Experimental evaluation of an indirect type solar dryer for agricultural use in rural communities: Relative humidity comparative study under winter season in tropical climate with sensible heat storage material

Cetina-Quiñones, A.J.; López, J. López; Ricalde-Cab, Lifter; Mekaoui, Amina El; San-Pedro, Liliana; Bassam, A.

doi:10.1016/j.solener.2021.05.040

Cited by 44 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…The lower relative humidity is attributed to the presence of TES materials which maintain higher temperature and hence lower relative humidity in the drying chamber. These results are in agreement with those of Cetina-Quiñones, López, Ricalde-Cab, El Mekaoui, San-Pedro, and Bassam, who conducted experimental evaluation of an indirect solar dryer with sensible heat storage materials and reported that storage materials increased the drying temperature and reduced the relative humidity.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 91%

“…The amount of energy storage by materials is an essential parameter in selecting TES materials because it describes the amount of heat energy that can be stored in the materials at a particular time. The amount of energy storage was estimated by eq according to Cetina-Quiñones, López, Ricalde-Cab, El Mekaoui, San-Pedro, and Bassam E = M a C p ( T normalf − normalT normali ) where E = energy storage (J), M a = weight of storage materials (kg), C p = specific heat capacity of soapstone (J/kg °C), T i = temperature of the storage materials at time t (°C), and T f = temperature of the storage material in the proceeding time (°C).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The storage efficiency of TES materials (η s ) is the ratio of the discharged energy to the charging energy from the TES materials; it was calculated by using eq according to Cetina-Quiñones, López, Ricalde-Cab, El Mekaoui, San-Pedro, and Bassam ( η normals ) = E discharge E charge …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The use of sensible thermal energy storage (STES) materials, like gravel, granite, sandstones, limestone, and soapstone, has been relatively less explored, despite their effectiveness in simple solar dryers. STES materials offer advantages, including natural availability, cost effectiveness, improved efficiency, shorter drying times, preservation of product quality, and nontoxicity. − …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Development and Performance Evaluation of a Novel Solar Dryer Integrated with Thermal Energy Storage System for Drying of Agricultural Products

Rulazi,

Marwa,

Kichonge

et al. 2023

ACS Omega

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Passive solar dryers play a crucial role in reducing postharvest losses in fruits and vegetables, especially in regions like sub-Saharan Africa with low electrification rates and limited financial resources. However, the intermittent nature of solar energy presents a significant challenge for these dryers. Passive solar dryers integrated with thermal energy storage (TES) can reduce intermittence and improve the drying efficiency. Currently, phase change materials (PCMs) are popular heat storage materials in dryers, and paraffin wax dominates. The main problem with the use of PCMs is that it is necessary to closely constrain the temperature range of the process during charging and discharging. This can be a difficult condition to meet in simple solar dryers due to the variable availability of solar radiation. Instead, solid-phase materials, such as sand and rocks, are often used. Soapstone is one of the natural rocks with good thermal properties, but it has yet to be used as a TES material in solar dryers for drying agricultural products. Therefore, the main objective of the present study was to develop a novel solar dryer integrated with soapstone as a TES material and evaluate its performance. The proximate analysis to examine the quality of dried products using the developed technology was also carried out. The comparative experiments for the developed dryer were conducted in two modes: dryer with TES materials and without TES materials, and the results were compared with open sun drying (OSD) by drying 50 kg of fresh pineapple and carrot at different times. The drying times for pineapples in the dryer with TES, without TES, and OSD were 13, 24, and 52 h, respectively. However, the drying times for carrots in the dryer with TES, without TES, and OSD were 12, 23, and 50 h, respectively. Notably, the dryer integrated with TES materials could supply heat for around 3–4 h after sunset. The thermal efficiency of the dryer, collector efficiency, and storage efficiency of TES materials were calculated and found to be 45, 43, and 74.5%, respectively. Proximate analysis indicated that the dryer integrated with TES materials effectively maintained the quality of the dried products compared to OSD. Solar dryer integrated with soapstone showed great promise as sustainable and efficient solutions for reducing postharvest losses and enhancing food security in resource-constrained regions like sub-Saharan Africa.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Development and Performance Evaluation of a Novel Solar Dryer Integrated with Thermal Energy Storage System for Drying of Agricultural Products

