Bee Bread Granule Drying in a Solar Dryer with Mobile Shelves

Indira Daurenova, Ardak Mustafayeva, Kanat Khazimov, Francesco Pegna and Marat Khazimov ()
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Indira Daurenova: Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Kazakh National Agrarian Research University, Almaty 050000, Kazakhstan
Ardak Mustafayeva: School of Applied Mathematics, Kazakh-British Technical University, Almaty 050000, Kazakhstan
Kanat Khazimov: Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Kazakh National Agrarian Research University, Almaty 050000, Kazakhstan
Francesco Pegna: Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, 50100 Florence, Italy
Marat Khazimov: Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Kazakh National Agrarian Research University, Almaty 050000, Kazakhstan

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 20, 1-21

Abstract: This paper presents the development and evaluation of an autonomous solar dryer designed to enhance the drying efficiency of bee bread granules. In contrast to natural open-air drying, the proposed system utilizes solar energy in an oscillating operational mode to achieve a controlled and accelerated drying process. The dryer comprises a solar collector integrated into the base of the drying chamber, which facilitates convective heating of the drying agent (air). The system is further equipped with a photovoltaic panel to generate electricity for powering and controlling the operation of air extraction fans. The methodology combines numerical modeling with experimental studies, structured by an experimental design framework. The modeling component simulates variations in temperature (288–315 K) and relative humidity within a layer of bee bread granules subjected to a convective air flow. The numerical simulation enabled the determination of the following: the time required to achieve a stationary operating mode in the dryer chamber (20 min); and the rate of change in moisture content within the granule layer during conventional drying (18 h) and solar drying treatment (6 h). The experimental investigations focused on determining the effects of granule mass, air flow rate, and drying time on the moisture content and temperature of the granular layer of Bee Bread. A statistically grounded analysis, based on the design of experiments (DoE), demonstrated a reduction in moisture content from an initial 16.2–18.26% to a final 11.1–12.1% under optimized conditions. Linear regression models were developed to describe the dependencies for both natural and forced convection drying. A comparative evaluation using enthalpy–humidity (I-d) diagrams revealed a notable improvement in the drying efficiency of the proposed method compared to natural drying. This enhanced performance is attributed to the system’s intermittent operational mode and its ability to actively remove moist air. The results confirm the potential of the developed system for sustainable and energy-efficient drying of bee bread granules in remote areas with limited access to a conventional power grid.

Keywords: bee products; bee bread granule; solar dryer; shelving; solar energy; temperature; ANSYS Fluent; Python (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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