A comprehensive review of the solar dryer

Chauhan, Yagnesh B.; Rathod, Pravin P.

doi:10.1080/01430750.2018.1456960

Cited by 52 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…Solar dryers have many advantages like inexpensiveness, emission free, lesser spoilage, hygienic and eco-friendly 12 . One significant limitation is that this system can be used only during day-time (Sunshine hours) and in this case, a thermal backup is necessary to operate the dryer during night time 17 . Many thermal storage materials are being used, including natural sources like wood, stones, concrete, sandstone, bricks, etc.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design and fabrication of box-type passive solar dryer (BTPSD) with thermal insulation material for valorizing biomass and neutral lipids of marine Chlorella vulgaris for biodiesel application

Kalaiselvan

Mathimani

2022

Sci Rep

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The staggering rate of population growth has augmented the reliance on fossil fuel utilization, and it kindled the society to explore alternative and sustainable sources of energy. In this regard, biodiesel from microalgae came to the limelight; but crucial energy-consuming and expensive processes like cultivation, harvesting, and drying make the microalgal biodiesel unsustainable and economically unfeasible. To surpass these impediments, in this research work, a low-cost box-type passive solar dryer (BTPSD) is designed and fabricated with zero energy consumption mode and compared with conventional hot air oven for drying the biomass, neutral lipids of the marine microalga Chlorella vulgaris for biodiesel application. The onset of the work, BTPSD with 2 cm thickness of glass wool as TIM (thermal insulation material), 4 cm TIM thickness and no TIM was simulated for thermal storage behaviour using ANSYS FLUENT 19.2 Computational Fluid Dynamics tool and based on the results, 4 cm TIM thickness was chosen for experimentation. The time taken by BTPSD and hot air oven to remove the moisture from algal biomass is 3 and 2 h, respectively, whereas for neutral lipids drying, it was 4 and 3.5 h, respectively. Though there is a little difference in drying time, neutral lipid and FAME content from both drying systems are tantamount, i.e., ~ 12% neutral lipid and 95% FAME. Further, the percentage of vital fatty acids identified from BTPSD and hot air oven methods are almost similar, i.e., C16:0 (23.4%), C18:1 (14.3%), C18:3 (11.42%), C18:1 (9.22%). Though the time taken for valorizing biomass and neutral lipids of C. vulgaris by BTPSD is slightly longer than hot air oven, low energy consumption and cost-effectiveness make the BTPSD a promising system to scale down the microalgal biodiesel production cost significantly.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design and fabrication of box-type passive solar dryer (BTPSD) with thermal insulation material for valorizing biomass and neutral lipids of marine Chlorella vulgaris for biodiesel application

Kalaiselvan

Mathimani

2022

Sci Rep

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“…It can achieve large quantities of dried product, higher drying rates, and can be used throughout the year for different purposes (e.g. cultivation and drying); therefore, it is more economically feasible [77][78][79]. It also ensures that some doses of UV are received by the food, which is important for microorganism deactivation.…”

Section: Future Directions For a More Sustainable And Effective Utilization Of Psd In Ssamentioning

confidence: 99%

Passive solar dryers as sustainable alternatives for drying agricultural produce in sub-Saharan Africa: advances and challenges

et al. 2021

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The lack of adequate techniques for food processing is among the reasons underlying food losses and high levels of hunger in Sub-Saharan Africa; the application of solar energy to dry agricultural products is one potential solution. However, the total replacement of traditional uses of solar energy is still far from reality. Therefore, in this study, we systematically review the academic literature testing passive solar drying systems in order to assess their performance. Then the main limitations and challenges for passive solar dryers developed in Sub-Saharan Africa are derived. The literature search reveals very limited research and a lack of standardized methods to assess solar dryer performance. Studies mainly report parameters related to dryers’ thermal performance and physical features, thus neglecting parameters related to the quality of dried products and economics. Standardized and robust methodologies are urgently needed for more accurate conclusions and comparability of study results. Moreover, successfully applying passive solar dryers as an alternative to the traditional use of solar energy requires overcoming challenges such as time consumption, limited quantities of dried products, and the periodic nature of solar radiation. Thus, given its ability to significantly improve the self-life of food and overcome the current limitations for effective utilization of solar dryers in SSA, the use of mixed mode passive greenhouse dryers is proposed.

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“…The huge losses arising from these consequences can be significant, especially for fruits and vegetables, which deteriorates rapidly if not preserved. The use of solar dryers in an enclosed heat transfer process has become a much more optimal and cost-effective choice as a result of the refinement of traditional open sun drying, particularly in remote areas with no electricity access [17]. Undoubtedly, in the analysis of drying system efficiency, it is essential to implement new concepts that are both effective and feasible.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parametric study of a solar dryer system for the development and application of solar energy in Sierra Leone

Bangura¹,

Hantoro²,

Fudholi³

et al. 2022

J Appl Eng Science

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A transient mathematical model has been evaluated to determine the principle of a solar crop dryer for drying vegetables (onion). Considering the meteorological conditions of Freetown (Latitude 8.4840 N, Longitude -13.2300 W), the model was developed to determine air temperatures and other operational parameters of the drying system for a day of March 21st. However, the investigated system had effectively reduced the drying process of onion. The developed double-pass solar air collector system showed a low-temperature output in the morning hours and displayed high-temperature results in the afternoon hours. From 8:00 to 16:00, the solar collector generates fluid output temperatures above 50 0C, with a peak value of 96 0C occurred at 12:00. The influence of the mass flow rate on the system's thermal efficiency was investigated. It was noticed that for a certain solar radiation value, an increased in the mass flow rate caused an exponential increased in the solar air collector thermal efficiency. Findings also revealed that an increased in the solar collector length led to a slightly decreased in the outlet air temperatures at a mass flow rate of 0.02 kg/s. The influence of increasing drying air temperatures and air velocity within the drying chamber reduces drying time significantly. The drying time for products dried in the first tray is lesser than for products dried in the subsequent trays, owing to temperature variations. The computation findings were verified to previous studies in the literature and observed to be strongly comparable.

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A comprehensive review of the solar dryer

Cited by 52 publications

References 50 publications

Design and fabrication of box-type passive solar dryer (BTPSD) with thermal insulation material for valorizing biomass and neutral lipids of marine Chlorella vulgaris for biodiesel application

Design and fabrication of box-type passive solar dryer (BTPSD) with thermal insulation material for valorizing biomass and neutral lipids of marine Chlorella vulgaris for biodiesel application

Passive solar dryers as sustainable alternatives for drying agricultural produce in sub-Saharan Africa: advances and challenges

Parametric study of a solar dryer system for the development and application of solar energy in Sierra Leone

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