Rulazi,

Marwa,

Kichonge

et al. 2023

ACS Omega

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“…Additionally, dryer [40] and [50], [42], and [51] uses a solar-generated electric heater, paraffin wax, and water tank storage, respectively, to increase the drying temperature inside its' drying space. The dryer Cetina-Quiñones et al [52] introduces limestone and beach sand as another thermal storage material that was able to provide the additional heat during the downtime of solar availability. Dryer [6], [8] and [46] depends on grid electricity to power up the heater module to provide additional heat to increase the temperature inside the drying space.…”

Section: Review Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of solar drying technology for agricultural produce

Rizalman

Moung

Dargham

et al. 2023

IJEECS

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Agriculture contributes to large export earnings for many countries and provides food all over the world. However, most agricultural products need some post-harvest processing, such as drying, to extend their shelf life while still maintaining their respective nutrient quality. One popular post-harvest processing method is drying using solar energy. It is a type of renewable energy that is abundant and free. Conventional dryers use grid electricity and can be expensive to operate. Consequently, there is a growing need for cost-effective solar-powered agricultural dryers that is reasonable for smaller-scale farmers. Although current solar dryers are still not on par with modern electricity-powered dryers, solar dryers have lower running costs and are sustainable and able to generate electricity. They can also be used practically anywhere with abundant solar energy. As numerous solar drying technologies have been proposed over the past decade, it is necessary to assess the current state of solar drying technology in the agricultural sector to identify current advancements and potential research gaps. In this paper, a review of existing solar dryers mechanism and the state of the art of solar drying technology research for agricultural products is presented.

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Structural Colored Based Humidity Sensor Consisting of High Resolution 3D Printed Photonic Crystal Coated with Ultrathin Responsive Hydrogels

Cesnik,

Rodríguez,

Coclite

et al. 2024

Macromol. Rapid Commun.

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Today, humidity sensors have become an integral part of our daily lives. In particular, humidity sensors using an electronic measuring principle have become the standard. Although these sensors have proven to be a stable measurement method, they have some disadvantages, such as their long response time or the danger of using them in explosive environments. This paper introduces photonic crystals as an alternative optical measurement approach. We combined the novel technology of ultra‐fast two‐photon polymerisation printing with a thin‐film deposition process, namely iCVD. This allowed us to print large area high‐precision 3D templates, which were subsequently coated with a humidity responsive hydrogel thin film (pHEMA) of 20 nm. We were also able to push the limits of 2PP technology and still produce stable and periodic large‐area 3D structures. The flexible customization of hydrogels for ambient conditions make them exceptionally promising for a wide range of sensing applications. Additionally, optical methods for measuring humidity seem to be an excellent alternative to overcome the limitations for current state of the art humidity sensors. The optical detection of changes in ambient air humidity was achieved by observing color changes of the printed structure within the visible wavelength range.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

show abstract

Experimental evaluation of an indirect type solar dryer for agricultural use in rural communities: Relative humidity comparative study under winter season in tropical climate with sensible heat storage material

Cited by 44 publications

References 49 publications

Development and Performance Evaluation of a Novel Solar Dryer Integrated with Thermal Energy Storage System for Drying of Agricultural Products

Development and Performance Evaluation of a Novel Solar Dryer Integrated with Thermal Energy Storage System for Drying of Agricultural Products

A review of solar drying technology for agricultural produce

Structural Colored Based Humidity Sensor Consisting of High Resolution 3D Printed Photonic Crystal Coated with Ultrathin Responsive Hydrogels

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