Design of pliek-u dryer using Dafa-type solar energy

Abstract

One of the food diversification strategies of coconut commodity is to process it into Pliek U. Pliek U is a typical food of the Province of Aceh, Indonesia, which in its processing stage requires a drying process. So far, Pliek U drying process is often conducted conventionally through direct drying (sun drying), so that Pliek U produced is susceptible to dust and other dirt contamination. This research aimed to design a Pliek U dryer using Dafa type solar energy. The Dafa type solar energy dryer used a turbine ventilator with a vertical axis wind turbine equipped with two solar collectors. This turbine had a simple shape and construction and was arranged like the letter S. While the two parts of the solar collector were used to collect energy from the sun directly. In the experiment, the blank test was carried out in the time range, namely from 10.20 am to 04.50 pm in sunny weather, with an interval of 30 minutes for each temperature data recording. The empty test results of the Dafa type solar energy dryer showed that the average shelf temperature was 44.21 °C, the collector temperature was 45.64 °C, and the ambient temperature was 31.14 °C. This initial test revealed that the performance ability of the tool was very effective in maintaining temperature during the drying process, so that further tests using materials for drying Pliek U may be carried out.