Improvement and performance analysis of a solar dryer in the semi-arid region of Rio Grande do Norte

Abstract

The solar dryer is an alternative technology used to dry food using solar thermal energy, a source of clean and renewable origin, as this type of energy does not generate polluting waste to the environment. The application of this technology in regions of the semi-arid region of Rio Grande do Norte is extremely satisfactory, as this region has a high incidence of sunlight. Dehydrating food using solar thermal energy brings benefits to foods with a significant degree of perishability, as it increases durability and helps with storage and transportation issues. In the present study, a low-cost direct exposure solar dryer was operated in order to optimize the food drying process based on changes made to the original prototype. At the end of the analysis of results and comparisons, it was possible to verify that the modifications made it possible to speed up the dehydration process.