Performance Evaluation of an Indirect-Mode Forced Convection Solar Dryer Equipped with a PV/T Air Collector for Drying Tomato Slices

Houssam Chouikhi () and Baher M. A. Amer ()
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Houssam Chouikhi: Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, King Faisal University, P.O. Box 380, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Baher M. A. Amer: Department of Agricultural Systems Engineering, College of Agricultural & Food Sciences, King Faisal University, P.O. Box 400, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 6, 1-21

Abstract: This paper proposes an indirect-mode forced convection solar dryer equipped with a PV/T air collector. The PV/T air collector generates both heated air and electrical energy, which are used to force convection in the solar dryer. Experiments were carried out on selected tomato slices for which the temperature and humidity readings as well as the masses of the dried samples were instantaneously recorded for two days. A thermal analysis was performed on the solar drying system to investigate its performance. The PV/T dryer’s air temperature and velocity simulation using CFD modeling were validated by the experimental results for which the drying chamber was empty, without tomato slices. The experimental and numerical results were in good agreement. The difference between the CFD model and the experimental results for air temperature was around 1 °C (3%) and 2 °C (5%) for the solar collector and drying chamber, respectively. The average daily efficiencies of the collector, dryer, and PV panel for the solar drying system were estimated to be 30.9%, 15.2%, and 8.7%, respectively.

Keywords: CFD modeling; PV/T air collector; solar drying; dried tomatoes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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