Solar Food Dehydator

PRESENTED BY: ALMIRA AMBOG

Food Dehydrator

A food dehydrator is a device

that removes moisture from
food to aid in its preservation.
 Food drying is a method of
preserving fruit, vegetables,
and animal proteins.
Food Dehydrator

A food dehydrator uses a heat source and air

flow to reduce the water content of foods.
Removing moisture from food restrains
various bacteria from growing and spoiling
food. Further, removing moisture from food
dramatically reduces the weight of the food.
Thus, food dehydrators are used to preserve
and extend the shelf life of various foods.
Solar Drying vs. Open Air Drying

Solar drying is distinctly different from open air "sun

drying," which has been used for thousands of years.
Fresh air is heated in a solar heat collector and then
passed through food in the drier chamber. In this way
the food is not exposed to direct sunlight. A good solar
food dryer may dry food much faster than some air
driers. Some solar driers can achieve higher food
drying temperatures than some air driers. However,
direct sun drying can chemically alter some foods
making them less appetizing.
Background of the Study

 Food drying is an excellent solar energy

application since food drying primarily
requires heat, and solar radiation is easily
converted to heat. A clear or translucent
glazing allows sunlight to enter an enclosed
chamber where it is converted to heat
when it strikes a dark interior surface.
Background of the Study

 Airflow is typically achieved with natural convection

(warm air rises). Adjustable venting allows regulation
of airflow and temperature. A dehydrator's heating
element, fans and vents simultaneously work 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 less than 20%.
Problem of the Study

 Thisstudy aims to solve the problems with direct

sun drying and open air drying in food
preservation processes such as throughout the
drying period someone has to chase off domestic
animals, to remove the produce when the weather
becomes too windy and dusty, or when it rains,
the dried product is often of poor quality as a
result of grit and dirt, and the product is often
unhygienic as a result of microorganisms and
insects such as flies.
Significance of the Study

 This study is intended for local farms use. Food items retain its
natural taste and goodness when it is dried in the sun for a specific
period of time.
 With seasonal fruits and vegetables around, most farmers could
have surplus of food items which then turns to waste while their
prices goes down because of the increased supply, and in leaner
times prices would increase while the supply runs low. Food drying
would not only provide supply stability but also new markets which
creates employment opportunities and sustainable income as this
will improves the bargaining position of farmers. Sometimes farmers
sell at very low prices during the harvest season because they
cannot store or preserve their surplus products.
Literature Review

 The moisture content of fresh fruits and vegetables is

more than 80%, and fruits and vegetables are
considered highly perishable products. Therefore,
fruits and vegetables are dried to enhance storage
ability, minimize packaging requirements and reduce
transport weight (Sagar and Kumar 2010).
Dehydration of food is a commonly accepted method
of preservation for agricultural crops (Pangavhane
and Sawhney 2002).
Literature Review

 According to Tripathy and Kumar (2011), several studies

have been carried out focusing on the design,
development and testing of several solar dryers
including direct, greenhouse, indirect and mixed mode
drying methods. The mixed mode dryers are the most
effective dryers in terms of product drying rate and
drying cost. In the mixed mode drying method, the food
to be dried absorbs energy in two steps: (1) solar energy
that crosses through the chamber, which is generally
constructed with a translucent material; and (2) hot air
coming from the solar energy collector attached to the
drying cabin.
Objective of the Study

 The objective of this study is to design solar

food dryers that include various attractive
features such as having effective heating
device, high hygienic standard, weather
proof, and portable.
Objective of the Study

 There are numerous reasons why dehydrating food

utilizing solar heat energy and using solar food
dehydrators makes sense. Doing so can lead to better
quality dried products and better market prices,
reduction of losses and contamination from insects,
dust, and animals, reduces land required, faster drying
time means reduces chances of spoilage, products are
protected from UV therefore better preserving nutrition
& color, and less damage from temperature extremes
Operational Definition of Terms

 Dehydration is a condition that can occur

when the loss of body fluids, mostly water,
exceeds the amount that is taken in.
 Dryingmeans to get rid of the free water in a
given compound. Drying foods by using
desiccants or heat leads to their dehydration.
Materials

