An experimental evaluation of drying banana slices using a novel indirect solar dryer under variable conditions
Novel thermal characteristics of drying banana slices in an indirect dryer are presented for four different experimental drying conditions in the forced convection mode. The novel characteristics include measuring the airflow velocity in the drying chamber, measuring the thermal profiles in differen...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-04-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024042993 |
| _version_ | 1797247845651185664 |
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| author | Ashmore Mawire Masodi Ramokali Molebogeng Mothupi Maarten Vanierschot |
| author_facet | Ashmore Mawire Masodi Ramokali Molebogeng Mothupi Maarten Vanierschot |
| author_sort | Ashmore Mawire |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Novel thermal characteristics of drying banana slices in an indirect dryer are presented for four different experimental drying conditions in the forced convection mode. The novel characteristics include measuring the airflow velocity in the drying chamber, measuring the thermal profiles in different trays comprehensively and measuring the relative humidity under different conditions. Two tests are carried for 16 h in two consecutive days (8 h per day for each test). The first test is on acloudy day followed by a sunny day, while the second test is carried out on two consecutive sunny days. Tests 3 and 4 are 24 h tests with high (0.23 m/s) and low (0.11 m/s) average drying chamber airflow velocities under good solar radiation conditions. The maximum temperatures obtained in the collector and the drying chamber are around 80 and 48 °C, respectively, for the 16 h tests. Significantly lower collector and drying chamber temperatures are obtained due to cloudy conditions. Maximum collector temperatures are around 84 and 95 °C for the high and low average airflow chamber velocities for the 24 h tests. The corresponding maximum temperatures in the drying chamber are around 50 °C for the 24 tests. The final moisture ratios are 0.26 (cloudy and sunny days) and 0.20 (two sunny days), respectively, for the 16 h tests. These final moisture ratios are lower than those obtained for the 24 h tests which are 0.32 and 0.28, respectively. Increasing the drying chamber airflow velocity results in faster moisture removal during sunshine hours for the 24 h tests. For tests 1, 2, 3 and 4, the maximum average collector efficiencies during the sunshine period are around 60, 80, 40 and 10 %, respectively. The average drying efficiencies for the total solar drying period for tests 1,2,3 and 4 on day 1 are 6.9, 6.9, 5.5 and 5.7 % respectively. These values are comparable, suggesting that the average collector powers, airflow velocities and efficiencies have a very small effect on the average solar drying efficiency for the whole drying period. The quality of the bananas slices mainly in terms of the colour and shape is also compared with previous studies and commercially available products. A reasonably acceptable quality product is obtained. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T20:05:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fba9a6c577754bcea87eef4c2cb90ef3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T20:05:10Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj.art-fba9a6c577754bcea87eef4c2cb90ef32024-03-24T06:59:41ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402024-04-01107e28268An experimental evaluation of drying banana slices using a novel indirect solar dryer under variable conditionsAshmore Mawire0Masodi Ramokali1Molebogeng Mothupi2Maarten Vanierschot3North-West University, Material Science, Innovation and Modelling (MaSIM) Research Focus Area, Department of Physics, Mmabatho, 2745, Mahikeng, South Africa; Corresponding author.North-West University, Material Science, Innovation and Modelling (MaSIM) Research Focus Area, Department of Physics, Mmabatho, 2745, Mahikeng, South AfricaNorth-West University, Material Science, Innovation and Modelling (MaSIM) Research Focus Area, Department of Physics, Mmabatho, 2745, Mahikeng, South AfricaNorth-West University, Material Science, Innovation and Modelling (MaSIM) Research Focus Area, Department of Physics, Mmabatho, 2745, Mahikeng, South Africa; KU Leuven, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Group T Leuven campus, Celestijnenlaan 300, B-3001, Heverlee, BelgiumNovel thermal characteristics of drying banana slices in an indirect dryer are presented for four different experimental drying conditions in the forced convection mode. The novel characteristics include measuring the airflow velocity in the drying chamber, measuring the thermal profiles in different trays comprehensively and measuring the relative humidity under different conditions. Two tests are carried for 16 h in two consecutive days (8 h per day for each test). The first test is on acloudy day followed by a sunny day, while the second test is carried out on two consecutive sunny days. Tests 3 and 4 are 24 h tests with high (0.23 m/s) and low (0.11 m/s) average drying chamber airflow velocities under good solar radiation conditions. The maximum temperatures obtained in the collector and the drying chamber are around 80 and 48 °C, respectively, for the 16 h tests. Significantly lower collector and drying chamber temperatures are obtained due to cloudy conditions. Maximum collector temperatures are around 84 and 95 °C for the high and low average airflow chamber velocities for the 24 h tests. The corresponding maximum temperatures in the drying chamber are around 50 °C for the 24 tests. The final moisture ratios are 0.26 (cloudy and sunny days) and 0.20 (two sunny days), respectively, for the 16 h tests. These final moisture ratios are lower than those obtained for the 24 h tests which are 0.32 and 0.28, respectively. Increasing the drying chamber airflow velocity results in faster moisture removal during sunshine hours for the 24 h tests. For tests 1, 2, 3 and 4, the maximum average collector efficiencies during the sunshine period are around 60, 80, 40 and 10 %, respectively. The average drying efficiencies for the total solar drying period for tests 1,2,3 and 4 on day 1 are 6.9, 6.9, 5.5 and 5.7 % respectively. These values are comparable, suggesting that the average collector powers, airflow velocities and efficiencies have a very small effect on the average solar drying efficiency for the whole drying period. The quality of the bananas slices mainly in terms of the colour and shape is also compared with previous studies and commercially available products. A reasonably acceptable quality product is obtained.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024042993BananasDifferent drying conditionsSolar dryerThermal performance characteristics |
| spellingShingle | Ashmore Mawire Masodi Ramokali Molebogeng Mothupi Maarten Vanierschot An experimental evaluation of drying banana slices using a novel indirect solar dryer under variable conditions Heliyon Bananas Different drying conditions Solar dryer Thermal performance characteristics |
| title | An experimental evaluation of drying banana slices using a novel indirect solar dryer under variable conditions |
| title_full | An experimental evaluation of drying banana slices using a novel indirect solar dryer under variable conditions |
| title_fullStr | An experimental evaluation of drying banana slices using a novel indirect solar dryer under variable conditions |
| title_full_unstemmed | An experimental evaluation of drying banana slices using a novel indirect solar dryer under variable conditions |
| title_short | An experimental evaluation of drying banana slices using a novel indirect solar dryer under variable conditions |
| title_sort | experimental evaluation of drying banana slices using a novel indirect solar dryer under variable conditions |
| topic | Bananas Different drying conditions Solar dryer Thermal performance characteristics |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024042993 |
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