A hybrid type solar tunnel dryer is designed and fabricated for the commercial scale drying of different fruits and vegetables. A biomass burner box along with heat exchanger is used as backup heat source, which ensure continuous drying process during night and unfavorable weather conditions. Unidirectional forced convection is developed with a volumetric flow rate of 0.11m3/s, by using two DC exhaust fans installed at both sides of the drying chamber. A DC blower is used to push the hot air with a volumetric flow rate of 0.02m3/s, generated in either biomass burner or additional solar collector. The ultraviolet rays are blocked by covering the drying chamber by UV treated transparent polyethylene sheet, it also protect the product from birds, insects, dust, wind and rain. An additional solar collector ensure the attaining of suitable drying temperature inside the drying chamber. A PV system is installed which fulfills the power requirements, makes this solar tunnel dryer new and smart.The solar tunnel dryer is installed at US - Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Energy located in Peshawar, latitude and longitude of 34.0151° N, 71.5249° E. The experiments are performed on this dryer, while six solar tunnel dryers are installed at Swat to harness the great potential of different fruits.The experiments for the performance evaluation of this dryer are performed during the month of June, 2019.The performance parameters attained during experimentations are: collector efficiency is 28%, drying efficiency is 22% and drying rate is 1.46kg/hr for 50 kg of load. These parameters are in the range of international standards, indicating that this solar tunnel dryer is feasible and sustainable.
Asif Ali Sahibzada Imad ud din and Suhail Zaki Farooqui Designing Fabrication Performance Evaluation and Implementation of Solar-Biomass Hybrid Tunnel D International Journal of Engineering Works Vol. 7 Issue 01 PP. 31-38 January 2020 https://doi.org/10.34259/ijew.20.7013138
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