 The assembly will be made from exterior grade plywood, pressure

treated woods for braces, galvanized iron for the roofing, metal lath for
the heat absorber, and aluminum sheets for the surrounding inside the
heat collector box.
 The tools and equipment needed in the fabrication of the assembly
are circular saw, electric drill, tape measure, level, staple gun, and
tinsnips.
 The materials and tools needed in the testing procedure will be
recording sheets, pencil, weighing scale, thermometers, and fruit for
drying, preferably banana.
Design Method

 Different types of solar dehydrator and dryers has different advantages

and disadvantages so research was done to analyze the best design
suited for the climate and weather conditions in which the assembly
would be used in addition of the availability of the materials. Research
of similar solar dehydrators such as direct solar, indirect solar, mixed
mode, hybrid solar, and fuel food dehydrators using biomass was
conducted using the internet in preparation and planning of the
appropriate design and assembly materials to be used.
 The designing of the assembly was sketched using the online version
of SketchUp. Specific dimensions of the assembly was identified in the
design.
Orthographic View: Side
Orthographic View: Front and Back
Isometric View
Solar Dehydrator Components

 Solar driers may be viewed as three

main components: a drying chamber in
which food is dried, a solar collector
that heats the air, and some type of
airflow system.
Solar Dehydrator Components

 Drying chamber – protects the food from

animals, insects, dust, and rain. The trays
should be safe for food contact. A plastic
coating is best to avoid harmful residues in
food. A general rule of thumb is that one m2
of tray area is needed to lay out 10kg of fresh
produce.
Solar Dehydrator Components

 Solar collector (or absorber) - is often a dark

colored box with a transparent cover. It raises the air
temperature between 10 and 30°C above ambient.
Often the bottom surface of the absorber is dark to
promote solar absorption. Glass is recommended for
the absorber cover, although it is expensive and
difficult to use. Plastic is acceptable if it is firm or
supported by a rib such that it does not sag and
collect water.
Solar Dehydrator Components

 Solardriers use one of two types of airflow

systems; natural convection utilizes the
natural principle that hot air rises, and forced
convection driers force air through the drying
chamber with fans. The effects of natural
convection may be enhanced by the addition
of a chimney in which exiting air is heated
even more.
 Fabrication Procedure

Making the cutting diagram.

Cutting the diagram.

Cutting and installing braces.

Cutting and installing the bottom of the collector box.

Making and installing the drying tray support

 Fabrication Procedure

Cutting the roof support and assembling the roof.

Making and installing the wheels, legs and handle.

Installing the vent covers and the door of the drying chamber.

Building and installing the absorber. Place fiber reinforced plastic on

top of the collector box to trap the heat inside.

Make the drying trays.

Testing Procedure

 The assembly will be carefully checked

for gaps between connected pieces and
would be sealed to avoid heat loss. It will
be positioned in such a way that the food
cabinet will not cast a shadow on the
collector and the assembly will not be in
the shade.
Testing Procedure

 The bananas, or any fruit of choice to be

dried, will be sliced to about 3 mm thickness
and will be weighed to determine the initial
mass. The vent cover will be adjusted to
between 42 cm, 62 cm, and 84 cm space in
order to control the air flow rate, hence, the
temperature within the cabinet. Thermometer
will be placed inside the drying cabinet and
the temperature will be recorded every hour.
Testing Procedure

 To be able to determine the average

drying rate, the experiment will be
carried out until the fruits have
achieved their desirable dried texture
or until the sun can no longer reach the
heat collector. This experiment will be
done for three days to collect data for
three treatments.
Testing Procedure

 The solar dehydrator will be first

preheated to 160o C before loading the
batch of fruits to be dried.
Thermometer inside the drying
chamber will be strategically placed in
the center tray. The fruits sliced in will
be placed in the trays carefully not to
overlap each other.
Testing Procedure

 Monitoring will be necessary during the

change of the position of the sun and to
avoid the drying chamber on casting
shadows on the collector box. Record the
time and change in temperature inside the
drying chamber until the fruits have been
dried to its desirable texture. Repeat the
steps for the other treatments. Every
replication will use 200 grams of fruit to be
dried.
Data to be Gathered

