Investigation of the Kinetics of Starch Extraction from Potato with Analytical and empirical Models, using Genetic Algorithm

In this paper, mass transfer during the extraction of starch from potato samples in a batch extractor using distilled water was investigated. In order to have a specified geometry for modeling the problem, the samples were cut in the shape of very thin slabs. The moisture and starch concentrations were measured in different time intervals up to five hours at the solvent temperatures of 30, 45 and 55 °C, and the diffusivities of the components were estimated by fitting the solution of Fick’s second law of diffusion to the experimental data. Also 8 different experimental models were fitted to the experimental data and the kinetics of the most exact model was compared with the predictions of the analytical solution. At all stages, genetic algorithm was used for regression analysis and determining the coefficients of all equations. Comparing the values of R2, RMSE and MRE between the models, it was concluded that Page model with R2 value of 0.982, MRE value of 0.124 and RMSE value of 0.191, was the most exact model for prediction of the kinetics of mass transfer during the extraction. The estimated diffusivities were also in the range of 0.414 × 10-10 to 1.557 × 10-10.