PERFORMANCE OF A SOLAR DRYER

A new solar dryer, which consists of a solar air heater and a drying chamber, was developed and used for drying agricultural products. The present drying system was successfully tested using sultana grapes, green beans, sweet peppers, and chilli peppers. Traditional sun-drying experiments were employed. The drying curves of the solar dried products are compared with traditional sun-drying results. Use of the solar dryer reduced the drying time by factors of 1.7, 2.2, 1.8, and 2.2, respectively, for sultana grapes, green beans, and sweet and chilli peppers, prevented mass losses and provided better product quality.