Simulation of mixed-mode solar dryer with vertical air distribution channel

Sileshi, Senay Teshome; Hassen, Abdulkadir Aman; Adem, Kamil Dino

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11898

Cited by 17 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Similar performance in flow and temperature distribution is observed in Figures 22, 23, 24 and 25 in the back inflowside outflow configuration. These results are consistent with the observations of [21]. Supply of airflow across the trays horizontally provides best temperature and airflow distribution.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Optimization of Thermo-Flow in a Solar Food Dehydrator Using Computational Techniques

Akpan,

Okon,

Akpan

et al. 2023

ETJ

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A solar food dehydrator converts solar energy into heat required to remove moisture from food. This study involved development of an optimized design for a solar dehydrator using computational techniques. A computer-aided design of six (6) different configurations of the dehydrator was developed, and a remotely-installed heat capture device was modelled and analysed using MATLAB. The results show that the Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) could be used in effectively transferring heat remotely to a dehydrator. The temperature of air leaving the heat exchanger increases in proportion to the increase in the temperature of the heating fluid entering the heat exchanger. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in Ansys Fluent was employed to aid in the study of airflow and temperature distribution. The hot air was simulated at 2 m/s and 350 K inlet conditions. The CFD simulation results showed significant variations in the air velocity distribution and temperature for different configurations of the dehydrator. The back inflow - front outflow configuration provided the most uniform distribution of heated air in the drying chamber, with minimal variation on each tray. This uniformity was also observed in the distribution of static temperature. The back inflow – side outflow configuration showed a similar performance in flow and temperature distribution. However, the bottom inflow – top outflow and bottom inflow – front outflow configurations showed uneven velocity and temperature distribution inside the drying chamber. Supply of airflow across the trays horizontally provides best airflow and temperature distribution in solar dehydrators and thus highly recommended.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Optimization of Thermo-Flow in a Solar Food Dehydrator Using Computational Techniques

Akpan,

Okon,

Akpan

et al. 2023

ETJ

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“…The variations of the humidity curve (decreasing during the first 8 hours and increasing during 5 hours of drying time and decreasing thereafter) showed the low circulation of hot air in the dryer linked to the natural convection and permutations of the trays. These results are in line with the work of (18) who have shown that the non-uniform air flow inside the drying chamber is the main drawback of natural convection dryers.…”

Section: Fig 2 Natural Convection Drying Curvesupporting

confidence: 92%

“…This result is due to the effect of forced convection that allows homogenization of dried products compared to natural convection. These results are in agreement with those of (18) , who improved the drying process by increasing the homogeneity of the drying air distribution to 0.015m/s when drying injera. The increase in the quantity of first choice dried pineapple yields an economic profit on dried pineapple sales of 2.68 USD/kg, i.e.…”

Section: Quality Of Dried Pineapple and Economic Profitabilitysupporting

confidence: 92%

Evaluation of the Performance of the ATESTA Forced Convection Dryer when Drying Pineapples

Soulama,

Bationo,

Tapsoba

2024

IJST

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Objective: Evaluating the performance of the ATESTA [Solar Energy and Appropriate Technology Workshop] forced convection dryer, developed at the Albert Schweitzer Ecological Center of Burkina [CEAS Burkina], on the drying of pineapple slices in Togo. Method: For this purpose, two ATESTA dryers were setup in a company in Lomé, Togo, one operating in forced convection and the other, the witness, in natural convection mode. Drying tests of pineapple slices were carried out with these two dryers. Data were collected on water loss, organoleptic parameters and energy consumption during the drying process Findings: The results showed that the water loss rate increased by 11.4% as well as the first choice dry matter content by 36% and an energy saving of 21% percent of natural convection to forced convection. This performance of the ATESTA forced convection dryer increases the economic profit of USD [United States Dollar] 2.68/kg or USD 45.52/drying cycle and USD 2678.40/t of dried pineapples. The results of microbiological analyses revealed that the total flora [1.2.102 CFU/g] [Colony-Forming Unit per gram] yeast and mold [6.4.101 CFU/g] content of pineapple slices dried by the ATESTA forced convection dryer were in line with the limit values of the Directive 2000/13/EC [European Parliament and the Council]. Novelty: Performance tests on the forced convection dryer have made a more efficient dryer available to pineapple processors. Forced convection can also be adapted to existing dryers. Keywords: Performance, ATESTA dryer, Togo, Forced convection, Dried prineapple

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“…Solar energy is captured directly in the drying chamber and indirectly through the solar air heater or collector. Such dryers can be used for a variety of crops that are suitable for low-temperature thermal drying (Figure 7) [21,[91][92][93][94][95].…”

Section: Mixed-mode Passive Solar Dryersmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review on Solar Drying Devices: Heat Transfer, Air Movement and Type of Chambers

Fernandes,

Tavares

2024

Solar

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Food waste is one of the biggest challenges we are facing nowadays. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, approximately one-third of all food produced in the world is lost at some stage between production and consumption, totaling 930 million tons of food per year. Meanwhile, 10.5% of humanity suffers from malnutrition, 26% are overweight and greenhouse gases derived from the food industry account for between 25 and 30% of total emissions (8 to 10% referring to food waste), exacerbating the current climate crisis. To address these concerns, there has been a growing inclination to seek alternatives to fossil fuels, including the adoption of solar energy across diverse sectors, including the food industry. Actions are needed in order to change these patterns. This review article aims to provide an overview of recent developments in the field of solar food dehydration and the types of dehydrators that have emerged. Extensive research and bibliographic analysis, including other review articles, have revealed a growing focus on investment in this area to develop solar dehydrators that are increasingly effective but as sustainable as possible.

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Simulation of mixed-mode solar dryer with vertical air distribution channel

Cited by 17 publications

References 53 publications

Optimization of Thermo-Flow in a Solar Food Dehydrator Using Computational Techniques

Optimization of Thermo-Flow in a Solar Food Dehydrator Using Computational Techniques

Evaluation of the Performance of the ATESTA Forced Convection Dryer when Drying Pineapples

A Review on Solar Drying Devices: Heat Transfer, Air Movement and Type of Chambers

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