Solar Drier

Solar Crop Dryer
1 Report-2011 Project
Abstract
A multi-purpose solar crop dryer was developed for drying various agricultural products such as fruits, vegetables, medicinal plants etc. The newly developed system consists of a small fan, a solar air heater and a tunnel dryer. The simple design allows production either by farmers themselves, using cheap and locally available materials, or by small scale industries. Due to the low investment required, the solar dryer is predestined for application on small farms in developing countries. Depending on the crop to be dried and the size of the dryer 1 !1 "g of fresh material can be dried within 1!# days to safe storage conditions. The solar dryer was successfully tested in $reece, %ugoslavia, &gypt, &thiopia and 'audi Arabia drying grapes, dates, onions, peppers and several medicinal plants. (ompared to traditional sun drying methods, the use of the solar dryer reduces drying time significantly and prevents mass losses. )urthermore, product quality can be improved essentially. During drying, the crop is protected completely from rain, dust, insects and animals. All these features contribute to the desired high product quality. The energy cost required for operating the fan features contribute to the the additional earnings from reduced mass losses and improved quality. *n-farm tests also showed that the dryer can be easily operated by farmers. +owever, at present the dissemination of the solar dryer is limited to electrified areas.
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(hapter ! 1 Introduction
Drying is an e,cellent way to preserve food and solar food dryers are appropriate food preservation technology for sustainable development . Drying was probably the first ever food preserving method used by man, even before coo"ing. -t involves the removal of moisture from agricultural produce so as to provide a product that can be safely stored for longer period of time. .'un drying/ is the earliest method of drying farm products ever "nown to man and it involves simply laying the agricultural products in the sun on mats, roofs or drying floors. This has several disadvantages since the farm products are laid in the open s"y and there is greater ris" of spoilage due to adverse climatic conditions li"e rain, wind, moist and dust, loss of products to birds, insects and rodents 0pests12 totally dependent on good weather and very slow drying rate with danger of mould growth thereby causing deterioration and decomposition of the products. The process also requires large area of land, ta"es time and highly labour intensiv. 3ith cultural and industrial development, artificial mechanical drying came into practice, but this process is highly energy intensive and e,pensive which ultimately increases product cost. 4ecently, efforts to improve .sun drying/ have led to .solar drying/. -n solar drying, solar dryers are specialized devices that control the drying process and protect agricultural produce from damage by insect
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pests, dust and rain. -n comparison to natural .sun drying/, solar dryers generate higher temperatures, lower relative humidity, lower product moisture content and reduced spoilage during the drying process. -n addition, it ta"es up less space, ta"es less time and relatively ine,pensive compared to artificial mechanical drying method. Thus, solar drying is a better alternative solution to all the drawbac"s of natural drying and artificial mechanical drying. The solar dryer can be seen as one of the solutions to the world5s food and energy crises. 3ith drying, most agricultural products can be preserved and this can be achieved more efficiently through the use of solar dryers.
'olar dryers are a very useful device for6 Agricultural crop drying. )ood processing industries for dehydration of fruits and vegetables. )ish and meat drying. Dairy industries for production of mil" powder. 'easoning of wood and timber. Te,tile industries for drying of te,tile materials, etc. Thus, the solar dryer is one of the many ways of ma"ing use of solar energy efficiently in meeting man5s demand for energy and food supply. Air is commonly used as a heat transfer fluid in many types of energy conversion systems. -n drying applications and space heating solar energy can ta"e part in a ma7or role because which can be done with warm air alone. 8early any blac" surface which is heated by the
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sun will transfer heat to air when the air is blown over it. Air is distributed over the blac" radiation-absorbing surface and the air stream should be in contact with the complete collector surface to achieve higher temperatures. Air collector is usually over-laid by one or more transparent covers to reduce the heat loss. A good review of solar air heaters and their applications has been reported. (onventional, fuel-operated artificial dryers are more efficient, providing uniform high quality products. 9ut such units are beyond the reach of the farmers with limited crop volume and high requirements of financial resources with respect to the cost of equipment. The increasing rate of fuel consumption in agriculture has made it necessary not only to save energy by intensifying the drying processes and improving their designs and where these solar energy systems can play a ma7or role.
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(hapter ! : ;iterature 'urvey Sunlight

'unlight, sunlight in the broad through sense, is the total frequency and solar spectrum of electromagnetic radiation given off by the 'un. *n &arth, is filtered the &arth<s atmosphere, radiation is obvious as daylight when the 'un is above the horizon. 3hen the direct solar radiation is not bloc"ed by clouds, it is e,perienced as sunshine, a combination of bright light and radiant heat. 3hen it is bloc"ed by the clouds or reflects off of other ob7ects, it is e,perienced as diffused light. The 3orld =eteorological *rganization uses the term >sunshine duration> to mean the cumulative time during which an area receives direct irradiance from the 'un of at least 1: watts per square meter. 'unlight may be recorded using a sunshine
recorder, pyranometer or pyrhelio meter. 'unlight ta"es about ?.@ minutes to reach the &arth. Direct sunlight has a luminous efficiency of about A@ lumens per watt of radiant flu,, which includes infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light.
Solar Crop Dryer 9right 1 , sunlight
provides illuminance of
appro,imately
lu, or lumens per square meter at the &arth<s surface.
'unlight is a "ey factor in photosynthesis, a process vital for life on &arth.
Calculation
To calculate the amount of sunlight reaching the ground, both the elliptical orbit of the &arth and the attenuation by the &arth<s atmosphere have to be ta"en into account. The e,traterrestrial solar illuminance 0&e,t1, corrected for the elliptical orbit by using the day number of the year 0dn1, is given by
where dnB1 on Canuary 12 dnB: on Canuary :2 dnB@: on )ebruary 1, etc. -n this formula dn-@ is used, because in modern times &arth<s perihelion, the closest approach to the 'un and therefore the ma,imum &e,t occurs around Canuary @ each year. The value of . @@D1:determined "nowing that the ratio between perihelion. 0 .A?@:?A?AAE1 squared and the aphelion 01. 1F#1 @@ AE1 should be appro,imately .A@G@@?. The solar illuminance constant 0&sc1, is equal to 1:?H1 @ l,. The direct normal illuminance 0&dn1, corrected for the attenuating effects of the atmosphere is given by6
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where c is the atmospheric e,tinction coefficient and m is the relative optical airmass.
Solar constant
The solar constant, a measure of flu, density, is the amount of incoming solar electromagnetic radiation per unit area that would be incident on a plane perpendicular to the rays, at a distance of one astronomical unit 0AE1 0roughly the mean distance from the 'un to the &arth1. 3hen solar irradiance is measured on the outer surface of &arth<s atmosphere, the measurements can be ad7usted using the inverse square law to infer the magnitude of solar irradiance at one AE and deduce the solar constant. The solar constant includes all types of solar radiation, not 7ust the visible light. -t is measured by satellite to be roughly 1.@FF "ilowatts per square meter 0"3ImJ1.
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Sunlight intensity in the Solar System

