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Multicriteria model for the selection and design of the drying process for cocoa beans

Abstract:

This study presents a proposal of a multicriteria model to select and design the drying process of a cocoa semi-finished products export plant in Ecuador, focusing on productivity and environment. The criteria considered for the selection of the best alternative are: organoleptic quality of cocoa, capacity for expansion, availability, efficiency and safety at work. Among the expected advantages are the decrease in lead times and the decrease in the drying process time of the cocoa beans. The proposed process consists on the implementation of a cocoa bean dryer with solar panels. We present the basic design of the system and then it is validated through simulation.