International Journal of Scientific Knowledge (Computing and Information Technology) Volume 1 Issue 5, Jan 2013 @2012 IJSK & K.J.A. All rights reserved www.ijsk.org 1493 - ISSN 2305 13 The Effect of Variety and Drying On the Engineering Properties of Fermented Ground Cassava Chukwuneke J.L 1 , Achebe C.H 1 , Okolie P.C 1 and Okafor E.A 2 1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria 2 School of Engineering, Energy Centre, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. E-mail: jl.chukwuneke@unizik.edu.ng Abstract: - Many food processing industries use cassava as their basic raw material. The existence of improved varieties of cassava demands that the effect of variety on the engineering properties of fermented ground cassava is studied in order to generate data for design and optimum performance of various driers used in cassava processing. This paper attempts to provide data on the engineering properties such as moisture content, specific heat capacity, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, bulk density and mass transfer coefficient of some cultivars as well as determine the effect of variety on the drying and engineering properties of fermented ground cassava using two high yield improved cultivars (Tms 30572 and NR 8082) and one native cultivar (Akpu Bonny). General models were also obtained, which could be used to predict the specific heat and thermal conductivity at different moisture content of the cultivars. The specific heat capacity obtained ranged from 1.53kJ/kgK to 3.49kJ/kgK while the thermal conductivity ranged from 0.24W/m o C to 0.51W/m o C for dried fermented ground cassava of these cultivars. The highest moisture content of 48.66% was obtained after fermentation with the NR 8082 variety. At same moisture content, the specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity were found to be different for cultivars with different proximate compositions but similar for cultivars with close proximate compositions. The drying rate, thermal diffusivity and mass transfer coefficient of each cultivar varied with proximate composition, hygroscopy, product surface area and change in density after drying. Therefore, the same drying conditions cannot be used for drying the different cultivars except if they have close engineering properties. Keywords: Fermented ground cassava, Specific heat capacity, Thermal conductivity, Thermal diffusivity, Bulk density, Effect of variety, Cultivars, Drying rate, Moisture Content, proximate compositions . 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Background of the Study The design, simulation, optimization, operation and control of food processing operations require basic engineering properties of foods. Food technologists require data on engineering properties for various purposes such as process design, quality assessment and evaluation. Cassava is widely grown in Africa and some other parts of the world. It plays a central role in the diets of most Nigerians. This is why [1] attributed garri (a staple food from drying of fermented cassava flour) as the commonest food amongst the teeming poor West African people. Fermented cassava flour is, therefore, one of the most important cassava products and the methods of processing depend on local customs. However, the industrial utilization of cassava