Experimental Study of Direct and Indirect Solar Biomass Dryer

Authors(2) :-Shafiq Hamid, Eqwan M. R.

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.

Authors and Affiliations

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

Solar Dryer, Direct Drying, Indirect Drying, Biomass

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Publication Details

Published in : Volume 3 | Issue 5 | July-August 2017
Date of Publication : 2017-08-31
License:  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Page(s) : 471-479
Manuscript Number : IJSRSET1734118
Publisher : Technoscience Academy

Print ISSN : 2395-1990, Online ISSN : 2394-4099

Cite This Article :

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. Journal URL : https://res.ijsrset.com/IJSRSET1734118

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