EURECA 2013 – Solar Drying of Polygonum minus Huds Solar Drying of Polygonum minus Huds

The objective of this study is to design and fabricate a solar dryer to dehydrate medicine herbs. In addition, drying kinetics of solar drying was compared with natural sun drying. Average temperature and relative humidity of P.minus were 41 5 and 30% 0.5% respectively. Lewis models, Henderson and Pabis models, Logarithm models, Page model and Midilli et. al model were used to determine the best fit models. The effective diffusivity for Dnbnc, Dhbc, Dabc, Dabnc and NSD processes varied from 0.608E-10 m/s to 1.722E-10 m/s. Keywords— thin layer modelling, indirect forced convection solar drying, moisture content, herbs