Thin layer solar drying experiments were conducted for Sultana grapes (cv.
Thompson seedless) grown in Antalya, Turkey. An indirect forced convection
solar dryer consisting of a solar air heater and a drying cabinet was used
in the experiments. Air heated by the solar air heater was forced through t
he product by an electric fan. In order to examine the effect of drying air
temperature and velocity on a thin layer drying of Sultana grapes, twenty-
two experiments were performed. Eight different thin layer mathematical dry
ing models were compared according to their coefficient of determination to
estimate solar drying curves. The effects of drying air temperature and ve
locity on the model constants and coefficients were predicted by the regres
sion models. According to the results, a two-term drying model could satisf
actorily describe the solar drying curve of Sultana grapes with a correlati
on coefficient (r) of 0.979. The constants and coefficients of this model c
ould be explained by the effect of drying air temperature and velocity. (C)
2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.