Heat transfer in a solar-gas-electric hybrid dryer for the control of its operation and for energy management and storage

Transient CFD studies were performed on a designed dryer operated in natural convection in order to analyze the effect of thermal energy on the outlet. The dryer is equipped by an energy storage system by capture of heat in its sensitive form. Results show that by passing the air through rocks, it stores an amount of thermal energy which can be used in drying during the absence of solar radiation. A designed hybrid solar-gas-electric dryer was simulated on SolidWorks Flow Simulation, the temperature of the drying chamber could be regulated at every desired temperature, and this paper presents a case study of regulation of temperature at 60°C by modeling an on-off control on the gas and electric auxiliary heaters and on a cooling fan. The designed hybrid dryer is efficient since it regulates the air temperature of the drying chamber at desired values with optimal consumption of gas and electric energy compared to the energy received from sun.

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