Designing and Manufacturing Tubular Solar Dryer for Drying Okra

Abstract

An indirect tubular solar dryer for drying Okra was designed and manufactured in a food engineering workshop at the College of Agriculture, Basrah University. The dryer consists of a tubular solar collector with a dimension of 0.3 m × 1.5m a chimney and tubular met at mesh. The solar collector comprises a drying tube made of galvanized iron and has a capacity of 5 kg. The results of the tubular solar dryer and of natural solar drying were compared during the study period. Solar radiation intensity increased as the morning passed,  reaching  the highest level at midday (780.55 W/m²). The drying efficiency by tubular solar dryer was found higher than the natural solar drying, reaching 55% and 40% respectively. The average temperature in the drying tube reached 55^oC at 1:00 PM, and the air temperature was 41^oC. By 4:00 PM, the moisture content of dried Okra decreased from 80.80%  to 16.32%    using  the tubular  solar dryer and 28.44% using natural solar drying.

Keywords: Solar tubular dryer , Drying Okra , Solar drying

DOI: 10.7176/FSQM/90-03

Publication date:September 30^th 2019