Abstract
The intensification of ultrasonic vibrations for the processing of agricultural products is becoming increasingly important in the food industry, as it can reduce energy consumption for the dehydration of raw materials. The research aims to study the effect of sonication on the change of electrophysical parameters and structure of apple raw materials in the process of combined drying using direct electric heating. Using scanning electron microscopy, images of the surface structure of dried apple samples were obtained at different combinations of sonication duration and methods of heat supply to the raw material during the drying process. Based on the experimental studies, the dependences of the current flowing through the sample in the process of combined drying using direct electric heating on the duration of raw material processing in an ultrasonic bath were obtained. The influence of preliminary sonication on the maximum values of the current strength during direct electric heating was determined. The dependences of changes in the resistivity of apple samples during dehydration at different pretreatment durations were investigated. The effect of ultrasound on the initial resistivity of apples, the duration of electro-plasmolysis, and the resistivity values at which the maximum values of the direct electric heating current are observed were determined. The results of the experiments show that the pretreatment of raw materials in an ultrasonic bath can reduce the peak current values by up to 27%. The initial values of the resistivity of the raw material after sonication are reduced by 7.8-13.8% compared to the control samples. The obtained images of the dried fruit surfaces showed an increase in the porosity and roughness of the samples. The obtained results of experimental studies can become a prerequisite for the development of an energy-efficient technical means of ultrasonic processing of fruit and vegetable raw materials before drying and the selection of optimal operating modes