Design and development of solar-electrical hybrid dryer and its performance evaluation using shrimps

Abstract

A solar-electrical hybrid dryer (SEHD) of 10 kg capacity was designed and developed for drying of fishery products under controlled and hygienic conditions. SEHD consisted of a drying chamber with total drying area of 3.06 m2, solar air collector, electric heating coil, blower, exhaust fans, temperature sensor, and control panels. Fabrication of dryer was done using stainless steel (SS 304) for cabinet and drying trays, galvanized iron for the frame, MS angle frame for support, polyurethane foam and aluminum foil for insulation of drying chamber, and glazing and fiber boards for outer covering and structure. SEHD is designed to utilize solar energy for drying and is supplemented with 750 W electric heating coil to operate during off-sunshine hours. The shrimp moisture content reduced from 80.05% (w.b.) to 14.38% (w.b.) in 6 h in SEHD. The maximum collector temperature obtained during the experiment was 64.4°C with an average incident radiation of 710 W/m2. The collector efficiency was found to be 37.39%. The drying efficiency of 28.65% was observed in SEHD. The exergy efficiency of the drying chamber and solar air collector was estimated to be 28.57 and 62.50%, respectively. The energy payback period of the designed SEHD was found to be 0.58 years, with a sustainability index of 1.4. The economic payback period was estimated to be 0.73 years.