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LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Design, Analysis and Performance Evaluation of Indirect Solar Dryer

Jamtsho, Tandin (2023) MVKM01 20232
Department of Energy Sciences
Abstract
Food production is a critical component of global livelihoods and economic revenue. However, storing harvested food presents challenges in minimizing post-harvest losses. Among various methods, food drying has emerged as a popular technique for preserving food during off-seasons. The Solar Food project aims to design an affordable solar-powered food dryer that enhances the drying
process and maintains the nutritional content of the food.
The study focuses on designing and evaluating an improved solar fruit dryer with a larger absorber
area. It incorporates a low-density polyethene heat exchanger, a drying chamber, a heat storage
system, and an air circulation fan. Various parameters, including drying rate, energy efficiency, and
... (More)
Food production is a critical component of global livelihoods and economic revenue. However, storing harvested food presents challenges in minimizing post-harvest losses. Among various methods, food drying has emerged as a popular technique for preserving food during off-seasons. The Solar Food project aims to design an affordable solar-powered food dryer that enhances the drying
process and maintains the nutritional content of the food.
The study focuses on designing and evaluating an improved solar fruit dryer with a larger absorber
area. It incorporates a low-density polyethene heat exchanger, a drying chamber, a heat storage
system, and an air circulation fan. Various parameters, including drying rate, energy efficiency, and
the quality of dried fruits, are analyzed to assess the dryer’s performance. Results indicate that using
a superior internal fan increases the drying rate of apples, and variations in drying rates are observed
among differently positioned trays. Plastics prove to be efficient heat exchangers in the solar fruit
dryer, achieving high efficiency with minimal flows.
The application of heat storage in the drying process initially absorbs energy and subsequently
provides energy to the system after two hours of drying. The study suggests that employing better
internal fans can reduce discrepancies in drying rates among different trays. The research contributes
to the development of an improved solar fruit dryer by enhancing drying efficiency and minimizing
post-harvest losses. These findings pave the way for more sustainable and effective food preservation
methods, benefiting agricultural communities worldwide. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Jamtsho, Tandin
supervisor
organization
course
MVKM01 20232
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
report number
LUTMDN/TMHP-23/5556-SE
ISSN
0282-1990
language
English
id
9141292
date added to LUP
2023-11-09 10:58:14
date last changed
2023-11-09 10:58:14
@misc{9141292,
  abstract     = {{Food production is a critical component of global livelihoods and economic revenue. However, storing harvested food presents challenges in minimizing post-harvest losses. Among various methods, food drying has emerged as a popular technique for preserving food during off-seasons. The Solar Food project aims to design an affordable solar-powered food dryer that enhances the drying 
process and maintains the nutritional content of the food. 
The study focuses on designing and evaluating an improved solar fruit dryer with a larger absorber 
area. It incorporates a low-density polyethene heat exchanger, a drying chamber, a heat storage 
system, and an air circulation fan. Various parameters, including drying rate, energy efficiency, and 
the quality of dried fruits, are analyzed to assess the dryer’s performance. Results indicate that using 
a superior internal fan increases the drying rate of apples, and variations in drying rates are observed 
among differently positioned trays. Plastics prove to be efficient heat exchangers in the solar fruit 
dryer, achieving high efficiency with minimal flows. 
The application of heat storage in the drying process initially absorbs energy and subsequently 
provides energy to the system after two hours of drying. The study suggests that employing better 
internal fans can reduce discrepancies in drying rates among different trays. The research contributes 
to the development of an improved solar fruit dryer by enhancing drying efficiency and minimizing 
post-harvest losses. These findings pave the way for more sustainable and effective food preservation 
methods, benefiting agricultural communities worldwide.}},
  author       = {{Jamtsho, Tandin}},
  issn         = {{0282-1990}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Design, Analysis and Performance Evaluation of Indirect Solar Dryer}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}