Exergy analysis of an indirect type solar dryer integrated with heat pipe technology

¹ Division of Food Processing Technology, School of Engineering and Technology, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
² Division of Agricultural Engineering, School of Agricultural Sciences, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
³ Division of Mechanical Engineering, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
⁴ Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58102, USA.

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Abstract

Food drying processes require a sizable amount of energy, which contributes significantly to the carbon emissions. Therefore, the integration of sustainable energy in the food processing industries is essential to achieve net zero carbon emissions. This study aims to develop an indirect-type natural convection solar dryer integrated with heat pipes, incorporating exergy performance analysis of its drying chamber. Exergy analysis was conducted to ascertain the type and extent of exergy losses that occur throughout the solar drying process. The estimated maximum instantaneous exergy inflow and outflow were 1.248 W and 0.619 W, respectively, for the drying chamber. The overall exergy efficiency of the drying chamber is 32.49 percent. The average loss of exergy was evaluated to be 0.274 W. The corresponding Waster Energy Ratio, Improvement Potential, and Sustainability Index are 0.68, 0.19 W, and 1.48, respectively.