Engineering & Technology

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Design Analysis of Moisture Content for Potato Slices in Solar Dryer

Volume: 18  ,  Issue: 1 , December    Published Date: 23 December 2018
Publisher Name: IJRP
Views: 742  ,  Download: 689

Authors

# Author Name
1 Khin Thu Zar

Abstract

Based on preliminary investigations under controlled conditions of drying experiments, a mixed-mode natural convection solar dryer with three trays was designed and constructed to dry potato slices in the rural area. This paper describes the design considerations followed and presents the results of the design parameters. A minimum of 1.43 m2 solar collector area is required to dry 5 kg potato slices in 16 hours (two days drying period). The average ambient conditions are 32 ºC air temperatures and 76 % relative humidity with daily global solar radiation incident on horizontal surface of 17.7 MJ/m2/day. The weather conditions considered are of Hlaing Thar Yar (latitude 16? 51′ 0″ N, longitude 96° 4′ 0″ E), Myanmar. Evaluation of the solar dryer was carried out in April, May and June. The result shows that the reducing of moisture content of the three trays from 65% (wb) to 13% (wb) is done between 8 hr and 13 hr and of open sun drying is done between 9 hr and 18 hr for the all three months. The collector efficiencies were 66.44%, 62.79% and 58.28% for April, May and June respectively. These results indicated sufficient drying and preservation of potato slices within two full days of sunlight.

Keywords

  • moisture content
  • solar radiaion
  • collector
  • solar dryer
  • potato slices