Different bodies of the 'olar 'ystem receive light of an intensity inversely proportional to the square of their distance from 'un. A rough table comparing the amount of light received by each planet on the 'olar 'ystem follows -
Klanet
Kerihelion - Aphelion distance 0AE1 .@ #G ! .DFF# .#1?D ! .#:?: .A?@@ ! 1. 1# 1.@?: ! 1.FFF D.AG ! G.DG? A. D? ! 1 .1: 1?.@? ! : . ?
'olar ma,imum 03ImJ1 1D,DDF ! F,:#: :,FD# ! :,G#F 1,D1@ ! 1,@:1 #1G ! DA: GG.? ! DG.A 1F.# ! 1@.D D. D ! @.@A 1.GD ! 1.D# and
radiation minimum
=ercury Lenus &arth =ars Cupiter 'aturn Eranus
8eptune :A.## ! @ .DD
The actual brightness of sunlight that would be observed at the surface depends also on the presence and composition of an atmosphere. )or
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e,ample Lenus< thic" atmosphere reflects more than F M of the solar light it receives. The actual illumination of the surface is about 1D, lu,, comparable to that on &arth >in the daytime with overcast clouds>. 'unlight on =ars would be more or less li"e daylight on &arth wearing sunglasses, and as can be seen in the pictures ta"en by the rovers, there is enough diffuse s"y radiation that shadows would not seem particularly dar". Thus it would give perceptions and >feel> very much li"e &arth daylight. )or comparison purposes, sunlight on 'aturn is slightly brighter than &arth sunlight at the average sunset or sunrise 0see daylight for comparison table1. &ven on Kluto the sunlight would still be bright enough to almost match the average living room. To see sunlight as dim as full moonlight on the &arth, a distance of about G "nown to orbit farther than such a distance. AE 0NFA lighthours1 is needed2 there is only a handful of ob7ects in the solar system
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Composition
The spectrum of the 'un<s solar radiation is close to that of a blac" body with a temperature of about G,? O. The 'un emits &= radiation across most of the electromagnetic spectrum. Although the 'un produces $amma rays as a result of the 8uclear fusion process, these super high energy photons are converted to lower energy photons before they reach the 'un<s surface and are emitted out into space. 'o the 'un doesn<t give off any gamma rays to spea" of. The 'un does, however, emit P-rays, ultraviolet, visible light , infrared, and even 4adio waves. 3hen ultraviolet radiation is not absorbed by the atmosphere or other protective coating, it can cause damage to the s"in "nown as sunburn or trigger an adaptive change in human s"in pigmentation.
Solar irradiance spectrum above atmosphere and at surface.
Solar Crop Dryer The spectrum
of electromagnetic
radiation stri"ing
the &arth<s
atmosphere is 1
to 1 F nanometers 0nm1. This can be divided into five
regions in increasing order of wavelengths Eltraviolet ( or 0EL(1 range, which spans a range of 1 to :? nm.
The term ultraviolet refers to the fact that the radiation is at higher frequency than violet light 0and, hence also invisible to the human eye1. *wing to absorption by the atmosphere very little reaches the &arth<s surface 0;ithosphere1. This spectrum of radiation has germicidal properties, and is used in germicidal lamps. Eltraviolet 9 or 0EL91 range spans :? to @1G nm. -t is also greatly absorbed by the atmosphere, and along with EL( is responsible for the photochemical reaction leading to the production of the *zone layer. Eltraviolet A or 0ELA1 spans @1G to D held as less damaging to nm. -t has been traditionally and hence used
the D8A,
in tanning and KELA therapy for psoriasis. Lisible range or light spans @? to #? nm. As the name suggests, it is this range that is visible to the na"ed eye. -nfrared range that spans # nm to 1 F nm Q1 0mm1R. -t is responsible
for an important part of the electromagnetic radiation that reaches the &arth. -t is also divided into three types on the basis of wavelength6 -nfrared-A6 # -nfrared-96 1,D -nfrared-(6 @, nm to 1,D nm to @, nm nm
nm to 1 mm.
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SOLAR RADIATION TH
N R!"
SO#RC $OR SOLAR DR"IN!

The sun is the central energy producer of our solar system. - has the form of a ball and nuclear fusion ta"e place continuously in its centre. A small fraction of the energy produced in the sun hits the earth and ma"es life possible on our planet. 'olar radiation drives all natural cycles and processes such as rain, wind, photosynthesis, ocean currents and several other which are important for life. The whole world energy need has been based from the very beginning on solar energy. All fossil fuels 0oil, gas, coal, etc.1 are converted solar energy. The radiation intensity of F # , to ? , o( solar surface corresponds to
"3Im:. *ur planet receives only a very small portion , , billion "3h2 this is more than 1 , times
of this energy. -n spite of this, the incoming solar radiation energy in a year is about : the yearly energy need of the whole world. The solar radiation intensity outside the atmosphere is in average 1,@F 3Im: 0solar constant1. 3hen the solar radiation penetrates through the atmosphere some of the radiation is lost so that on a clear s"y sunny day in summer between ? to 1 3Im: 0global radiation1 can be obtained on the ground. 'olar energy will be e,tremely e,pensive as compared to other energy sources. +owever there is an unlimited amount of power across different countries in summer. There will not be enough input from other sources and therefore we must wor" e,tremely hard on solar energy. -t will be indispensable. The only problem is that the public is unwilling to ma"e the huge investments in solar that are needed, and if we wait too long to ma"e these investments it will be too late. -n order to
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use this energy, we will have to have seasonal industries that ta"e advantage hat when the sun doesn5t shine, the factory won5t wor" and it might be necessary to go to bed early because there is no electricity. (apital costs of solar will be very high because the percentage of time that it is available is so small. A lot of labour will be required but labour will be cheap after oilo depletion power needs for an economic one. The information gained can then be used in large power plants or in house sized installations%
!lobal Radiation
The duration of the sunshine as well as its intensity is dependent on the time of the year, weather conditions and naturally also on the geographical location. The amount of yearly global radiation on a horizontal surface may thus reach in the sun belt regions over :,: "3hIm:. -n north &urope, the ma,imum values are 1,1 "3hIm:. The global radiation composes of direct and diffuse radiation. The direct solar radiation is the component which comes from the direction of the sun. The diffuse radiation component is created when the direct solar rays are scattered from the different molecules and particles in the atmosphere into all directions, i.e. the radiation becomes un-beamed. The amount of diffuse radiation is dependent on the climatic and geographic conditions. The global radiation and the proportion of diffuse radiation is greatly influenced by clouds, the condition of the atmosphere 0e.g. haze and dust layers over large cities1 and the path length of the beams through the atmosphere.
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Solar energy
'olar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. 'olar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available renewable energy on earth. *nly a minuscule fraction of the available solar energy is used.
'olar
powered electrical
generation
relies
on heat
engines and photovoltaics. 'olar energy<s uses are limited only by human ingenuity. To harvest the solar energy, the most common way is to use solar panels. 'olar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive
solar or active solar depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute solar energy. Active solar techniques include the use of photovoltaic panels and solar thermal collectors to harness the energy. Kassive solar techniques include orienting a building to the 'un,
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selecting materials with favorable thermal mass or light dispersing properties, and designing spaces that naturally circulate air.
nergy &rom the Sun

