| Peer-Reviewed

“Muechas”–Design and Construction of An Active Solar Dryer for Biological Materials

Received: 4 June 2013     Published: 20 June 2013
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

This paper presents an original design and construction of a small scale, mobile, universal, ecological, chamber, active, dryer “MUECHAS” for drying medical and aromatic plants and non-timber forest products. The drying process uses only solar energy. The drying agent is a mixture of hot pure air and already used drying agent from the drying chamber exhaust. Pure air is heated in flat plate solar collectors and it is pulled by an electrical fan placed on the top of the drying chamber. The mobility of the collectors and dryer provides optimal utilization of sun energy throughout the day. PV modules, placed on the roof of the dryer, generate all necessary electric power for the fan, the control system and charge a set of accumulators during the day. Experimental results and kinetics of the drying process obtained by the solar dryer prototype are also given.

Published in International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Applications (Volume 1, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijmea.20130102.14
Page(s) 49-58
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2013. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Mobile Solar Dryer, Flat Plate Solar Collector, Drying Chamber, Drying Kinetics

References
[1] Belessiotis, V., Delyannis, E., 2011. Solar drying, Solar Energy, 85, 1665–1691.
[2] Ekechukwua, O.V., Norton, B., 1999. Review of solar-energy drying systems II: an overview of solar drying technology, Energy Conversion & Management, 40, 615-655.
[3] El-Sebaii, A.A., Aboul-Enein, S., Ramadan,M.R.I., El-Gohary, H.G., 2002. Experimental investigation of an indirect type natural convection solar dryer, Energy Conversion and Management, 43, 2251–2266.
[4] El-Sebaii, A.A., Shalabyb, S.M., 2012. Solar drying of agricultural products: A review, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 16, 37– 43.
[5] Farkas, I., Seres, I., Meszaros, C.S., 1999: Analytical and experimental study of a modular solar dryer, Renewable Energy, 16, 773-778.
[6] Fudholi, A, Sopian, K., Ruslan, M.H., Alghoul, M.A., Sulaiman, M.Y., 2010. Review of solar dryers for agricultural and marine products, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 14, 1–30.
[7] Goyal, R.K., Tiwari, G.N., 1997. Parametric study of a reverse flat-plate absorber cabinet dryer: a new concept. Solar Energy 60 (1), 41–48.
[8] Goyal RK, Tiwari GN. 1999. Performance of a reverse flat plate absorber cabinet dryer: a new concept, Energy Conversion & Management, 40 (4), 385–392.
[9] Gregoire, G.R., 1984. Understanding solar food dryers, Volunteers in Technical Assistance (VITA), Virginia, USA.
[10] Jairaj, K.S., Singh, S.P., Srikant, K., 2009. A review of solar dryers developed for grape drying, Solar Energy,83, 1698–1712.
[11] Lamnatou, Chr., Papanicolaou, E., Belessiotis, V., Kyriakis, N., 2012. Experimental investigation and thermodynamic performance analysis of a solar dryer using an evacuated-tube air collector, Applied Energy, 94, 232–243.
[12] Raman Vijaya V. S., Iniyan, S., Goic, R., 2012: A review of solar drying technologies, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 16, 2652– 2670.
[13] Ramana Murthy, M.V., 2009. A review of new technologies, models and experimental investigations of solar driers, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 13, 835–844.
[14] Sharma, A., Chen, C.R., Vu Lan, N., 2009. Solar-energy drying systems: A review, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 13, 1185–1210.
[15] Tiris, C., Tiris, M., Dincer, I., 1995. Investigation of the thermal efficiencies of a solar dryer, Energy Conversion and Management, 36 (3), 205-212.
[16] Topić M. R.,2002. Direct use of Solar Energy for drying medicinal herbs, aromatic plants and spices, Proceedings of SETT- 2002 – Moscow, Russia, Volume 2, 130-135.
[17] Topić M. R., Petrović Lj. A., Ćuprić Lj. N., Dedić, A. 2004, Development and research of mobile solar dryer for biological materials, Project No. 211068, Ministry of science and the environment Republic of Serbia (in Serbian).
[18] Topić M. R., Petrović Lj. A., Ćuprić Lj. N., 2005. Presentation of a solution of a mobile universal solar dryer for drying biological materials, Proceedings of the 12th symposium of thermal engineers (CD), Sokobanja, Serbia (in Serbian).
[19] Topić, M. R., 2004. Mobile dryer for drying biological materials using of solar energy, Registration patent, Nº. 135/04. Belgrade, Serbia.
[20] Topić M.R., 2005, A mathematical model of the solar drying process of biological materials, Proceedings of SETT- 2005 – Moscow, Russia.
[21] Topić, M.R, Ćuprić, Lj.N, Topić, R.J., Topić, R.G., 2012. Solar mobile dryer for biological materials and kinetics, Proceedings of the 7th International Symposium "Machine and Industrial Design in Mechanical Engineering KOD 2012", Balatonfüred, Hungary
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Radivoj M. Topić, Nenad Lj. Ćuprić, Milan R. Božović. (2013). “Muechas”–Design and Construction of An Active Solar Dryer for Biological Materials. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Applications, 1(2), 49-58. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmea.20130102.14

