Journal of Microwave Power and Electromagnetic Energy (JMPEE)
TITLE	Combined Radio-frequency and Forced-air Drying of Alfalfa [PDF]
AUTHORS	A. Murphy, R. Morrow and L. Besley 1992 27 4 223-240
YEAR
VOLUME
ISSUE
PAGES
Abstract The drying of alfalfa using a combination of radio-frequency power at 2 7MHz and heated forced air was investigated. The application of heated forced air alone was found to dry the leaves more rapidly than the stems. Supplementing heated forced air with radio-frequency power throughout the drying process increased the overall drying rate, but did not increase the evenness of drying. Similarly, applying radio frequency power to partially-dried alfalfa was not effective in levelling the moisture contents of the stems and leaves. Measurements of the dielectric properties of alfalfa in the frequency range 0.5 to 50 MHz are presented in an Appendix. Key Words: Radio-frequency drying, Dielectric drying, Forced-air drying, Alfalfa, Lucerne, Forage crops, Dielectric properties, Dielectric constant, Dielectric loss-factor