The &arth receives 1#D petawatts 0K31 of incoming solar radiation 0insolation1 at the upper atmosphere. Appro,imately @ M is reflected bac" to space while the rest is absorbed by clouds, oceans and land masses. The spectrum of solar light at the &arth<s surface is mostly spread across the visible and near-infrared ranges with a small part in the near-ultraviolet. &arth<s land surface, oceans and atmosphere absorb solar radiation, and this raises their temperature. 3arm air
About half the incoming solar energy reaches the &arth<s surface.
containing evaporated water from the oceans rises, causing atmospheric circulation or convection. 3hen the air reaches a high altitude, where
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the temperature is low, water vapor condenses into clouds, which rain onto the &arth<s surface, completing the water cycle. The latent heat of water condensation amplifies convection, producing atmospheric phenomena such as wind, cyclones and anti-cyclones. 'unlight absorbed by the oceans and land masses "eeps the surface at an average temperature of 1D S(. 9y photosynthesis green plants convert solar energy into chemical energy, which produces food, wood and the biomass from which fossil fuels are derived. increased &ood prices by di'erting &orests and crops into bio&uel production%
%early 'olar flu,es T +uman &nergy (onsumption &CQFR
'olar
@,?G ,
3ind
:,:G &CQ#R &CQ?R
9iomass
@,
Krimary energy use 0:
G1
D?# &CQAR GF.# &CQ1 R
&lectricity 0:
G1
The total solar energy absorbed by &arth<s atmosphere, oceans and land masses is appro,imately @,?G , Khotosynthesis captures e,a7oules 0&C1 per year. -n : @, &C per :, this in was more energy in one hour than the world used in one year. appro,imately year biomass. The amount of solar energy reaching the surface of the planet is so vast that in one year it is about twice as much as will ever be
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obtained from all of the &arth<s non-renewable resources of coal, oil, natural gas, and mined uranium combined. )rom the table of resources it would appear that solar, wind or biomass would be sufficient to supply all of our energy needs, however, the increased use of biomass has had a negative effect on global warming and dramatically As intermittent resources, solar and wind raise other issues. 'olar energy can be harnessed in different levels around the world. Depending on a geographical location the closer to the equator the more >potential> solar energy is available.
Applications o& solar technology

Average insolation showing land area 0small blac" dots1 required to replace the world primary energy supply with solar electricity. 1? T3 is GF? &,a7oule 0&C1 per year. -nsolation for most people is from 1G to @ 3ImJ or @.G to #. "3hImJIday.
'olar energy refers primarily to the use of solar radiation for practical ends. +owever, all renewable energies, other than geothermal and tidal, derive their energy from the sun.
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'olar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive or active depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute sunlight. Active solar techniques use photovoltaic panels, pumps, and fans to convert sunlight into useful outputs. Kassive solar techniques include selecting materials with favorable thermal properties, designing spaces that naturally circulate air, and referencing the position of a building to the 'un. Active solar technologies increase the supply of energy and are considered supply side technologies, while passive solar technologies reduce the need for alternate resources and are generally considered demand side technologies.
History
There are records of solar collectors in the Enited 'tates dating bac" to before 1A , comprising a blac"-painted tan" mounted on a roof. -n 1?AF (larence Oemp of 9altimore, E'A enclosed a tan" in a wooden bo,, thus creating the first <batch water heater< as they are "nown today. Although flat-plate collectors for solar water heating were used in )lorida and 'outhern (alifornia in the 1A: s there was a surge of
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interest in solar heating in 8orth America after 1AF , but specially after the 1A#@ oil crisis.
Work in Israel Main article: Solar power in Israel
Passive (thermisiphon) solar water heaters on a rooftop in Jerusalem
)lat plate solar systems were perfected and used on a very large scale in -srael. -n the 1AG s there was a fuel shortage in the new -sraeli state, and the government forbade heating water between 1 p.m. and F a.m.. ;evi %issar built the first prototype -sraeli solar water heater and in 1AG@ he launched the 8er%ah (ompany, -srael<s first commercial manufacturer of solar water heating. Despite the abundance of sunlight in -srael, solar water heaters were used by only : M of the population by 1AF#. )ollowing the energy crisis in the 1A# s, in 1A? the -sraeli Onesset passed a law requiring the installation of solar water heaters in all new homes 0e,cept high towers with insufficient roof area1. As a result, -srael is now the world leader in the use of solar energy per capita with ?GM of the households today using solar thermal systems 0@M of the primary national energy consumption1, estimated to save the country two million barrels of oil a year, the highest per capita use of solar energy in the world.
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*ther countries.
ew solar hot water installations durin! "##$% worldwide.
The world saw a rapid growth of the use of solar warm water after 1AF , with systems being mar"eted has also in Capan and life Australia Technical innovation improved performance,
e,pectancy and ease of use of these systems. -nstallation of solar water heating has become the norm in countries with an abundance of solar radiation, li"e the =editerranean, and Capan and Austria, where there (olombia developed a local solar water heating industry than"s to the designs of ;as $aviotas, directed by Kaolo ;ugari. Driven by a desire to reduce costs in social housing, the team of $aviotas studied the best systems from -srael, and made adaptations as to meet the specifications set by the 9anco (entral +ipotecario 09(+1 which prescribed that the system must be operational in cities li"e 9ogotU where there are more than : *ver D , later. days overcast. The ultimate designs were so successful that ;as were installed, and still function a quarter of a century $aviotas offered in 1A?D a :G year warranty on any of its installations.
Solar Crop Dryer -n :
G, 'pain became the first country in the world to require the
installation of photovoltaic electricity generation in new buildings, and the second 0after -srael1 to require the installation of solar water heating systems in : F.
Australia has a variety of incentives 0national and state1 and regulations 0state1 for solar thermal introduced starting with =4&T in 1AA# . 'olar water heating systems have become popular in (hina, where basic models start at around 1,G yuan 0E'V1A 1, much cheaper than in 3estern countries 0around ? M cheaper for a given size of collector1. -t is said that at least @ million (hinese households now have one, and that the popularity is due to the efficient evacuated tubes which allow the heaters to function even under gray s"ies and at temperatures well below freezing . -srael and (yprus are the per capita leaders in the use of solar water heating systems with over @ M-D M of homes using them. 'ee Appendi, 1 at the bottom of this article for a number of countryspecific statistics on the >Ese of solar water heating worldwide>. 3i"ipedia also has country-specific articles about solar energy use 0thermal as well as photovoltaic1 in Australia, (anada, (hina, $ermany, -ndia, -srael,Capan, Kortugal, 4 omania, 'pain, the Enited Oingdom and the Enited 'tates.
Solar air heat

'olar air heat is a type of energy collector in which the energy from the sun, solar insolation, is captured by an absorbing medium and used to heat air . 'olar air heating is arenewable energy heating technology used to heat or condition air for buildings or process heat applications.
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'olar air collectors can be commonly divided into two categories6 . glazed 0recirculating types1 unglazed 0ambient air heaters -transpired type1
!la(ed Air Systems

)unctioning in a similar manner as a conventional forced air furnace, systems provide heat by recirculating conditioned building air through solar collectors - 'olar thermal collectors. . Through the use of an energy collecting surface to absorb the sun5s thermal energy, and ducting air to come in contact with it, a simple and effective collector can be made for a variety of air conditioning and process applications.
SP& Solar 'ir (eat )ollector
A simple solar air collector consists of an absorber material, sometimes having a selective surface, to capture radiation from the sun and transfers this thermal energy to air via conduction heat transfer. This heated air is then ducted to the building space or to the process area where the heated air is used for space heating or process heating needs.
Air Heat Applications
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A variety of applications can utilize solar air heat technologies to reduce the carbon footprint from use of conventional heat sources, such as fossil fuels, to create a sustainable means to produce thermal energy. Applications such as space heating, pre-heating ventilation ma"eup air, or process heat can be addressed by solar air heat devices. )urther strides are being made in the field of Wsolar co-generation5 where solar thermal technologies are being paired with photovoltaics 0KL1 which increases the efficiency of a typical KL system by generating additional useful energy in the form of both electricity and heat.
'pace +eating Applications

