Post-Harvest & Food Processing

From field to plate. Drying theory, refrigeration for cold chains, grain storage and food process engineering.

• Drying — Drying removes moisture from solids by evaporation. Learn moisture content (wet and dry basis), equilibrium and critical moisture, constant-rate and falling-rate periods, drying-time calculations, heat requirements, and dryer types (tray, rotary, spray, fluid-bed, freeze).
• Refrigeration — Refrigerators and heat pumps move heat from cold to hot using work. Learn COP, the Carnot limit, the vapour-compression cycle (evaporator, compressor, condenser, expansion valve), refrigerants and capacity in tons.
• Post-Harvest & Food Process Engineering — Preserving and adding value after harvest. Learn moisture content (wet and dry basis), equilibrium moisture and water activity, grain drying principles and dryer types, drying energy, cleaning, grading and milling (rice, wheat, pulses), storage structures (bags, silos, hermetic), pest control, cold chain and refrigeration load, controlled atmosphere storage, food processing operations (thermal processing, pasteurisation, extrusion), packaging and food safety — with Python for drying mass balance, energy and cooling load.