article · Heliyon
An indirect solar drying system was built and evaluated under the climatic conditions of Meknes, Morocco. The apparatus incorporates a solar air collector set at an inclination of 34 degrees to the ground, which reached a peak outlet temperature of 58 degrees Celsius. When tested on banana slices, the system reduced sample mass from 549.76 grams to 138.41 grams. The solar air collector showed an average thermal efficiency of 23.37 percent, while the dryer itself operated at an average efficiency of 18.8 percent. Overall moisture removal reached 74.83 percent, markedly outperforming open solar drying, which achieved 39.08 percent. Final moisture content varied across the four drying trays, ranging from 0.0397 to 0.2597 kilograms per kilogram dry basis.
Open-air drying often results in slow moisture loss and inconsistent preservation of agricultural products. Demonstrating an indirect solar dryer that nearly doubles the moisture reduction rate of open drying offers a practical, low-carbon alternative for food preservation. Tailoring collector angles and drying chambers to local weather conditions provides a viable route to reducing post-harvest crop loss using renewable energy.
The technology targets post-harvest crop processing and food preservation, with direct relevance to smallholder farmers and food processors in sunny climates. The dryer is at an applied and tested stage of development, having been demonstrated on a physical prototype with measured performance. Progress towards commercial equipment will require addressing uneven moisture distribution across different drying trays and testing with larger, commercial-scale batch sizes.
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This paper investigates the effectiveness of an indirect solar dryer (ISD) specifically designed for the geographical and climatic conditions of Meknes (Morocco). The constructed ISD system incorporates a solar air collector (SAC) inclined at 34° to the ground, reaching a maximum outlet temperature of 58 °C. During the drying process, banana slices experienced a substantial reduction in mass, decreasing from 549.76 g to 138.41 g. The calculated mean efficiency of both the SAC and the dryer stood at 23.37 % and 18.8 %, respectively. In terms of moisture removal, ISD outperformed open solar drying (OSD), achieving a substantial moisture reduction of 74.83 %, whereas OSD yielded a reduction of 39.08 %. The process of drying resulted in a decrease in the moisture content (MC) of banana slices from an initial value of 3.5771 kg/kg (db) to a final value of MC varied depending on the tray used for drying, with values of 0.0397, 0.1292, 0.1745, and 0.2597 kg/kg (db) recorded for trays 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. By focusing on the development and evaluation of an ISD system optimized for the local conditions, this research contributes valuable insights into efficient and sustainable food drying.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21299
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