WREED

Development of an efficient system to reduce the cost of drying food and food waste. The development and proof of principle for this project had already been completed by the time I joined Pera, but I was involved from the start in the construction and testing of the final prototype.

The concept for this project was based on a system of airless drying. Superheated steam is initially injected into the chamber, and a fan and heater ensure a constant circulation through the chamber from below. The system is at atmospheric pressure, and a condenser is used to ensure there is always the right amount of steam in the chamber. Food samples are fed in on a conveyor, and during the process are heated to approximately 120 ‘C, higher than conventional methods due to the combustibility in an ordinary atmosphere. A manometric seal is created by the steam, and regulated by the condenser so that steam does not escape and heat loss is minimized. We found that orange peel could be dried out in less than 30 minutes, which is much quicker than conventional methods. Also, the condensed steam which was collected contained much of the original chemicals from the orange peel, and can itself be put to good use.

I helped to construct the prototype, seal it and insulate it. I conducted a range of tests on different materials at different settings and prepared reports on my findings.

The project was completed successfully in

the last few months, and the prototype has

been transferred to a partner company who

are intending to commercialize the concept

which will provide enormous savings to

companies from a very wide range of

industries including food, construction and

agriculture.