Development, Thermodynamic Evaluation, and Economic Analysis of a PVT-Based Automated Indirect Solar Dryer for Date Fruits

Abdallah Elshawadfy Elwakeel (), Edwin Villagran (), Jader Rodriguez, Cruz Ernesto Aguilar () and Atef Fathy Ahmed
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Abdallah Elshawadfy Elwakeel: Agricultural Engineering Department, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Aswan University, Aswan 81528, Egypt
Edwin Villagran: Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria—Agrosavia, Centro de Investigación Tibaitata, Km 14, vía Mosquera-Bogotá, Mosquera 250040, Colombia
Jader Rodriguez: Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria—Agrosavia, Centro de Investigación Tibaitata, Km 14, vía Mosquera-Bogotá, Mosquera 250040, Colombia
Cruz Ernesto Aguilar: Tecnologico Nacional de Mexico/ITS de los Reyes, Carretera Los Reyes-Jacona, Col. Libertad, Los Reyes de Salgado 60300, Mexico
Atef Fathy Ahmed: Department of Biology, College of Science, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 10, 1-28

Abstract: The present study focuses on the development, thermodynamic evaluation, and economic analysis of a photovoltaic-thermal (PVT)-based automated mixed-mode indirect solar dryer (AMMISD). The developed AMMISD was used for drying five date varieties native to the Aswan area, namely Shamia, Bartamuda, Sakkoti, Malkabii, and Gondaila. The initial and final moisture contents of date varieties ranged between 15.7% and 17.2% and 4.91% and 6.41%, respectively. All date fruit varieties reached equilibrium moisture content after 6 days (60 h) compared with 14 days (140 h) in a traditional indirect solar dryer (SD) and 14–25 days (140–250 h) under open-air sun drying. The energy analysis of both the solar air collector (SAC) and the SD showed that the SAC efficiency and the drying efficiency were in the range of 15.15–63.33% and 4.01–4.41%, respectively. Additionally, the exergy analysis of the SAC and drying room (DR) revealed a maximum efficiency of 27.5% and 96.62%, respectively. The improvement potential (IP) ranged from 4.62 to 13.64 W, the mean value of waste exergy ratio (WER) was 0.84, and the sustainability index (SI) ranged from 1.01 to 1.38. Moreover, the economic analysis showed substantial economic advantages for date fruit drying, yielding annual savings of approximately USD 236.9, with an investment recovery period of about 2.091 years.

Keywords: energy analysis; exergy analysis; improvement potential (IP); waste exergy ratio (WER); sustainability index (SI) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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