Harnessing Solar Energy: A Novel Hybrid Solar Dryer for Efficient Fish Waste Processing

Deef, Mohamed; Samy Helal, Helal; El-Sebaee, Islam; Nadimi, Mohammad; Paliwal, Jitendra; Ibrahim, Ayman

doi:10.3390/agriengineering5040150

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 52 publications

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“…Solar drying of perishable foods has extensive historical use [16]. Different solar drying methods have been explored for vegetables, fruits, and fish [17][18][19][20][21]. Solar drying development includes considerable energy storage and utilization techniques for process optimization [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Innovative Solar Dryer for Sustainable Aloe Vera Gel Preservation in Colombia

Ariza,

Casallas,

Fajardo

2024

Sustainability

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Aloe Barbadensis Miller, commonly known as Aloe vera, has been widely used in different applications, such as medicinal treatments and cosmetic products. However, its transportation and handling present challenges due to oxidation and property loss caused by direct environmental exposure. A strategy to mitigate these effects is dehydration, where different industrial-scale methods such as freeze-drying, spraying, refractory windows, and convective drying can be applied. Despite their effectiveness, those dehydration techniques are both energetically and economically costly. Solar drying technology offers a cost-effective, lower-energy alternative addressing sustainability, socioeconomic, scientific progress, and integrated sustainable development challenges. Nevertheless, solar drying through direct sunlight exposure has been minimally explored for drying high-water-content products like Aloe vera, potentially due to the inherent challenges of drying under uncontrolled environmental conditions. In response, this paper introduces a methodology for pre-treating and pre-drying Aloe vera gel using a low-cost solar dryer prototype, achieving up to 50% water activity reduction in experimental tests under uncontrolled conditions in Colombia, South America. The proposed prototype features a drying cabinet with energy autonomy and forced convection. The experimental evaluation compares the quality of pre-dried Aloe vera gel with freeze-dried samples, demonstrating comparable attributes under favorable environmental conditions. The results demonstrate the feasibility of pre-drying Aloe vera gel within 13 to 48 h, with a maximum drying rate of 0.38 g/min. During this process, water activity decreased from an initial value of 0.975 to a final value ranging between 0.472 and 0.748. Furthermore, the quality of the dehydrated gel was assessed through color analysis, comparing it with a freeze-dried sample. Subsequent color analysis of the freeze-dried samples revealed minor changes in product quality compared to those dried using the proposed solar drying method. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solar dryer in pre-dehydrating Aloe vera gel, yielding characteristics similar to those achieved through conventional methods.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Innovative Solar Dryer for Sustainable Aloe Vera Gel Preservation in Colombia

Ariza,

Casallas,

Fajardo

2024

Sustainability

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Advancement and Innovations in Drying of Biopharmaceuticals, Nutraceuticals, and Functional Foods

Ramachandran,

Nadimi,

Cenkowski

et al. 2024

Food Eng Rev

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Drying is a crucial unit operation within the functional foods and biopharmaceutical industries, acting as a fundamental preservation technique and a mechanism to maintain these products' bioactive components and nutritional values. The heat-sensitive bioactive components, which carry critical quality attributes, necessitate a meticulous selection of drying methods and conditions backed by robust research. In this review, we investigate challenges associated with drying these heat-sensitive materials and examine the impact of various drying methods. Our thorough research extensively covers ten notable drying methods: heat pump drying, freeze-drying, spray drying, vacuum drying, fluidized bed drying, superheated steam drying, infrared drying, microwave drying, osmotic drying, vacuum drying, and supercritical fluid drying. Each method is tailored to address the requirements of specific functional foods and biopharmaceuticals and provides a comprehensive account of each technique's inherent advantages and potential limitations. Further, the review ventures into the exploration of combined hybrid drying techniques and smart drying technologies with industry 4.0 tools such as automation, AI, machine learning, IoT, and cyber-physical systems. These innovative methods are designed to enhance product performance and elevate the quality of the final product in the drying of functional foods and biopharmaceuticals. Through a thorough survey of the drying landscape, this review illuminates the intricacies of these operations and underscores their pivotal role in functional foods and biopharmaceutical production.

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Harnessing Solar Energy: A Novel Hybrid Solar Dryer for Efficient Fish Waste Processing

Cited by 2 publications

References 52 publications

Innovative Solar Dryer for Sustainable Aloe Vera Gel Preservation in Colombia

Innovative Solar Dryer for Sustainable Aloe Vera Gel Preservation in Colombia

Advancement and Innovations in Drying of Biopharmaceuticals, Nutraceuticals, and Functional Foods

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