Design and Fabrication of an Agricultural Solar Dryer: Drying of Chili Pepper
Published: 2022-12-28
Page: 425-438
Issue: 2022 - Volume 5 [Issue 4]
John Yirijor *
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Academic City University College, Haatso-Accra, Ghana.
Fio Elizabeth
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Academic City University College, Haatso-Accra, Ghana.
Lucy Agyepong
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Academic City University College, Haatso-Accra, Ghana.
Sulemana Abdul Razak
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Academic City University College, Haatso-Accra, Ghana.
Aaron Nsorbila Adazabra
Department of Applied Physics, C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Navrongo, Ghana.
Fred McBagonluri
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Academic City University College, Haatso-Accra, Ghana.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This research is based on the design and fabrication of an agricultural produce solar dryer for the drying of chili pepper. The solar dryer consists of a solar absorption chamber and a drying chamber. The solar absorption chamber has an opening for the inlet of air, a dark-walled enclosure, and a dark corrugated metal sheet. The drying chamber has tray racks on which two trays are placed, a door for easy access to the trays, their placement, and removal, a transparent glass roof, and a circulation fan. An STC3028 humidity and temperature controller is connected to the drying chamber to measure its humidity and temperature. Connected to the controller is a fan that spins to control the humidity when it exceeds the set point (RH of 50%). The system runs on solar power and its operation is initiated and halted by an electric switch. Two experiments were carried out with the same mass samples to analyze the performance of the solar dryer as compared to open sun drying. The drying rate, drying time, and efficiency of drying in the solar dryer and the open sun were compared and the results showed a higher drying rate of 11.73g/h on average and a shorter drying time of 27 hours for drying in the solar dryer for each experiment. Drying the chili pepper in the sun took 36 hours for each experiment and it happened at a rate of 8.83g/h and 8.78g/h, respectively. The average efficiency of the dryer is 32.34%.
Keywords: Solar dryer, drying rate, drying time, open sun drying, chili pepper, drying chamber
How to Cite
Downloads
References
Climate and Earth's Energy Budget," NASA, [Online].
Available:https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/EnergyBalance/
Access on 4 February 2022.
Hall D. Principle of a Continuous-Flow Dryer, Rome: FAO; 1982.
FAO, Chapter 16 – Grain crop drying, handling, and storage, in Rural structures in the tropics. Design and development, Rome, FAO. 2011:367.
Wang W, Li M, Hassanien R, Hassanien E, Wang Y, Yang L. Thermal performance of indirect forced convection solar dryer and kinetics analysis of mango. Applied Thermal Engineering. 2018;134:310–321.
Thermal Conductivity, HyperPysics Concepts, [Online].
Available:http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Tables/thrcn.html
All About Wood Construction: Advantages & Disadvantages, MT Copeland; 2020. [Online]
Available:https://mtcopeland.com/blog/all-about-wood-construction-advantages-disadvantages/
Sabhadiya J. What Is Steel?- Properties, Uses | Types Of Steels, Engineering Choice, [Online].
Available:https://www.engineeringchoice.com/types-of-steel/
Henneman A, Malone N. How drying preserves vegetables, in food preservation fact sheet: Drying vegetables. 1994:1-7.
"Product properties." ALUCOBOND. [Online]
Available:https://alucobond.com.sg/products/alucobond/product-properties/
Weimar ND. Solar dryer. SINOVOLTAICS. [Online]
Available: https://sinovoltaics.com/learning-center/technologies/solar-dryer/
Access on 22 May 2022
Rathore S, Geete A, Singh Y. "Energy and exergy analyses of fabricated solar drying system with smooth and rough surfaces at different conditions: A case study. Wiley Online Library. 2021;50( 6):6259-6284.
Sardar AD, Charthal S. Performance and evaluation of modified solar dryer for batch of product. International Journal of Advanced Innovative Technology in Engineering. 2016;1( 5).
Bishwash H, Bobadi S, Nikam M. Design and material optimisation of a solar dryer - tray section. Research Gate. 2017;137: 27-34.
Akachukwu BE. Prediction of the optimum angle of inclination for flat plate solar collector in Zaria, Nigeria. Agricultural Engineering International: CIGR Journal. 2011;13(4).
“What is SOLIDWORKS?" Capitol Technology University; 2019. [Online]
Available:https://www.captechu.edu/blog/solidworks-mechatronics-design-and-engineering-program.
The Weather Channel. [online]
Available: https://weather.com/enGH/weather/today/l/GHXX0001:1:GH?Goto=Redirected
Amo-Aidoo A, Kumi EN, Hensel O, Korese JK, Sturm B. Solar energy policy implementation in Ghana: A LEAP model analysis. Scientific African. 2012;16.
Donkor B. Performance evaluation of a mixed mode solar dryer incorporating a backup heater for drying cocoyam slices. Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi; 2017.
Abubakar S, Umaru S, Kaisan MU, Umar UA, Ashok B, Nanthagopal K. Development and performance comparison of mixed-mode solar crop dryers with and without thermal storage. Renewable Energy. 2018;128:285–298.
Fudholi A, Sopian K, Yazdi MH, Hafidz M, Gabbasa M, Kazem HA. Performance analysis of solar drying system for red chili. Solar Energy. 2014;99:47–54.
Chramsa-Ard W, Jindaruksa S, Sirisumpunwong C, Sonsaree S. Performance evaluation of the desiccant bed solar dryer. Energy Procedia. 2013;34:189–197.
Arjoo N, Yadvik, Yadav YK. Performance evaluation of solar tunnel dryer for drying of garlic. Current Agriculture Research Journal. 2017;5(2):220–226.