'pace heating for residential and commercial applications can be done through the use of solar air heating panels. This configuration operates by drawing air from the building envelope or from the outdoor environment and passes it through the collector where the air warms from conduction of the absorber and is then supplied to the living or wor"ing space by either passive means or with the assistance of a fan. Lentilation, fresh air or ma"eup air is required in most commercial, industrial and institutional buildings to meet code requirements. 9y drawing air through a properly designed unglazed transpired air collector or an air heater 0such as an http6IIen.wi"ipedia.orgIwi"iI&nergyXrecoveryXventilation energy and heat recovery ventilators &4LI+4LR1, the solar heated fresh air can reduce the heating load during daytime operation. =any applications are now being installed where the transpired collector preheats the fresh air entering a heat recovery ventilator to reduce the defrost time of +4L<s.
Krocess +eat Applications
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'olar air heat can also be used in process applications such as drying laundry, crops 0i.e. tea, corn, coffee1 and other drying applications. Air heated through a solar collector and then passed over a medium to be dried can provide an efficient means by which to reduce the moisture content of the material%
#ngla(ed Air Systems

Transpired Air (ollector
Transpired air collectors are becoming the most popular type of solar air heating system in 8orth America. These unglazed solar collectors are low cost and primarily used to heat ambient air and not building air. Transpired collectors only require one penetration into the building, or if e,isting fan inlets are used, then no additional penetrations are necessary. The transpired air collectors are generally wall mounted to capture the lower sun angles in the winter months, additional sun reflection off the snow and they also capture heat loss escaping from the building envelope which is collected in the 'olar3all air cavity and drawn bac" into the ventilation system. As of : A, there are over 1G transpired collector installations with over @ collector surface. , square meters of
Solar Heating &&iciency

'olar air collector heat loss is lowest when the temperature of the air entering the solar panel is equal to 0or less than1 ambient temperature. This occurs with transpired collectors designed to pre-heat outside air for ventilating a building. 'pace heating collectors are designed to reheat inside building air so the air entering the collector is warmer
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than outside air resulting in some heat loss through the glazing. 'pace heating systems must also heat the air above room temperature whereas with ventilation heating, it is only necessary to raise the outside air temperature to room temperature 0: (1. *n cold, overcast days, there may be insufficient energy for space heating but ambient air heaters may still be able to e,tract a few degrees of useful energy from the filtered sunlight. Transpired collectors will provide significant energy savings when heating ventilation air for buildings that have high fresh air requirements such as factories, schools, hospitals arenas etc. Transpired collector systems are generally day time solar heaters without storage. =ost homes have low ventilation requiements and need higher temperature air and thus transpired collectors are not as popular for residential applications.
Acti'e solar
Active solar technologies are employed to convert solar energy into usable light, heat, cause air-movement for ventilation or cooling, or store heat for future use. Active solar uses electrical or mechanical equipment, such as pumps and fans, to increase the usable heat in a system. 'olar energy collection and utilization systems that do not use e,ternal energy, li"e a solar chimney, are classified as passive solartechnologies. 'olar hot water systems, e,cept those based on the thermosiphon, use pumps or fans to circulate water, an anti-freeze mi,ture, or air throughsolar collectors, and are therefore classified under active solar technology. The solar collectors can be nonconcentrating or <flat-plate<, or of various concentrating designs. =ost solar-thermal collectors have
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fi,ed mounting, but can have a higher performance if they trac" the path of the sun through the s"y. 'olar trac"ers, used to orient photovoltaic arrays or daylighting, may be driven by either passive or active technology.
Solar trackers ma* be driven b* active orpassive solar technolo!*
)assi'e solar
Kassive solar technologies are means of using sunlight for useful energy without use of active mechanical systems 0as contrasted to active solar1. 'uch technologies convert sunlight into usable heat 0water, air, thermal mass1, cause air-movement for ventilating, or future use, with little use of other energy sources. A common e,ample is a solarium on the equator-side of a building. Kassive cooling is the use of the same design principles to reduce summer cooling requirements.Kassive solar energy is a type of energy.
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Technologies that use a significant amount of conventional energy to power pumps or fans are active solar technologies. 'ome passive systems use a small amount of conventional energy to control dampers, shutters, night insulation, and other devices that enhance solar energy collection, storage, use, and reduce undesirable heat transfer. Kassive solar technologies include direct and indirect solar gain for space heating, solar water heating systems based on the thermosiphon or geyser pump, use of thermal mass and phasechange materials for slowing indoor air temperature swings, solar coo"ers, the solar chimney for enhancing natural ventilation, and earth sheltering. =ore widely, passive solar technologies include the solar furnace and solar forge, but these typically require some e,ternal energy for aligning their concentrating mirrors or receivers, and historically have not proven to be practical or cost effective for widespread use. <;ow-grade< energy needs, such as space and water heating, have proven, over time, to be better applications for passive use of solar energy.
(hapter ! @ Solar Drying $ood dehydrator