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Radivoj M. Topić; Nenad Lj. Ćuprić; Milan R. Božović. “Muechas”–Design and Construction of An Active Solar Dryer for Biological Materials. Int. J. Mech. Eng. Appl. 2013, 1(2), 49-58. doi: 10.11648/j.ijmea.20130102.14

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Radivoj M. Topić, Nenad Lj. Ćuprić, Milan R. Božović. “Muechas”–Design and Construction of An Active Solar Dryer for Biological Materials. Int J Mech Eng Appl. 2013;1(2):49-58. doi: 10.11648/j.ijmea.20130102.14

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.ijmea.20130102.14,
      author = {Radivoj M. Topić and Nenad Lj. Ćuprić and Milan R. Božović},
      title = {“Muechas”–Design and Construction of An Active Solar Dryer for Biological Materials},
      journal = {International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Applications},
      volume = {1},
      number = {2},
      pages = {49-58},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijmea.20130102.14},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmea.20130102.14},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijmea.20130102.14},
      abstract = {This paper presents an original design and construction of a small scale, mobile, universal, ecological, chamber, active, dryer “MUECHAS” for drying medical and aromatic plants and non-timber forest products. The drying process uses only solar energy. The drying agent is a mixture of hot pure air and already used drying agent from the drying chamber exhaust. Pure air is heated in flat plate solar collectors and it is pulled by an electrical fan placed on the top of the drying chamber. The mobility of the collectors and dryer provides optimal utilization of sun energy throughout the day. PV modules, placed on the roof of the dryer, generate all necessary electric power for the fan, the control system and charge a set of accumulators during the day. Experimental results and kinetics of the drying process obtained by the solar dryer prototype are also given.},
     year = {2013}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - “Muechas”–Design and Construction of An Active Solar Dryer for Biological Materials
    AU  - Radivoj M. Topić
    AU  - Nenad Lj. Ćuprić
    AU  - Milan R. Božović
    Y1  - 2013/06/20
    PY  - 2013
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmea.20130102.14
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ijmea.20130102.14
    T2  - International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Applications
    JF  - International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Applications
    JO  - International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Applications
    SP  - 49
    EP  - 58
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-0248
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijmea.20130102.14
    AB  - This paper presents an original design and construction of a small scale, mobile, universal, ecological, chamber, active, dryer “MUECHAS” for drying medical and aromatic plants and non-timber forest products. The drying process uses only solar energy. The drying agent is a mixture of hot pure air and already used drying agent from the drying chamber exhaust. Pure air is heated in flat plate solar collectors and it is pulled by an electrical fan placed on the top of the drying chamber. The mobility of the collectors and dryer provides optimal utilization of sun energy throughout the day. PV modules, placed on the roof of the dryer, generate all necessary electric power for the fan, the control system and charge a set of accumulators during the day. Experimental results and kinetics of the drying process obtained by the solar dryer prototype are also given.
    VL  - 1
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Sections