Solar Dehydrator: An EPS@ISEP 2019 Project

This paper provides an overview of the development of a solar dehydrator, a project undertaken by a team of six Erasmus students from different countries during the European Project Semester at the Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto in the spring of 2019. The main objective of the European Project Semester is to develop teamwork, communication and problem-solving skills through team work and project-based learning. The purpose of the project was to design a sustainable solution to dehydrate and preserve food, build and test the corresponding proof-of-concept prototype, while respecting requirements such as the budget, the use of reusable materials and components or European Union directives. To achieve this goal, the team considered the technological, ethical and deontological, economic and environmental perspectives in the design of the Dryfoo prototype. This paper describes, after a short introduction, the performed research, the development and the testing of the proof-of-concept prototype, as well as the personal outcomes of this learning experience.