A food dehydrator is an appliance that removes moisture from food to aid in its preservation. A food dehydrator uses heat and air flow
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to reduce the water content of foods. The water content of food is usually very high, typically ? M to AGM for various fruits and vegetables and G M to #GM for various meats. 4emoving moisture from food restrains various bacteria from growing and spoiling food. )urther, removing moisture from food dramatically reduces the weight of the food. Thus, food dehydrators are used to preserve and e,tend the shelf life of various foods.
+omato slices read* to be dried in a food deh*drator. In this model% multiple tra*s can be stacked on top of each other and warm air flows around the food.
A food dehydrator<s basic parts usually consist of a heating element, a fan, air vents allowing for air circulation and food trays to lay food upon. A dehydrator<s heating element, fans and vents simultaneously wor" to remove moisture from food. A dehydrator<s heating element warms the food causing its moisture to be released from its interior. The appliance<s fan then blows the warm, moist air out of the appliance via the air vents. This process continues for hours until the food is dried to a substantially lower water content, usually fifteen to twenty percent or less.
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=ost foods are dehydrated at temperatures of 1@
S), or GD S(,
although meats being made into 7er"y should be dehydrated at a higher temperature of 1GG S), or F? S(, or preheated to those temperature levels, to guard against pathogens that may be in the meat. The "ey to successful food dehydration is the application of a constant temperature and adequate air flow. Too high of a temperature can cause case hardened foods2 food that is hard and dry on the outside but moist on the inside. The first food dehydrator was sold in 1A: . 'olar dryers use solar energy to create a flow of warm air through the tray%
Drying *&ood+
Drying is a method the of food food, preservation that which inhibits wor"s the by removing water from growth
of microorganisms and hinders quality decay. Drying food using sun and wind to prevent spoilage has been practised since ancient times. 3ater is usually removed byevaporation 0air drying, sun drying,
Solar Crop Dryer
smo"ing or wind drying1 but, in the case of freeze-drying, food is first frozen and then the water is removed by sublimation. 9acteria yeasts and moulds need the water in the food to grow. Drying effectively prevents them from surviving in the food.
A whole potato, sliced pieces 0right1, and dried sliced pieces 0left1
$ood types
=any different foods are prepared by dehydration. $ood e,amples are meat such as prosciutto 0a.".a. Karma ham1, bresaola, and beef 7er"y. Dried and salted reindeer meat is a traditional 'ami food. )irst the meat
Solar Crop Dryer
is soa"ed I pic"led in saltwater for a couple of days to guarantee the conservation of the meat. Then the meat is dried in the sun in spring when the air temperature is below zero. The dried meat can be further processed to ma"e soup. )ruits change character completelyQclarification neededR when dried6 the plum becomes a prune, the grape a raisin2 figs and dates are also transformed in new, different products, that can be eaten as they are or else after rehydration.
A collection of dried mushrooms.
+ome drying of vegetables, fruit and even meat 0to produce 7er"y1 may be carried out by a do-it-yourself practice, employing electrical dehydrators 0household appliance1. -f the user does not li"e to use additives as potassium metabisulphite, or 9+A, 9+T for meats, dried products may be hermetically shelf stored if it is to be consumed soon, or else in the refrigerator or even freezer if a long storage is to be e,pected. )reeze dried vegetables are often found in bac"pac"ers food, hunters, military, etc. The e,ception to this rule are bulbs, such as garlic and onion, which are often dried. Also chilis are frequently dried. &dible andpsilocybin mushrooms, as well as other fungi, are also
Solar Crop Dryer
sometimes dried for preservation purposes, to affect the potency of chemical components, or so they can be used as seasonings. )or centuries, much of the &uropean diet depended on dried cod, "nown as salt cod or bacalhau 0with salt1 or stoc"fish 0without1. -t formed the main protein and was source a for the slaves on economic force the3est within -ndian plantations, in -celand. ma7or
the triangular trade. Dried shar" meat, "nown as +U"arl, is a delicacy
$rain drying
+undreds of millions of tonnes of wheat, corn, soybean, rice and other grains as sorghum, sunflower seeds, rapeseedIcanola, barley, oats, etc., are dried in grain dryers. -n the main agricultural countries, drying comprises the reduction of moisture from about 1#-@ MwIw to values between ? and 1GMwIw, depending on the grain. The final moisture content for drying must be adequate for storage. The more oil the grain has, the lower its storage moisture content will be 0though its initial moisture for drying will also be lower1. (ereals are often dried to 1DM wIw, while oilseeds, to 1:.GM 0soybeans1, ?M 0sunflower1 and AM 0peanuts1. Drying is carried out as a requisite for safe storage, in order to inhibit microbial growth. +owever, low temperatures in storage are also highly recommended to avoid degradative reactions and, especially, the growth of insects and mites. A good ma,imum storage temperature is about 1?S(. The largest dryers are normally used >*ff-farm>, in elevators, and are of the continuous type6 =i,ed-flow dryers are preferred in &urope, while (ross-flow dryers in the E'A. -n Argentina, both types are usually found. (ontinuous flow dryers may produce up to 1 metric tonnes of dried grain per hour. The depth of grain the air
Solar Crop Dryer
must traverse in continuous dryers range from some .1G m in =i,ed flow dryers to some .@ m in (ross-)low. 9atch dryers are mainly used >*n-)arm>, particularly in the E'A and &urope. They normally consist of a bin, with heated air flowing horizontally from an internal cylinder through an inner perforated metal sheet, then through a annular grain bed, some .G m thic" 0coa,ial with the internal cylinder1 in radial direction, and finally across the outer perforated metal sheet, before being discharged to the atmosphere. The usual drying times range from 1 h to D h depending on how much water must be removed, type of grain, air temperature and the grain depth. -n the E'A, continuous counterflow dryers may be found on-farm, adapting a bin to slowly drying grain fed at the top and removed at the bottom of the bin by a sweeping auger. $rain drying is an active area of manufacturing and research. 8ow it is possible to simulate the performance of a dryer with computer programs based on equations 0mathematical models1 that represent the phenomena involved in drying6 physics, physical chemistry, thermodynamics and heat and mass transfer. =ost recently the evolution of quality indices is beginning to be predicted with some confidence, in order to add an essential performance parameter with which to establish a compromise of reasonably fast drying rate, limited energy consumption, and satisfactory grain quality. A typical quality parameter in wheat drying is the breadma"ing quality and germination percentage whose reductions in drying are somewhat related.
Attempts to +arness 'olar &nergy
Some ,ac-ground to the Concept
Solar Crop Dryer
The idea of using solar energy to produce high temperature dates bac" to ancient times. The solar radiation has been used by man since the beginning of time for heating his domicile, for agricultural purposes and for personal comfort. 4eports abound in literature on the 1?th century wor"s of Archimedes on concentrating the sun5s rays with flat mirrors2 Antoine ;avoisier on solar furnace2 Coseph Kriestly on concentrating rays using lens. -n the 1Ath century, development of solar distillation unit covering D#G sq meters of land, operated for D years and, producing F, gallons of water from salt water per day has been reported. Also, Cohn &ricson5s wor" on conversion of solar energy into mechanical energy through a device, which produced 1hp 0#DF 31 for each A.@m: of collecting surface has also been reported. =odern research on the use of solar energy started during the : th century. Developments include the invention of a solar boiler, small powered steam engines and solar battery, but it is difficult to mar"et them in competition with engines running on ine,pensive gasoline .During the mid 1A# 5s shortages of oil and natural gas, increase in the cost of fossil fuels and the depletion of other resources stimulated efforts in the Enited 'tates to develop solar energy into a practical power source. Thus, interest was re"indled in the harnessing of solar energy for heating and cooling, the generation of electricity and other purposes
(apturing 'olar &nergy

'olar radiation can be converted either into thermal energy 0heat1 or into electrical energy. This can be done by ma"ing use of thermal collectors for conversion into heat energy or photovoltaic collectors for conversion into electrical energy. Two main collectors are used to capture solar energy and convert it to thermal energy, these are flat
Solar Crop Dryer
plate collectors and concentrating collectors . -n this paper, emphasis is laid much on the flat plate collectors which are also "nown as nonfocusing collectors.
-mportance of 'olar Dried )ood

)or centuries, people of various nations have been preserving fruits, other crops, meat and fish by drying. Drying is also beneficial for hay, copra, tea and other income producing non-food crops. 3ith solar drying being available everywhere, the availability of all these farm produce can be greatly increased. -t is worth noting that until around the end of the 1?th century when canning was developed, drying was virtually the only method of food preservation. The energy input for drying is less than what is needed to freeze or can, and the storage space is minimal compared with that needed for canning 7ars and freezer containers. -t was further stated that the nutritional value of food is only minimally affected by drying . Also, food scientists have found that by reducing the moisture content of food to 1 to : M, bacteria, yeast, mold and enzymes are all prevented from spoiling it. =icroorganisms are effectively "illed when the internal temperature of food reaches 1DGS) . The flavour and most of the nutritional value of dried food is preserved and concentrated . Dried foods do not require any special storage equipment and are easy to transport . Dehydration of vegetables and other food crop by traditional methods of open-air sun drying is not satisfactory, because the products deteriorate rapidly . 'tudies showed that food items dried in a solar dryer were superior to those which are sun dried when evaluated in terms of taste,
Solar Crop Dryer
colour and mould counts . 'olar dried food are quality products that can be stored for e,tended periods, easily transported at less cost while still providing e,cellent nutritive value. This paper therefore presents the design and construction of a domestic passive solar food dryer.
(hapter ! D Solar Crops Dryer )arts
Solar Crop Dryer
Collector types
A solar-thermal-collector is a solar-collector designed to collect heat by absorb ing sunlight. The term is applied to solar hot water panels, but may also be used to denote more comple, installations such as solar parabolic, solar trough and solar towers or simpler installations such as solar air heat. The more comple, collectors are generally used in solar power plants where solar heat is used to generate electricity by heating water to produce steam which drives a turbine connected to an electrical generator. The simpler collectors are typically used for supplemental space heating in residential and commercial buildings. A collector is a device for converting the energy in solar radiation into a more usable or storable form. The energy in sunlight is in the form of electromagnetic radiation from the infrared 0long1 to the ultraviolet 0short1 wavelengths. The solar energy stri"ing the &arth<s surface depends on weather conditions, as well as location and orientation of the surface, but overall, it averages about 1, watts per square meter under clear s"ies with the surface directly perpendicular to the sun<s rays.
Due to varying air-ducting methods, collectors are commonly classified as one of three types6 a1 through-pass collectors, b1 front-pass, c1 bac" pass,
Solar Crop Dryer
d1 combination front and bac" pass collectors.
Through-Kass Air (ollector

