DETERMINATION OF THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF THE ROOTS OF THREE IMPROVED CASSAVA VARIETIES
Oriola, Kazeem Olaniyi
Department of Agricultural Engineering
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria
E-mail: kazzyoris@yahoo.com, kooriola@lautech.edu.ng.
ABSTRACT: Processing of cassava roots into various cassava based products often involves the application of heat and this is still being done traditionally. Improved methods of processing and handling the roots could be developed for these purposes but it requires a good knowledge of the thermal behavior of the roots as their response to heat treatments is dependent on their thermal behaviour. The thermal conductivity of a crop is particularly useful in this regard as it controls the heat flux during heat transfer processes. However, such information on cassava roots is currently scarce. Thermal conductivity (k) of three improved cassava varieties (TME 419, TMS 30572 and TMS 0326) were determined at moisture contents of 50 – 70% (wet basis) using the KD 2 Pro. The value of k ranged from 0.5284 – 0.5662; 0.4804 – 0.5530 and 0.4660 – 0.5800 W/m0K for TME 419, TMS 30572 and TMS 0362 respectively. k of the roots also varied sinuously with increase in moisture content and the relationship was described by polynomial models of the third order with R2 values of the plots ranging from 0.7569 – 0.9544. The influence of moisture was not significant (p > 0.05).