Thermal performance enhancement of a PCM-assisted cylindrical solar air heater with moisture traps for Barhi dates drying
By turning sun radiation into thermal energy, solar drying is a sustainable method of removing moisture from materials. For many uses, it is an affordable and environmentally responsible choice. An experimental study was conducted to improve the efficiency of an indirect solar drier for drying dates...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Case Studies in Thermal Engineering |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214157X25005155 |
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| Summary: | By turning sun radiation into thermal energy, solar drying is a sustainable method of removing moisture from materials. For many uses, it is an affordable and environmentally responsible choice. An experimental study was conducted to improve the efficiency of an indirect solar drier for drying dates. The Iraqi climate was used to test four distinct iterations of air-cooled solar collectors that were attached to the solar dryer. The first model is a conventional solar collector; the second is a horizontal cylindrical finned collector; and the third is a horizontal cylindrical finned collector that incorporates copper nanomaterial and phase change material (PCM). The fourth type is a horizontal cylindrical finned solar collector that has moisture traps at the collector intake and a PCM combined with copper nanomaterial (type 4). The experimental findings demonstrated a direct correlation between the solar collector's performance and the ambient air temperature, which in turn influences the drying process and the pace at which water evaporates from dates. Comparing model 2 to model 1, the solar air heater's overall efficiency was roughly 24 %. Compared to model 1, the efficiency of models 3 and 4 rose by 38 % and 54 %, respectively. In comparison to model 1, the exergy of models 2, 3, and 4 dropped by 9.5 %, 19.1 %, and 29 %, respectively. In comparison to model 1, the entropy generations for models 2, 3, and 4 were decreased by 10.99 %, 21.2 %, and 39.1 %, respectively. Additionally, compared to model 1, the irreversibility decreased by 9.05 %, 49.97 %, and 69.59 %, respectively. Models 1, 2, 3, and 4 had humidity levels of 29.5 %, 24.5 %, 19 %, and 13.5 % at 18:00, respectively. The suitability of solar dryer No. 4 for drying dates in Iraqi weather conditions has been effectively demonstrated by the practical testing. |
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| ISSN: | 2214-157X |