Technical Performance of an Inflatable Solar Dryer for Drying Amaranth Leaves in Kenya
The technical performance of an inflatable solar dryer (ISD) to dry amaranth leaves (<i>Amaranthus</i> spp.) was investigated. To handle the drying of lightweight materials, modification was made by adding an air deflector and trays inside the ISD. Computational performance of the ISD so...
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doaj-36c749958e264401a567fad284d3796f2020-11-24T20:48:10ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172019-08-01916343110.3390/app9163431app9163431Technical Performance of an Inflatable Solar Dryer for Drying Amaranth Leaves in KenyaSebastian Romuli0Steffen Schock1Marcus Nagle2Christine G. Kiria Chege3Joachim Müller4Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Tropics and Subtropics Group, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, GermanyInstitute of Agricultural Engineering, Tropics and Subtropics Group, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, GermanyAgricultural Research and Development Program, Central State University, Wilberforce, OH 45384, USARegional Office for Africa, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), P.O. Box 823-00621 Nairobi, KenyaInstitute of Agricultural Engineering, Tropics and Subtropics Group, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, GermanyThe technical performance of an inflatable solar dryer (ISD) to dry amaranth leaves (<i>Amaranthus</i> spp.) was investigated. To handle the drying of lightweight materials, modification was made by adding an air deflector and trays inside the ISD. Computational performance of the ISD solar energy system was evaluated using MATLAB Simulink. The estimated air mass flow in the inlet of the ISD was 0.75 kg/s. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the uniformity of air distribution in the ISD was evaluated. The solar radiation reported during good drying performance ranged between 510 and 950 W/m<sup>2</sup>. In a controlled charging system, a 100 W<sub>p</sub> PV module typically generated voltage between 10.22 and 18.75 V. Drying conditions at temperatures of 40 °C or above were typically achieved in the ISD from 12:00 to 16:00. Temperature inside the ISD could reach up to 69.4 °C during the day and 13.4 °C during the night. The highest relative humidity of 97.4% was recorded during the night. Opening the ISD while mixing the product could lead to considerable heat loss. Fluctuation of solar radiation and shaded areas in the ISD appeared to be the major factors affecting the drying performance.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/9/16/3431off-gridphotovoltaicpostharvestrenewable energySimulinksolar bubble dryer |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Sebastian Romuli Steffen Schock Marcus Nagle Christine G. Kiria Chege Joachim Müller |
spellingShingle |
Sebastian Romuli Steffen Schock Marcus Nagle Christine G. Kiria Chege Joachim Müller Technical Performance of an Inflatable Solar Dryer for Drying Amaranth Leaves in Kenya Applied Sciences off-grid photovoltaic postharvest renewable energy Simulink solar bubble dryer |
author_facet |
Sebastian Romuli Steffen Schock Marcus Nagle Christine G. Kiria Chege Joachim Müller |
author_sort |
Sebastian Romuli |
title |
Technical Performance of an Inflatable Solar Dryer for Drying Amaranth Leaves in Kenya |
title_short |
Technical Performance of an Inflatable Solar Dryer for Drying Amaranth Leaves in Kenya |
title_full |
Technical Performance of an Inflatable Solar Dryer for Drying Amaranth Leaves in Kenya |
title_fullStr |
Technical Performance of an Inflatable Solar Dryer for Drying Amaranth Leaves in Kenya |
title_full_unstemmed |
Technical Performance of an Inflatable Solar Dryer for Drying Amaranth Leaves in Kenya |
title_sort |
technical performance of an inflatable solar dryer for drying amaranth leaves in kenya |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Applied Sciences |
issn |
2076-3417 |
publishDate |
2019-08-01 |
description |
The technical performance of an inflatable solar dryer (ISD) to dry amaranth leaves (<i>Amaranthus</i> spp.) was investigated. To handle the drying of lightweight materials, modification was made by adding an air deflector and trays inside the ISD. Computational performance of the ISD solar energy system was evaluated using MATLAB Simulink. The estimated air mass flow in the inlet of the ISD was 0.75 kg/s. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the uniformity of air distribution in the ISD was evaluated. The solar radiation reported during good drying performance ranged between 510 and 950 W/m<sup>2</sup>. In a controlled charging system, a 100 W<sub>p</sub> PV module typically generated voltage between 10.22 and 18.75 V. Drying conditions at temperatures of 40 °C or above were typically achieved in the ISD from 12:00 to 16:00. Temperature inside the ISD could reach up to 69.4 °C during the day and 13.4 °C during the night. The highest relative humidity of 97.4% was recorded during the night. Opening the ISD while mixing the product could lead to considerable heat loss. Fluctuation of solar radiation and shaded areas in the ISD appeared to be the major factors affecting the drying performance. |
topic |
off-grid photovoltaic postharvest renewable energy Simulink solar bubble dryer |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/9/16/3431 |
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