Author(s)

Nadia Pamela Gladys Pambou-Tobi^1,2, Arnaud Wenceslas Geoffroy Tamba Sompila^1,2*, Michel Elenga^1,3, Reyes Herdenn Gampoula¹, Gloire Horiane Louya Banzouzi², Sylvia Petronille Ntsossani¹

¹National Institute for Research in Engineering Sciences, Innovation and Technology, Brazzaville, Congo.
²National Polytechnic School, Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Congo.
³Pole of Excellence in Food and Nutrition, Faculty of Science and Technology, Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Congo.

We set out to model the oven-drying kinetics of a legume known as pigeon pea, harvested in the Bouenza department in the south-west of the Republic of Congo. The drying kinetics of pigeon peas was carried out in an oven under experimental conditions using temperatures of: 50°C, 60°C and 70°C. Seven mathematical models were used to describe pigeon pea drying. During drying, water loss was faster and shorter at 70°C [10.446 g/25 g wet weight (wwb) for 320 min (5.3 h)] compared to 50°C [10.996 g/25 g wet weight (wwb) for 520 min (8.6 h)] and 60°C [10.616 g/25 g wet weight (wwb) for 420 min (7.0 h)] where it was slower and longer. With regard to modeling, and based on the principle of choosing the right model focusing on the high value of R² and low values of χ² and RMSE, two models were selected, the Midili model for temperatures of 50°C and 60°C and the Henderson and Pabis model modified for temperature of 70°C showed better results. The R², χ² and RMSE values calculated for pigeon pea are 0.99985, 3.93404E-5 and 0.00627; 0.9997, 9.245E-5 and 0.00962; 0.99996, 1.56332E-5 and 0.00395 respectively at 50°C, 60°C and 70°C.

Cajanus cajan, Legume, Kinetic Models, Drying

Pambou-Tobi, N. , Sompila, A. , Elenga, M. , Gampoula, R. , Banzouzi, G. and Ntsossani, S. (2024) Modeling the Drying Kinetics of Pigeon Pea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millspaugh]. Open Journal of Applied Sciences, 14, 1425-1436. doi: 10.4236/ojapps.2024.146094.