Parallel Dynamic Artificial Neural Network for Temperature and Moisture Content Predictions in Microwave-Vacuum Dried Tomato Slices

Temperature (T) and moisture content (MC) of non-homogenous food undergoing microwave-vacuum (MV) drying (MVD) are directly dependent on microwave power, vacuum pressure, and the product's physical properties. A two-hidden-layer Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model was developed in an earlier study to predict temperature and moisture content of the product at a given time based on the present state of product conditions and process control parameters. This approach either provided lowest error in temperature prediction or in moisture content prediction but not the lowest error in both the prediction parameters simultaneously. The main objective of this work was to improve the performance of the ANN model for temperature and moisture content predictions in MV dried samples. Experimental data obtained from MVD of tomato slices at different drying conditions was normalized and divided into two groups for training and validating. The parallel dynamic ANN model consisted of two double-hidden-layer feed-forward ANN models with varying node numbers (10, 20, and 30). These models were separately trained, simultaneously for moisture content as well as temperature, with the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm. Inputs for the ANN models were magnetron on-off status, vacuum pressure, temperature, and moisture content at time 't(i)'. The previous temperature and moisture content data at time 't(i-1), (i-2),., (i-n)' where n = 0, 10, 20, and 30 were also added to the input layer. Outputs from the ANN models were temperature and moisture content at time 't(i+1)'. The results indicated that the dynamic ANN model working in parallel with the previous temperature and moisture content data provided results that are more accurate and required less training time than those of ordinary ANN models. Model simulation may supply essential information regarding temperature and moisture content of non-homogenous foods corresponding to microwave power and vacuum pressure levels to the predictive control system. Therefore, improved drying efficiencies and thermal damage prevention may be achieved.