-n the through-pass configuration, air ducted onto one side of the absorber passes through a perforated or fibrous type material and is heated from the conductive properties of the material and the convective properties of the moving air. Through-pass absorbers have the most surface area which enables relatively high conductive heat transfer rates, but significant pressure drop can require greater fan power, and deterioration of certain absorber material after many years of solar radiation e,posure can additionally create problems with air quality and performance.
(ombination Kassage Air (ollector

-n bac"-pass, front-pass, and combination type configurations the air is directed on either the bac", the front, or on both sides of the absorber to be heated from the return to the supply ducting headers. Although passing the air on both sides of the absorber will provide a greater surface area for conductive heat transfer, issues with dust 0fouling1 can arise from passing air on the front side of the absorber which reduces absorber efficiency by limiting the amount of sunlight received. -n cold climates, air passing ne,t to the glazing will additionally cause greater heat loss, resulting in lower overall performance of the collector .
$an
Solar Crop Dryer
The main problem with a KL powered solar crop dryer is the fan6 the fan should be in- e,pensive, durable and produce high flow rates at a high pressure while having a low power consumption in order to "eep the prise of the solar crop dryer down and at the same time ensure an efficient drying process. -n order to limit the necessary size of the KLpanel the flow rate through the crop was de- creased considerably compared to conventional dryers. 3ith the air flow in the design case of @ mYIh per unit the air speed through the drying bed was . F mIs. This is very low compared to the .@- .# mIs in conventional cross flow dryers and also low compared to the .1 mIs in conventional platform dryers. The data sheet for the chosen fan is shown in appendi, A. The fan is type #:1:8 from Kabst. The characteristic of the fan is shown in figure :.?, curve :. The figure shows that the pressure drop of the system should be below G Ka at a flow rate of @ else may drop to around : mYIh as the flow rate mYIh. The voltage range of the fan is
between F and 1G L and the nominal power demand is 1: 3.
(hapter ! G
Solar Crop Dryer
.aterials and .ethod

$eneral Description of the Domestic Kassive 'olar )ood Dryer
The most commonly seen design types are of cabinet form 0wooden bo,es with glass cover1, some types are even improved ma"ing use of cardboard bo,es and transparent nylon or polythene.)or the design being considered, the greenhouse effect and thermosiphon principles are the theoretical basis. There is an air vent 0or inlet1 to the solar collector where air enters and is heated up by the greenhouse effect, the hot air rises through the drying chamber passing through the trays and around the food, removing the moisture content and e,its through the air vent 0or outlet1 near the top of the shadowed side.
The hot air acts as the drying medium, it e,tracts and conveys the moisture from the produce 0or food1 to the atmosphere under free 0natural1 convection, thus the system is a passive solar system and no mechanical device is required to control the inta"e of air into the dryer.The solar food dryer consists of two ma7or compartment or chambers being integrated together6
The solar collector compartment, which can also be referred to as the air heater. The drying chamber, designed to accommodate four layers of drying trays made of net cloth 0cheese cloth1 on which the produces 0or food1 are placed for drying.
Solar Crop Dryer
Drawings
Solar Crop Dryer
Solar Crop Dryer
Solar Crop Dryer
=aterials Esed
The &ollo/ing materials /ere used &or the construction o& the domestic passi'e solar dryer0

$- 'heet of gauge 1F *1%2mm+3 $lass 3
as the casing *housing+ o& the entire system%
as the solar collector co'er and the co'er &or the drying chamber% It
permits the solar radiation into the system but resists the &lo/ o& heat energy out o& the systems%
Aluminium sheet 3
o& 14gauge 3 1mm thic-ness *dimension 56cm 7 56cm+ &rames &or constructing the trays%
painted blac- /ith mat &inish &or absorption o& solar radiation%

'teel net and 'teel rods as Thermocol
as insulation in drying chamber and glue as adhesi'e &or insulation% the dryer9s door%
3elding &or 8oining
+inges and =agnet &or Kaint *blac-
and cherry red+%
Solar Crop Dryer
(hapter ! F Design Consideration

