Design, Construction, and Investigation of the Drying Equipment Using Solar Power for Bangladeshi Fruits and Vegetables

Abstract

In underdeveloped nations where fuel and electricity are expensive, crop drying using solar power is a practical and affordable method of food preservation. For farmers in rural areas, it can be difficult or impossible to preserve fruits for later use without access to fuel and huge drying systems. Drying of potatoes in the sun is carried out with industrial dryers integrating solar power. This experiment shows how to design and optimize drying systems for usage in developing nations. A model of an industrial sun-drying system has been created and validated through experimental testing. The ambient temperature is between 28°C and 33°C, while the drying chamber’s temperature ranges from 30°C to 48°C at a flow rate of 1.8 m/s. The moisture content of the dried potato sample was 84.7% and 8.27% under loaded conditions and using only silica gel respectively. We use a photovoltaic (PV) solar panel-powered heating element coil in combination with solar energy that improves the efficiency of agricultural dryers.