MODELLING AND ANALYSIS OF AN EFFICIENT SOLAR DRYER

Abstract

Food is a basic necessity of human beings. Agriculture is considered to be the main source of income for people residing in villages and farmers have direct impact on the economy of India. They face many challenges like lack of mechanisation, soil erosion and uneven climate changes. Drying of food products in varied climatic conditions is a major concern for farmers as dried products like spices have acceptance both inside and in export mode. Spice drying using conventional methods like open air sun drying and smoke drying could lead to insufficient product quality. Efficient and intelligent drying systems play a key role to increase the product quality and quantity. In this paper an efficient solar based drying system is proposed. Sensitivity analysis to different factors affecting efficiency of the dryer is also presented. The proposed dryer ensures the quality of the products in terms of colour, flavour and appearance, reducing the risk of microorganism growth, insect infestation and contamination by foreign matters.