 Percentage Moisture Removed from

Product, γ% - is the ratio of mass of
water removed from the product over
the mass the wet product
γ% = (mw – md) / mw
where mw and md are the masses of wet
and dried products, respectively.
Data to be Gathered

 Final Percentage Moisture Content of

Product, mf – is the remaining moisture
content in the product after subjected to
drying
mf = [(100 – γ) / 100] x mi
where mi is the initial mass of the product.
Data to be Gathered

Amount of Moisture Content

Removed, m – is the amount of
water removed from the
product after subjected to
drying
m = [mw (mi – mf)] / (100 – mf)
Data to be Gathered

 Quantity of Heat Used in Evaporating Moisture, qe – is

the amount of heat needed to remove the necessary
amount of moisture content in the product
qe = mhfg
where hfg is the latent heat of vaporization and it is
defined as:
hfg = 4.186 x 103 (597 – 0.56Td)
where Td = temperature of the drying cabinet
Data to be Gathered

 Average Drying Rate, mave – is the rate

which the dehydrator can remove the
necessary amount of moisture content
in the product
mave = m/t
where t is daily sunshine hours.
 Experimental Design and Treatment

To evaluate the performance of the device, the study will be laid out
using Completely Randomized Design. Temperature inside the drying
chamber will be taken as the factor of the study. In order to address this
factor, vent cover will be adjusted to determine the effect of different
temperature in the performance of the device. The treatments will be
as follows:
T1 – 42 cm opened apart
T2 – 62 cm opened apart
T3 – 84 cm opened apart
These will be replicated four times in each treatment. Each trial will use
Statistical Analysis of Data

 The data gathered will be arranged,

tabulated, and statistically analyzed
using the analysis of variance (ANOVA)
for Completely Randomized Design.
Significant results will be further
analyzed using Tukey – HSD test at 0.05
level of significance.
Cost Analysis

The total cost of operating the machine will be determined using

the simple cost analysis.
The following parameters and formula were used in the cost
determination.
Fixed Cost – The cost related to machine ownership and occurs
regardless of whether or not the machine is used. This includes
depreciation cost, interest on investment and taxes, insurance and
housing.
Variable Cost – These are the operating costs which vary directly
with machine use.
 Fixed Cost


  Depreciation Cost, D =

 Interest on Investment, IoI =

 Total Fixed Cost, TFC (Php/yr) = D + IoI + TIH (Taxes, Insurance,

Housing)
Variable Cost

 Repair

and Maintenance Cost, RM
RM =
 QUANTIT
MATERIAL Y UNIT RATE TOTAL PRICE
3/4-inch plywood, 4’ x 8’ exterior grade 1  1250 1250 
1/4-inch plywood, 4’ x 8’ exterior grade 1  325 325
1 x 6, 8’ long 5 94 475
2 x 4, 8’ long 2 125 250
wheels, 8” diameter 2 100 200
36-inch-long, 1/2-inch-diameter steel axle 1 340 340
hinges 2 52 104
metal lath sheet, 26” x 96” 6 51.5 per sq. ft 5,356
aluminum screen 3 ft2 17.50 per sq. ft 52.50
FRP (fiber-reinforced plastic), 2’ x 6’ 1 140 140
food-grade screening 30 ft2 1920 1920
aluminum foil, heavy duty 25 ft roll 250 250
1 1/4-inch No.8 exterior-grade Phillips flat-head screws 100 pcs 35 per 100 pcs 35
1 5/8-inch No. 8 exterior-grade Phillips flat-head screws 100 pcs 52 per 100 pcs 52
1-inch No. 8 round-head screws 100 pcs 29 per 100 pcs 29
high-temperature spray paint, black 1 80 80

 1/4-inch staples  1/4 kg 25 25 

3/8-by-3-inch bolts, nuts and washers 8 8 48

3/8-by-4-inch bolts, nuts and washers 4 10 40

TOTAL MATERIAL PRICE Php 10971.50

LABOR COST Php 2000.00

MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES Php 300.00

TOTAL COST Php 13271.5

Thank You for Listening.