1.
Temperature- The minimum temperature &or drying &ood is 56:C and the ma;imum temperature is <6:C= there&ore% >?:C and abo'e is considered a'erage and normal &or drying 'egetables= &ruits= roots and tuber crop chips= crop seeds and some other crops %
2.
The design /as made &or the optimum temperature &or the dryer% T6 o& <6:C and the air inlet temperature or the ambient temperature T1 @ 56:C *appro;imately outdoor temperature+%
3.
&fficiency - This is de&ined as the ratio o& the use&ul output o& a de'ice to the input o& the de'ice%
4.
Air gap ! In this /or-= a gap o& ? cm should be created as air 'ent *inlet+ and air passage%
5.
$lass and flat plate collector - The glass co'ering should be 53>mm thic-ness% In this /or-= 5mm thic- transparent glass /as used% Here the metal sheet thic-ness should be o& 6%4 1%6 mm thic-nessA here an Aluminium sheet o& 14gauge *1mm+ thic-ness /as used% The glass used as co'er &or the collector /as 56 7 ?6cm2%
Solar Crop Dryer
6.
Dimension ! It is recommended that a constant e;change o& air and a roomy drying chamber should be attained in solar &ood dryer design= thus the design o& the drying chamber /as made as spacious as possible o& a'erage dimension o& 56 7 56 7 56cm /ith air passage *air 'ent+ out o& the cabinet o& 2B diameter%
C%
Dryer Trays ! Steel Net /as selected as the dryer screen or trays to aid air circulation /ithin the drying chamber% T/o trays /ere made% The tray dimension is 56 7 56cm % The design o& the dry chamber ma-ing use o& thermocol /all sides and tends to bleach colour= remo'es &la'or and causes the &ood to dry une'enly%
Design Calculations
1. Angle of Tilt 0Z1 of 'olar (ollectorIAir +eater.
It states that the angle o& tilt *D+ o& the solar collector should be D @ 166 E lat F /here lat F is the latitude o& the collector location= Region0 Gerala Country0 India Latitude0 16%?1<<<C % Hence= the suitable 'alue o& D use &or the collector0 D @ 166 E 16%?1C6 @ 26%?1C6 :. -nsulation on the (ollector 'urface Area.
A research obtained the 'alue o& insulation &or Thrissur= Gerala= India i%e% a'erage daily radiation H on hori(ontal sur&ace asA H @ HC4%<HIJm2
Solar Crop Dryer
and a'erage e&&ecti'e ratio o& solar energy on tilted sur&ace to that on the hori(ontal sur&ace R asA R @ 1%665? Thus= insulation on the collector sur&ace /as obtained as Ic @HR @ HC4%<H 7 1%665? Ic @ H42%11IJm2 @. Determination of (ollector Area and Dimension. The mass &lo/ rate o& air .a /as determined by ta-ing the a'erage air speed Ka @ 6%1?mJs% The air gap height /as ta-en as ?cm @ 6%6?m and the /idth o& the collection assumed to be 56cm @ 6%5m% Thus= 'olumetric &lo/ rate o& air KLa @ Ka 7 6%6? 7 6%5 KLa @ 6%1? 7 6%6? 7 6%5 @ 2%2? 7 1635m5Js Thus mass &lo/ rate o& air0 a @ 'aMa Density o& air Ma is ta-en as 1%24-gJm5 .a @ 2%2? 7 1635 7 1%24 @ 2%44 7 1635-gJs There&ore= area o& the collector AC @ .a Cp dT J 6%< Ic AC @ *2%44 7 1635 7 166? 7 *<6356+J*6%<7 H42%11+ @ 6%1>C5?<m2 The length o& the solar collector *L+ /as ta-en asA L @ AcJ, @ 6%1>C5?<m2J6%5 @ 6%>H1m Thus= the length o& the solar collector /as ta-en appro;imately as 6%?m% There&ore= collector area /as ta-en as *6%57 6%?+ 2 @ 6%1?m2 D. Determination of the -nsulator Thic"ness for the Drying (hamber
Solar Crop Dryer
The rate o& heat loss &rom air is eNual to the rate o& heat conduction through the insulation% The &ollo/ing eNuation holds &or the purpose o& the design% $maCp *T6 Ti+ @ Ga*Ta 3 Ta+Jtb
G @ 6%6?Im31G31 /hich is the appro;imate thermal conducti'ity &or polyurethane O11P% $ @ 16Q @ 6%1 T6 @ <6RC and Ti @ Ta @ 56RC appro;imately ma @ 2%447 1635Ggs31 Cp @ 166?SGg31G31 and Ac @ 6%6Hm2 tb @O6%6? 7 6%6H 7 *<6356+PJO6%172%44716357166?7*<6356+P @ 6%661??>m B 1.GGDmm $or the design= the thic-ness o& the insulator /as ta-en as ?6mm% The side o& the drying chamber /as insulated using thermocol *a polymer+= the loss through the side o& the collector /as considered negligible% G. Determination of +eat ;osses from the 'olar (ollector 0Air
+eater1. Total energy transmitted and absorbed is gi'en by IcAcTU @ Vu E VL E Vs /here Vs is the energy stored /hich is considered negligible there&ore= IcAcTU @Vu EVL Thus VL the heat energy losses
Solar Crop Dryer VL @ IcAcTU 3 Vu Since
Vu @ maCp *T6 Ti+ @ maCpWT and VL @ #LAcWT then #LAcWT @ IcAcTU 3 maCpWT
#L @ *IcAcTU 3 maCpWT+J*AcWT+ U /as ta-en as 6%H and T @ 6%4< Ta @ 6%CC> #L @ *H42%1176%1?76%CC> 2%44716357166?756+J*6%1?756+ @ *11>%622HC1 3 4<%452+J>%? E; B F. D:D3Im:S(
There&ore= [; B F. D:D H .1G H @ B :#.1A3
This heat loss includes the heat loss through the insulation &rom the sides and the co'er glass%
Solar Crop Dryer
)art no0 1 SL no Acti'ity
Name0 Collector Distance Time mo'ed *m+ *min+
Operations
.aterial laying store ? Name0 16 Collector Time 2 Distance>46 5 mo'ed 146 *min+ <6 566 16 1? >46 146 <6 566 1?
no0 1 to 2 )art .o'ed machine shop Acti'ity 5 SL Ielding > no !rinding ? < C 1 2 5 > ? < C
Operations
)ainting 1 *m+ .aterial laying Delay time &or 2 store drying point .o'ed to ? Inspection 3 machine shop Ielding !rinding )ainting Delay time &or drying point Inspection 3 2 5 1 2
Solar Crop Dryer
)art no0 2 SL no
Name0 Drier Distance mo'ed *m+ Time *min+
Operations
Acti'ity
1 2 5 > ? < C
.aterial laying shop .o'ed /or-shop Ielding !rinding )ainting Delay time &or drying Inspection to ? 2 5 1 2 3 16 >26 126 <6 566 1?
Solar Crop Dryer
(ost '; no 1 : -tem [uantity 'pecification 4s Aluminium 'heet Thermo coal 1no 1no @mm thic"ness cross 1D\: 'heet 1.Gcm 1G 1 Ks
thic"ness Dm diameter :inch diameter .Ginch wire grill long\:inch
@ D G F # ? A 1 11 1: 1@ Total
KL( Kipe 9end 'teel net 9lower 4educer =agnet Kaint Thermometer $lass Adhesive $.-. 'heet
1no @nos :no 1no 1no 1no :G ml 1no 1no 1 ml
:mm thic"ness ]+K 1] Door =agnet
1D G 1
Sc
::G 1 G : 1#G D@1
Gmm thic"ness 'ynthetic gum :]mm plate thic"ness
1A.G"g
Estimation & costs
Solar Crop Dryer
(hapter ! # Construction
The solar food dryer was constructed ma"ing use of locally available and relatively cheap materials. 'ince the entire casing is made of wood and the cover is glass, the ma7or construction wor"s is carpentry wor"s 07oinery1. The following tools were used in measuring and mar"ing out on the wooden plan"s6

(arpenter5s pencil. 'teel tapes 0push-pull rule type1. 'teel meter rule. Lernier caliper. 'teel square. 'criber.
The following tools were also used during the construction2

