چکیده
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Six different voltage gradients ranging from 6 to 16 V/cm were used to evaporate water from tomato samples of 9.3 (kg water/kg dry matter) to a safer level of 2.3 (kg water/kg dry matter). Energy efficiency decreased from 100 to 55.53% with decreasing moisture content and increasing voltage gradient, while, exergy efficiency increased from 3 to 83.51% with decrease in moisture content (P < 0.05). Average energy and exergy efficiency were found to be in the range of 67.07–85.40% and 27.75–60.34%, respectively. The electrical conductivity increased (2.36–12.38 S/m) with a decrease in moisture content and voltage gradient up to the boiling point. Specific energy consumption and average improvement potential decreased from 4.64 to 2.73 MJ/kg of water evaporation and 14.18–2.82 kW with increasing voltage gradient, respectively. The values of energy and exergy losses increased from 6.88 to 21.48 kW and 6.81–21.47 kW, respectively, as the voltage gradient and moisture content decreased.
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