Determination of the equilibrium moisture content of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) and ginger (Zingiber officinale R.) using an automated sorption measurement system
- Beschreibung
Turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) and ginger (Zingiber officinale R.) are medicinal and aromatic plants of major importance for the food, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries. After harvest, they have a high moisture content and must be dried to a level at which microbial growth and quality degradation are prevented. Defining this level requires knowledge of the moisture sorption isotherm, which describes the relationship between the equilibrium moisture content of a product and its water activity at a given temperature. Sorption isotherms are essential for determining the end point of drying, defining safe storage and packaging conditions, and modelling drying processes. Because sorption behaviour depends on the product and on temperature, it must be determined experimentally for the material and conditions of interest.
In this project, you will determine the moisture sorption isotherms of turmeric and ginger under precisely controlled laboratory conditions, using an automated sorption measurement system designed at the Institute of Agricultural Engineering, University of Hohenheim. You will measure the equilibrium moisture content of the samples at different temperatures and water activities and fit established sorption models to the experimental data to describe the sorption behaviour mathematically. The results will provide a basis for defining target moisture contents for the safe storage of both crops.
Throughout the project, you will gain hands-on experience in laboratory work, data acquisition, data analysis, and mathematical modelling.
Interested in the project? Ready to expand your skills? Become part of our research initiative!
- Projektzeitraum
- Wintersemester 2026/2027
- Bewerbungszeitraum
- 12. bis 26.10.2026
- Durchführung
- semesterbegleitend
- Details zu Projektzeitraum und Durchführung
The project will be conducted during the winter semester, with a flexible schedule arranged in consultation with the supervisors. While some tasks can be completed remotely, the experimental tests will be carried out on-site at the Institute of Agricultural Engineering.
- Studienfach
- offen für alle Studienfächer
- Betreuende
- Dr. Iris Ramaj, Janvier Ntwali, Prof. Dr. Joachim Müller
- Institut
- Institut für Agrartechnik (440) (440e)
- Sprache
- englisch
- Teilnehmendenanzahl
- min. 1, max. 1
- Arbeitsaufwand
-
ca. 180 Stunden pro Teilnehmende:r
| 6
ECTS-Punkte
Arbeitsaufwand (Stunden und ggf. ECTS) sind ungefähre Angaben. Die tatsächlich vergebenen ECTS-Punkte ergeben sich aus der tatsächlich geleisteten Arbeit.
- Für dieses Projekt ist kein Motivationsschreiben des Studierenden erforderlich
- Projektart
- experimentell
- Lernziele
-
Die Teilnehmende lernen in diesem Projekt:
- Understand the fundamentals of sorption isotherms
- Apply a state-of-the-art system for data acquisition
- Analyse the data and present the results in a scientific poster
- Anmerkungen für Studierende
Motivated and interested in the topic. It is possible to integrate this project into a bachelor or master thesis.
- Schlagworte
- medicinal and aromatic plants, moisture sorption isotherms, equilibrium moisture content, water activity, sorption modelling, storage stability, postharvest technology