A Review on Solar Drying Devices: Heat Transfer, Air Movement and Type of Chambers

Abstract

Food waste is one of the biggest challenges we are facing nowadays. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, approximately one-third of all food produced in the world is lost at some stage between production and consumption, totaling 930 million tons of food per year. Meanwhile, 10.5% of humanity suffers from malnutrition, 26% are overweight and greenhouse gases derived from the food industry account for between 25 and 30% of total emissions (8 to 10% referring to food waste), exacerbating the current climate crisis. To address these concerns, there has been a growing inclination to seek alternatives to fossil fuels, including the adoption of solar energy across diverse sectors, including the food industry. Actions are needed in order to change these patterns. This review article aims to provide an overview of recent developments in the field of solar food dehydration and the types of dehydrators that have emerged. Extensive research and bibliographic analysis, including other review articles, have revealed a growing focus on investment in this area to develop solar dehydrators that are increasingly effective but as sustainable as possible.