Solar drying tomato crop using two different architectural configurations of solar driers [electronic resources]

Includes references.

This study was conducted during August 2022 to clearly elucidate and assess the best type of solar driers can be functioned in tomatoes drying and the engineering parameters that affecting the drying process. Two different architectural forms of solar- driers (lean-to and curved lean-to solar driers) are designing, constructing, and using during the experimental work. The tomato fruits handily cut into halves lengthwise and thereafter 5% sodium chloride (NaCl) was spread on the cutting part of fruits before entrance the solar driers. This manipulating process had executed in order to facilitate the up tacking of moisture from the core of fruits into the cutting part. The two solar driers have compared with the natural sun drying methods during this study. The mean initial moisture content of tomato fruits was 91.52%w.b., which reduced into 7%w.b. (±0.74 w.b.) after drying within 68 and 95 hours for the two solar driers, respectively, while it reached to 15.64%w.b. within 178 hours for the natural sun drying. The drying rates for the two solar driers, respectively, were 284.44 g/h and 205.52 g/h, while, it was 101.93 g/h, for the natural sun drying. The experimental analysis for the two solar driers and the natural sun drying revealed that, the total energy needed for drying fresh tomato fruits comprehended solar energy and electrical energy consumed by extracting fans, respectively, was 27.453, 40.457, and 22.065 kWh. As a result, the specific free water extraction rate by the three different drying systems, of 0.738, 0.503, and 0.907 kg/kWh, respectively.
Keywords: Solar radiation, dehydrating, solar dehydrator.

Summary in Arabic.