Experimental Study of Direct and Indirect Solar Biomass Dryer

Authors

  • Shafiq Hamid  Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
  • Eqwan M. R.  Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia

Keywords:

Solar Dryer, Direct Drying, Indirect Drying, Biomass

Abstract

Drying of biomass or agricultural products has been essential in preserving food or conversion into fuel. The traditional method of drying is open drying, which is prone to multiple problems such as contamination, infestations and effect from weather. Solar drying in a closed enclosure can help overcome these issues. This paper discusses the experimental study of direct and indirect solar dryer, in terms of its drying capability, optimal configuration and suitability of usage for different conditions. Four different experiments were conducted, all comparing direct and indirect dryer but with different level of air convection, starting with natural convection, forced convection with one fan, followed by two and three fans. It is found that the level of air flow, the manner of which sunlight is absorbed (direct or indirect) and the position of trays affect the drying rate.

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International Journal of Scientific Research in Science, Engineering and Technology

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Published

2017-08-31

Issue

Volume 3, Issue 5, July-August-2017

Section

Research Articles

License

Copyright (c) IJSRSET

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

[1]
Shafiq Hamid, Eqwan M. R., " Experimental Study of Direct and Indirect Solar Biomass Dryer, International Journal of Scientific Research in Science, Engineering and Technology(IJSRSET), Print ISSN : 2395-1990, Online ISSN : 2394-4099, Volume 3, Issue 5, pp.471-479, July-August-2017.