Solar Greenhouse Dryer

The lack of efficient processing technologies and inadequate storage options fences the quality and quantity of available food. This work describes the development and analysis of a 100 kg capacity greenhouse solar dryer designed to produce high-quality dried products.

Population explosion has a tremendous impact on the food balance of nations. The lack of efficient processing technologies and inadequate storage options fences the quality and quantity of available food. Hence, drying of the product has become a significant post-harvesting process. A solar dryer is a renewable energy-based technology that has the potential to ensure food sustainability. The current study describes the development and analysis of a 100 kg capacity greenhouse solar dryer designed to produce high-quality dried products. The work investigates the prospects of solar drying technology using an experimental performance study and a theoretical long-term economic analysis.

Results of the performance study:

The greenhouse is effective in raising the temperature within it to 10–14 °C higher than ambient temperature and the tested products dry at a much shorter duration when compared to drying in the open sun. Economic calculations reveal potential savings of up to 10 times the value of current-day investment within the dryer lifetime, depending on the product to be dried. The dryer also has a short payback period of 1.5–2.1 years for the considered agricultural products.