Thermodynamic analysis of forced convective solar drying of cocoa with black coated sensible thermal storage material

Energy need for cooking in both the rural and urban areas all over the world is increasing every day as a result of an increase in population. The consequence of global warming due to the usage of fuels such as fossil fuel, firewood, and other biomass products for cooking necessitates innovative techniques that will improve the standard of living of people. In this study, the design, fabrication, and thermal evaluation of a solar cooking system integrated with an Arduino-based tracking device and sensible heat storage (SHS) materials was investigated. During the water boiling trials with black oil sensible material (BOSHSM), the obtained maximum temperatures for water, cooking box, and sensible heat storage material at 14:00 h when the solar radiation attained its peak value of 881.2 W/m2 were 64,52, and 54°C, respectively, while at 14:00 h with Black coated granite sensible heat storage material (BCGSHSM) at the solar radiation peak value of 890.4 W/m2, the maximum temperatures for water, cooking box, and sensible heat storage material were 73.5, 76, and 59°C, respectively. The maximum cooking power and thermal efficiency obtained from the water boiling trials were 48.4 and 56.4 W, and 31.6 and 35.8% respectively. Also, the results from the cooking of edibles revealed that the cooking power values ranged between 42.5 and 58.2, while that of efficiency ranged between 34.5 and 40.3% respectively. The maximum solar radiation during the cooking trial period was 986, 975, 956, and 953 W/m2. In general, from the results, the developed solar cooking system is a viable alternative to cooking with traditional/open burning of wood or other biomass products that pose a serious environmental and health-related threat to the people living in developing countries.

show abstract

“…Thermal efficiency is obtained as (Komolafe and Waheed, 2018;Komolafe et al, 2019;Komolafe et al, 2021):…”

Section: Thermal Efficiencymentioning

confidence: 99%

Design, Fabrication, and Thermal Evaluation of a Solar Cooking System Integrated With Tracking Device and Sensible Heat Storage Materials

Komolafe

Okonkwo

2022

Front. Energy Res.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The drying rate is the pace at which a substance loses moisture [24,32]. It is commonly expressed as a percentage of moisture per unit of time.…”

Section: Drying Ratementioning

confidence: 99%

“…A variety of these drying methods have been investigated separately at various levels in the drying of Cocoa beans [1,4,[17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] and plantain [36][37][38][39] with objectives to improve the drying properties and final quality of the products. Some of these drying methods used to obtain quality parameters are open sun, solar, oven, microwave, and freeze drying [5].…”

Section: Introduction 11 Background Of the Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative Analysis of the Drying Parameters of Theobroma cacao (Cocoa Beans) and Musa paradisiaca (Plantain)

Otoikhian

Amune

2022

AJRAF

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In order to prevent microbial spoilage and degradation responses during storage, agricultural products are typically dried to eliminate moisture from them. The removal of moisture is required for the preservation of this substance (drying). Under- or over-drying a product might result in loss through product damage. This work therefore focuses on the drying of two major crops grown by local farmers and agricultural companies; Musa paradisiaca and Theobroma cacao, obtained from a local farmer within Auchi, Edo state. The drying characteristics, including moisture content, moisture loss, and drying rates, were examined experimentally in this study at the university laboratory and Pax Herbal Clinic & Research Laboratories Ltd. This was obtained with the use of a locally fabricated cross and through circulation dryer for drying and a moisture analyzer to obtain moisture contents while taking into account temperature ranges between 40 and 80°C and time intervals from 5 to 40 minutes. The result of the experiment showed that, the crops' moisture loss and drying rate depend on the time and temperature they are exposed to. The Musa paradisiaca crop has more natural moisture than Theobroma cacao and hence, it takes a longer time to dry with a rapid moisture loss in the early 40 minutes of drying time and at temperatures within 40 and 70°C. Theobroma cacao dries more rapidly with a 72% moisture lost at temperatures between 40 and 60 C. A temperature range of 60 to 70°C at any drying time would therefore be sufficient to dry Theobroma cacao and Musa paradisiaca for their drying preservation.

show abstract

“…The first law of thermodynamics simply illustrates the principle of energy conservation, stating that the energy entering the drying system is stored and cannot be created or destroyed (Komolafe et al, 2021). However, this analysis alone cannot efficiently and accurately measure the performance of a drying system because of its inability to translate heat into mechanical work and its failure to provide information about irreversibilities in thermodynamic processes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Exergy analysis is introduced to complement, develop, evaluate, and enhance energy conversion systems (Cetina-Quiñones et al, 2022;Komolafe et al, 2021). Exergy analysis provides a practical approach based on the principles of the second law of thermodynamics to assess the efficiency of processes and energy conversion or distribution systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advancements and 4E + Q performance analyses in solar drying for maize kernels preservation: A comprehensive review

Suherman,

Asy‐Syaqiq,

Hadiyanto

et al. 2024

J Food Process Engineering

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The world's population is projected to increase, impacting a 60% rise in food production demand by 2050, including the demand for maize. Currently, maize production is estimated to reach 1510 million tons in 2023, necessitating suitable methods for preserving maize kernels to maintain quality and reduce post‐harvest agricultural losses. Although drying methods present a viable solution to address this issue, the majority of farmers in Indonesia still use conventional drying methods, such as open sun drying, which has several drawbacks. Hence, solar drying systems aim to overcome these limitations by harnessing renewable, clean, sustainable, and eco‐friendly energy to support the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This research comprehensively reviews the progress of solar drying technology, providing insights into its working principles, innovative designs, and operational modes across various types of solar dryers. The 4E + Q analysis provides information regarding the performance of solar drying systems, including energy analysis to determine the quantity of energy utilized and exergy analysis to demonstrate irreversibility in thermodynamic processes. Additionally, this analysis highlights environmental impacts such as CO2 emissions and mitigation efforts, while considering economic aspects through lifecycle assessment and payback period methods. The quality assessment of dried maize kernels according to the standards set by the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) is conducted, including proximate analysis, aflatoxin levels, color measurements, and internal cracking analysis.Practical applicationsDrying technology is essential for the food preservation process, enabling the maintenance of product quality and extending storage life by reducing the moisture content to eliminate the activities of microbial agents. The application of solar drying technology harnesses solar radiation as the primary energy source, making it well‐suited for crops like paddy, maize, cassava, etc. The development of solar dryers continues through modifications and the addition of auxiliary systems to achieve more efficient, economical, and sustainable technologies. The hope is that in the future, these technologies can be adopted by farmers on an industrial scale due to low operational costs, ease of operation, and controllable operating conditions. The methodological approach is necessary to evaluate the performance of solar dryers and the quality of dried products through a 4E + Q analysis, it provides information on energy consumption, exergy flow, economic considerations, environmental aspects, and quality assessments against national quality standards (SNI).

show abstract

Thermodynamic analysis of forced convective solar drying of cocoa with black coated sensible thermal storage material

Cited by 15 publications

References 31 publications

Design, Fabrication, and Thermal Evaluation of a Solar Cooking System Integrated With Tracking Device and Sensible Heat Storage Materials

Design, Fabrication, and Thermal Evaluation of a Solar Cooking System Integrated With Tracking Device and Sensible Heat Storage Materials

Comparative Analysis of the Drying Parameters of Theobroma cacao (Cocoa Beans) and Musa paradisiaca (Plantain)

Advancements and 4E + Q performance analyses in solar drying for maize kernels preservation: A comprehensive review

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About