Drying Kinetics, Quality and Economic Analysis of a Domestic Solar Dryer for Agricultural Products

In this study, design, development and testing of an indirect solar dryer for rural domestic use is reported. Qualitative and quantitative methods have been deployed to derive the appropriate design for the solar dryer, based on the local expectation and drying requirements. Local materials and resources have been used to construct the dryer, making it portable, affordable, and accessible, thus, promoting a do-it-yourself (‘DIY’) model. Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia), okra (Abelmoschus esculentus), raw mango (Mangifera indica) and hirda (Terminalia chebula) have been tested for the performance evaluation, as these items are typically openly sun dried for using them in later seasons or as sellable products. Results show that moisture content of the food products is brought down to acceptable limits, while retaining the color using this solar dryer. The functioning of the fabricated solar dryer has been demonstrated to the local people of the selected villages to encourage them to use the dryer and to receive their feedback.

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