Browsing by Author "Missana, Wenceslaus"

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Performance assessment of solar dryer integrated with heat energy storage system for food preservation
(NM-AIST, 2022-01) Missana, Wenceslaus
Solar energy is regarded as a clean form of energy because solar radiation can be transformed into heat energy for different applications such as heating water, generating power, cooking, and drying food products. The solar dryer integrated with heat energy storage system in this study was designed to use nitrate salt as a phase change material that can store thermal energy during sun hours and then be used when the sun is not active. The dryer was tested by drying 1000 g of red peppers in a drying air temperature range of 19.6 – 62.4 °C, the average temperature was 46 °C and ambient temperature ranges between 19.3 – 37.4 °C. The drying process of the developed solar dryer was compared with an open sun drying system, each loaded with 1000 g of red pepper. For 24 hours, the solar dryer maintained colour, flavor and reduced the moisture content from 86% to the required 10% whereas open sun drying took 36 hours to accomplish the same result. It has been discovered that the payback period is 6.2 years, which is low compared to the 22-year solar dryer life span. Thus, for 16 years, the solar dryer will dry free products, which is feasible and economical.
Thermal Performance Analysis of Solar Dryer Integrated with Heat Energy Storage System and a Low-Cost Parabolic Solar Dish Concentrator for Food Preservation
(Hindawi, 2020-07-30) Missana, Wenceslaus; Park, Eugene; Kivevele, Thomas
Solar energy has become a viable alternative energy because it is a clean type of energy that converts solar radiation into heat energy for various applications such as heating water, power generation, cooking, and food drying. The solar dryer, integrated with the heat energy storage system, uses nitrate salt as a heat storage medium which was designed and tested by drying 1000 grams of red pepper at 19.6 to 62.4°C. The average ambient temperature ranged from 19.3 to 37.4°C, and the maximum temperature of the heat storage media ranged from 87.8 to 125°C. The solar drying process was compared to open sun drying system loaded with 1000 grams of red pepper. The findings showed that the solar dryer maintained color and flavor and lowered the original moisture content from 86% to 10% for 24 hours compared to 36 hours of drying in open air. In this study, nitrate salt is shown to be the perfect heat storage medium for drying food products; it preserved heat for about 4 hours when there is no active sunlight.
Thermal Performance Analysis of Solar Dryer Integrated with Heat Energy Storage System and a Low-Cost Parabolic Solar Dish Concentrator for Food Preservation
(Hindawi, 2020-07-30) Missana, Wenceslaus; Park, Eugene; Kivevele, Thomas
Solar energy has become a viable alternative energy because it is a clean type of energy that converts solar radiation into heat energy for various applications such as heating water, power generation, cooking, and food drying. The solar dryer, integrated with the heat energy storage system, uses nitrate salt as a heat storage medium which was designed and tested by drying 1000 grams of red pepper at 19.6 to 62.4°C. The average ambient temperature ranged from 19.3 to 37.4°C, and the maximum temperature of the heat storage media ranged from 87.8 to 125°C. The solar drying process was compared to open sun drying system loaded with 1000 grams of red pepper. The findings showed that the solar dryer maintained color and flavor and lowered the original moisture content from 86% to 10% for 24 hours compared to 36 hours of drying in open air. In this study, nitrate salt is shown to be the perfect heat storage medium for drying food products; it preserved heat for about 4 hours when there is no active sunlight.