential for reducing post-harvest deterioration. Although microwave drying can accelerate moisture removal, limited information is available on the drying kinetics and mathematical modelling of whole peeled tomato under microwave heating.
Aims: To evaluate the combined effect of a constant microwave power and prior peeling on the acceleration of mass transfer during the drying of whole tomato and to identify, among seventeen semi-empirical models, the one that best describes its drying kinetics.
Study Design: An experimental drying-kinetics study combined with comparative mathematical modelling.
Place and Duration of Study: Analyses were carried out at the Laboratoire des Procédés Industriels de Synthèses de l'Environnement et des Energies Nouvelles (LAPISEN) of the Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Yamoussoukro (Côte d'Ivoire) during July and August 2026.
Methodology: Whole tomatoes, peeled beforehand, were dried by microwave at a constant power of 400 W in a semi-industrial drying tunnel. Drying kinetics were monitored through effective moisture diffusivity, water-loss rate and mean drying flux; seventeen mathematical models were then fitted to the experimental data.
Results: The moisture content fell from 95.76% to 2.61% within 66 minutes, with an effective moisture diffusivity of 6.082 × 10-7 m·s-1. Peeling combined with volumetric heating eliminated both internal and surface resistances to mass transfer. The Midilli model provided the best description of drying kinetics (r = 0.99472; RMSE = 0.02475; χ² = 0.00062).
Conclusion: Combining peeling with a microwave power of 400 W effectively overcomes the three-dimensional geometric limitations of whole tomato, and the Midilli model offers a reliable tool for industrial scale-up.
Keywords: Microwave drying, whole peeled tomato, drying kinetics, mathematical modelling, moisture diffusivity, mass transfer, drying rate, Midilli model, reduced moisture content, food process engineering