Banca de DEFESA: JOSENILTON DOS SANTOS LOPES

Study of the thermal and economic viability of a direct exposure solar dryer manufactured with low cost materials.

Solar energy, solar dryer, food drying, low cost, viability.

A study of the thermal and economic viability of the direct exposure solar dryer manufactured with low cost materials, using 4600g of apple (Malus Domestica) is presented. The solar dryer works with natural air circulation and stands out for its low cost and ease of operation and maintenance. The study stages consisted of using a solar dryer in two configurations: Configuration 1 - before the modifications and Configuration 2 - After the modifications (isolation), selection and preparation of the raw material, analysis of the drying along the dryer (3 samples , located at the entrance, center and exit of the solar dryer), use of instruments for measuring data (solar radiation, air velocity, mass, temperature and time), and analysis of the efficiency of the process. The results were compared with other dryers and demonstrated the economic and thermal viability of the studied solar dryer. Configuration 2 provided superior results compared to Configuration 1. Thermal Efficiency of 10%, process efficiency, 91.65%, average instantaneous solar irradiance of 990 W/m^2 and total cost of R$258.44 . In the end, the dehydrated apple slices had a satisfactory texture and appearance, suitable for commercialization.