+and saws 0crosscut saw and ripsaw1. +ammer. Kinch bar and pincers.
The construction was made with simple butt 7oints using nails as fasteners and glue 0adhesive1 where necessary. a
Solar Crop Dryer
The metal sheet used was $- sheet of 1Fgauge 01.:mm1 thic"ness. -t was cut to the size of @ H G cm, @ , @ cm, and @ , : cm according to the design. -t was painted blac" with mat finish for ma,imum absorption and radiation of heat energy. The metal sheet, together with the insulator of G mm thic"ness, was placed inside the air heater 0drying chamber1 compartment. The glass was cut into size of @ H G cm size was required as the solar collector5s cover. The glass used was clear glass with @mm thic"ness. The trays were made with steel rod as frame and steel net to permit free flow of air within the drying cabinet 0chamber1. Two trays were used with average of 1 cm spacing arranged vertically one on top of the other, the tray size was @ H @ cm. The interior of the solar food dryer was insulated to prevent the heat loss while the e,terior was painted cherry red to minimize the adverse effects of weather and insect attraction on the drying chamber and also for aesthetic appeal.
Solar Crop Dryer
(hapter ! ? Conclusion
'olar radiation can be effectively and efficiently utilized for drying of agricultural produce in our environment if proper design is carried out. This was demonstrated and the solar dryer designed and constructed e,hibited sufficient ability to dry agricultural produce most especially food items to an appreciably reduced moisture level. ;ocally available cheap materials were used in construction ma"ing it available and affordable to all and sundry especially peasant farmers. This will go a long way in reducing food wastage and at the same time food shortages, since it can be used e,tensively for ma7ority of the agricultural food crops. Apart from this, solar energy is required for its operation which is readily available in the tropics, and it is also a clean form of energy. -t protects the environment and saves cost and time spent on open sun drying of agricultural produce since it dries food items faster. The food items are also well protected in the solar dryer than in the open sun, thus minimizing the case of pest and insect attac" and also contamination.
Solar Crop Dryer
+owever, the performance of e,isting solar food dryers can still be improved upon especially in the aspect of reducing the drying time and probably storage of heat energy within the system. Also, meteorological data should be readily available to users of solar products to ensure ma,imum efficiency and effectiveness of the system. 'uch information will probably guide a local farmer on when to dry his agricultural produce and when not to dry them. The performance of a solar air heater without any cover is very poor and hence at least one cover should be used for better performance. The performance of the air heater is dependent on the number of covers used and the temperature difference between the inlet air to the ambient air. Therefore, the efficiency will be ma,imum when the inlet air temperature is more than the ambient air temperature. &ven plastic covers can be used where the inlet temperature rise over the ambient air temperature is small. The fluid conduction has no effect on the overall performance of the collector. -ncreased flow ratio improves the matri, efficiency. 3ith the addition of side mirrors one can produce the ma,imum output only in the pea" hours. The highest output obtained from the inclined side mirror when compared to the vertical side mirror. 'ince the double e,posure solar collector unit cost is estimated to be only # per cent greater than a conventional air collector it is efficient to go for the double e,posure solar collector. )urther wor" is needed to optimize the length and inclination angle of the side mirror of the flat plate collector.
Solar Crop Dryer
Re&erences
1% Scalin D%= The Design= Construction and #se o& an Indirect= Through3 pass= Solar $ood Dryer= Home )o/er .aga(ine= 1HHC= ?C= p% <23C2% 2% ! DA3!u8arat nergy De'elopment Agency= 2665= ///%geda%com%
Solar Crop Dryer
5% Dor& R%!%= nergy= Resources and )olicy= .assachusetts= Addison Ierley )ublishing Company= 1H4H% >% The Iorld ,ooncyclopedia *1H42+% Iorld ,oo-3Childcra&t
International Inc%= Chicago= #SA% ?% Ihit&ield D% %= Solar Dryer Systems and the Internet0 Important Resources to Impro'e $ood )reparation= 2666= )roceedings o& International Con&erence on Solar Coo-ing= Gimberly= South A&rica% <% Herringsha/ D%= All About $ood Drying= 1HHC= The Ohio State
#ni'ersity ;tension $actsheet3hyg3?5>C3HC= ///%ag%ohio3state%eduJ% C% Nandi )%= Solar Thermal nergy #tili(ation in $ood )rocessing Industry in India= )aci&ic Sournal o& Science and Technology= 266H= 16*1+= p% 1253 151% 4% Ayensu A%= Dehydration o& $ood Crops #sing Solar Dryer /ith Con'ecti'e Heat $lo/= 2666= Research o& Department o& )hysics= #ni'ersity o& Cape Coast= !hana% H% Su-hatme S%)%= Solar3 nergy3)rinciples o& Thermal Collection and Storage= Tata .c!ra/ Hill )ublishing Company Limited= 1HH<% 16% Olaleye D%O%= The Design and Construction o& a Solar Incubator= 2664= )ro8ect Report= submitted to Department o& .echanical ngineering= #ni'ersity o& Agriculture= Abeo-uta% 11% 1H42% 12% Ambrose= C% I%A ,andopadhyay= )% C% *1HC6+% Asymmetrical heating in non circular ducts% proc%= Inst% Solar nergy Con&%= .elbourne= )aper No% CJ1C% $is.%S%= Anderson H%C%= Introduction to Solar
Technology= .assachusetts= Addison3Iesley )ublishing Company Inc%=
Solar Crop Dryer
15% ,ec-man= I% A% *1H<4+0 Radiation and con'ection heat trans&er in a porous bed% S% ng% )o/er= AS. = San= pp% ?13?>%
1>% ,e'ill= K%A ,randt= H% *1H<4+0 A solar energy collector &or heating air% Solar energy= 12*1+= pp% 1H35<% 1?% ,liss= R% I% *1H??+0 .ultiple gauge &lat plate solar air heaters% )roc%= Iord Symposium on Applied Solar nergy= )hoeni;= pp% 1?131?4% 1<% ,uelo/= $%H% *1H?<+0 The e&&ects o& 'arious parameters on the design o& solar energy air heaters% .ichigan State #ni'ersity= )h%D% thesis% 1C% ,uelo/= $%H%A ,oyd= S%S% *1H?C+0 Heating air by solar energy% Agri% ngng%= 54*1+ pp% 24356% 14% Characters= I% I% S%A .acDonald= R% *1HC>+0 Heat trans&er e&&ects in solar air heaters% CO.)L S= Re'enue Internationale d9 HeliotechniNue= 1= pp% 2H354% 1H% Characters= I%I%S% *1HC1+0 Some aspects o& &lo/ duct design &or solar air heater applications% Solar energy= 15*2+= pp% 2453244% 26% Chiou= S% )%0 Heat trans&er and &lo/ &riction characteristics o& metallic &oil matrices using radiation as the heat source and their application to the design o& solar collectors= #ni'ersity o& Iisconsin= #SA= 1<>% )h% D% thesis%
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(hapter ! : ;iterature 'urvey Sunlight

Solar Crop Dryer 9right 1 , sunlight

lu, or lumens per square meter at the &arth<s surface.

'unlight is a "ey factor in photosynthesis, a process vital for life on &arth.

Solar Crop Dryer

Solar Crop Dryer

Sunlight intensity in the Solar System

=ercury Lenus &arth =ars Cupiter 'aturn Eranus

8eptune :A.## ! @ .DD

Solar Crop Dryer

Solar Crop Dryer

Solar irradiance spectrum above atmosphere and at surface.

Solar Crop Dryer The spectrum

to 1 F nanometers 0nm1. This can be divided into five

Solar Crop Dryer

SO#RC $OR SOLAR DR"IN!

Solar Crop Dryer

Solar Crop Dryer

Solar Crop Dryer

nergy &rom the Sun

Solar Crop Dryer

:,:G &CQ#R &CQ?R

Krimary energy use 0:

D?# &CQAR GF.# &CQ1 R

Solar Crop Dryer

Applications o& solar technology

Solar Crop Dryer

Solar Crop Dryer

Passive (thermisiphon) solar water heaters on a rooftop in Jerusalem

Solar Crop Dryer

ew solar hot water installations durin! "##$% worldwide.

Solar Crop Dryer -n :

G, 'pain became the first country in the world to require the

Solar air heat

Solar Crop Dryer

!la(ed Air Systems

SP& Solar 'ir (eat )ollector

Air Heat Applications

Solar Crop Dryer

'pace +eating Applications

Krocess +eat Applications

Solar Crop Dryer

#ngla(ed Air Systems

Solar Heating &&iciency

Solar Crop Dryer

Solar Crop Dryer

Solar trackers ma* be driven b* active orpassive solar technolo!*

Solar Crop Dryer

(hapter ! @ Solar Drying $ood dehydrator

Solar Crop Dryer

Solar Crop Dryer

=ost foods are dehydrated at temperatures of 1@

Solar Crop Dryer

Solar Crop Dryer

A collection of dried mushrooms.

Solar Crop Dryer

the triangular trade. Dried shar" meat, "nown as +U"arl, is a delicacy

Solar Crop Dryer

Attempts to +arness 'olar &nergy

Name0 Collector Distance Time mo'ed m+ min+

Name0 Drier Distance mo'ed m+ Time min+