ISSN 2360-7971
Abstract
Solar drying is an effective and sustainable method for reducing post-harvest losses of agricultural products, particularly in developing countries where access to conventional drying technologies is limited. This study presents the construction and performance evaluation of a single-chamber domestic passive solar crop dryer fabricated using locally available materials. The dryer consisted of a solar collector and a drying chamber covered with transparent polythene film to enhance solar heat absorption. Cassava mash was used as the test crop to evaluate the drying performance of the device. A comparative drying experiment was conducted between the solar dryer and traditional open sun drying. Temperature measurements and weight reductions were recorded hourly between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm over a three-day drying period. The results indicated that the maximum temperature inside the dryer reached 70°C, while the ambient temperature during open sun drying was 46°C. The drying rate achieved in the solar dryer was 0.354 kg/day, compared to 0.236 kg/day for open sun drying. The results demonstrate that the developed passive solar dryer significantly improves drying efficiency and reduces drying time relative to traditional methods. The system provides a low-cost and energy-efficient solution suitable for rural farmers.
Keywords; Dryer, moisture, ambient, performance, drying rate