An experimental assessment of a portable solar cabinet photovoltaic dryer utilizing parsley greens: A case study

This paper presents the experimental testing of a portable double solar dryer developed by the authors. The dryer’s primary feature is its ability to facilitate direct heat transfer from sunlight, complemented by forced airflow generated by a photovoltaic fan. The material dried in this study was parsley, with tests conducted during the spring of ۲۰۲۴ in Khuzestan Province, southern Iran. The main objective of this research is to address the issue of non-uniform drying rates of products within the drying tray. The investigation assessed the device's efficiency and performance under varying conditions of heat and mass transfer. Environmental parameters, including sunlight, air temperature, humidity, and wind speed, were meticulously measured throughout the testing period. Results indicated that the average drying efficiency for parsley was ۲۱.۵۵%, with a maximum drying speed also recorded at ۲۱.۵۵%. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate that the dryer exhibits acceptable performance across different heating conditions. An analysis of weather conditions, including temperature, humidity, and solar radiation, revealed that increased air temperature and radiation significantly reduce drying time while enhancing dryer efficiency, which can reach approximately ۳۷.۹%. The uncertainty level of this research is calculated to be less than ۵%.

کلیدواژه ها:

Solar Dryer ، Cabinet-Photovoltaic ، Experimental study ، Drying Efficiency