الفهرس 
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Abstract
Drying is very important industry, for the preservation of food for long period of time without
deterioration and decomposition. Dried food products have now wide sale allover the world. During
the present study an artificial portable dryer for figs was developed and evaluated. The dryer was
designed and constructed at the workshop of Agriculture Engineering Department, Faculty of
Agriculture, Suez Canal University and lsmailia city. On the other hand, fig samples ’Ficus Carica” its
local name is ”Sulrani’’ were used to study the drying behavior and the dryer efficiency.
The experimental work was carried out during harvesting seasons of (20 I0, 20 II and 2012).
Fig fruits were treated before drying by Pre-treatment (A):- Untreated figs, Pre-treatment (B):- The
figs blanched by dipping in boiling water for one minute and cooled to ambient temperature with tap
water (blanching water to fruit ratio 9: I), Pre-treatment (C):- The figs were dipped in 1.5 % sodium
metabisulfit for two minutes. Four levels of drying air temperature (45 - 55 - 65 and 75°C), four levels
of drying air velocity (0.2 - 0.4 - 0.6 and 1.0 m/s) and two slices thickness of 0.5 and 1.0 ern were
examined. The experiments were proceeded to simulate two different drying models (simple and
modified simple models). The studied drying models were examined and compared for simulating the
drying data obtained from thin layer drying experiments of figs to select the most applicable model for
predicting figs moisture content. Thermal efficiency and final quality of the dried figs were evaluated,
as well.
The best pretreatment for drying of figs was dipped 111 1.5 % sodium metabisultit tor two
minutes. The developed dryer showed a satisfactorily thermal efficiency and final quality at air
temperature 01” 75°C and air velocity of 1.0 m/s.
The results also showed that, both studied models could describe the drying behavior of figs
satisfactory as indicated from the higher correlation coefficients. However, the modified simple model
equation could be considered the most proper model for describing the drying behavior of figs and
predicting the change in moisture content during the drying process.