Drying of Fruits, Vegetables, Spices and Medicinal Plants with a Mixed-Mode Solar Drying System with Internal Reflectors

Abstract

It is observed that, when the production is high, the farmers have to sell the food products on the same day of harvesting at very low price. A high moisture content of fresh food products leads to rapid deterioration in the quality of the product because of the growth of spoilage, toxigenic and infectious organisms. There is a way to minimize the food wastage is dehydrating the food products up to a safe moisture level that can be achieved by one of the effective processing techniques as solar drying. Drying is one of the oldest methods of preserving food. A solar dryer shortens the drying time by increasing temperatures and air currents. Fortunately, India is blessed with abundant source of solar radiation. This paper addresses the experimental performances of a mixed-mode solar drying system with internal reflectors for drying of fruits, vegetables, spices and medicinal plants in western part of India. Two 6 W DC fans powered by Solar Photovoltaic modules were used to ventilate the dryer. The cabinet solar dryer is 0.7 m in length and 0.7 m wide. Food products were cut into slices and loaded in wire mesh tray into the cabinet. Finally, this paper deals with a suitable design of a solar agricultural dryer that can be built in rural area with locally available construction materials and skills and retains the desired food quality

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Author Information
Jatinkumar Patel, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, India
Anurag Mudgal, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, India
Kinal Patel, Shankersinh Vaghela Bapu Institute of Technology, India

• Category: ACSEE2016, ACSS ACSEE AGEN 2016, Oral Presentation, Paper Available
• Tag: Environmental Sustainability and Human Consumption

Posted by James Alexander Gordon

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