COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF SOLAR DRYERS WITH BACKUP INCINERATORS UNDER SUBTROPICAL AND HUMID CLIMATE USING CASSAVA GRATES
Keywords:
Performance evaluation, solar dryer, incinerator, humid climate, tropicalAbstract
Solar dryer with a back up incinerator was designed and constructed with a view of comparing its performance under Nsukka sub-tropical and Makurdi humid climates both towns in Nigeria. Analyses of drying efficiencies were carried out for cassava grates. The dryer consists of solar collector, drying chamber, and incinerator. Drying was assumed to have taken place in the falling rate periods which enabled the use of only one drying constant. The ‘no-load’ test (control test) and the ‘on-load’ test (cassava grates) were done simultaneously. The respective weight losses were used to determine the reduction in moisture contents. Graphs of drying rates against time were plotted in each case and used to obtain the drying rate constant, K for the various conditions and locations. Comparison was made for the drying rate at the two locations. The efficiencies of the equipment at various locations were calculated and the drying rate efficiencies were also obtained. Results obtained showed that drying was fastest during the solar drying, and least during the incinerator drying and the control drying respectively. The drying rate was also faster at Nsukka tropical location than Makurdi humid location. The mean location drying rate efficiencies obtained were 98.8%, 94.7%, and 87.4% for solar dryer, solar-incinerator dryer and incinerator dryer respectively. The computed efficiencies for the equipment were 56%, 13% and 16% for solar dryer, solar incinerator dryer and incinerator dryer respectively. The results show that the dryer can be used as a substitute means for cassava garri dehydration and drying of other farm produce in rural and semiurban areas for improved quality in both regions.References
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