Design and construction of fruit solar drier for rural settlements

Abstract

This research focuses on the need for preserving fruits in rural areas to prevent waste. The solar drier is made of vital chambers i.e. the concentrator chamber (that harvests the solar irradiance), the transport pipe (that transports the heat generated by convection) and hanger chamber (where the fruits are placed). The temperature within the concentrator chamber and hanger chamber was monitored. The design allowed heat transfer by convection from the collector to the chamber at an efficiency of 92 %. The design allowed the temperature build up in the solar collector to be transported faster through hanger chamber with the help of incorporated detachable low power dc fan. This arrangement makes the dryer to either operate in the natural convection dryer mode (without the fan) or as a forced convection dryer (with the fan attached). It is observed that the forced convection provided higher air in-flow and hence greater drying capability. However, regions with moderate precipitation may have challenges of delayed fruit drying and growth of microorganism over the surfaces of the dried fruit.