Plant design project for dehydration of nutritional food using an unconventional active solar dryer with novel packing technique.
The foremost objective of this project is to design and construct an unconventional active solar tray dryer to dehydrate the nutritional food of Quetta. Solar energy is used to heat the drying air as it is a clean, environmental-friendly, and inexpensive form of energy. Numerous research papers and
2025-06-28 16:28:47 - Adil Khan
Plant design project for dehydration of nutritional food using an unconventional active solar dryer with novel packing technique.
Project Area of Specialization Mechanical EngineeringProject SummaryThe foremost objective of this project is to design and construct an unconventional active solar tray dryer to dehydrate the nutritional food of Quetta. Solar energy is used to heat the drying air as it is a clean, environmental-friendly, and inexpensive form of energy. Numerous research papers and books have been studied to better understand how the key parameters governing the drying process can be changed and the impact they have on the final dried product. Simulation software will be used for the designing and development of the dryer. To make the dryer more thermally efficient and improve the quality of food, the design of the solar dryer is optimized. An absorber or collector of aluminum sheets painted black will be used to convert the incident radiation energy into thermal energy. A blower fan is installed which circulates the air inside the dryer. The water content in the food product is vaporized due to the heat transfer and transported to the bulk air due to the mass transfer. Solar plates will be installed to provide electricity to the blower and exhaust fans. The iron powder will be synthesized to obtain oxygen scavengers and packed in an HDPE bag. The dried food will be heat sealed into the bags with packets of oxygen scavengers. The iron powder in the packets will absorb oxygen inside the food bag and reacts to form iron oxide. The remaining fraction of inert N2 gas is left inside the bag. The absence of oxygen inside the bag prevents the oxidation of food inside the bag, once it has been packed. The designed project will help locals of Quetta to dehydrate their food, reducing the storage and transportation cost. The surplus agricultural food spoilage is prevented and this project can contribute to the economic development of Baluchistan.
Project Objectives- This project aims to develop an effective way to preserve excess agricultural food.
- A solar-powered dryer is to be designed which may serve as an effective eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative for food waste management.
- To optimize the solar dryers designed with the simulation software to improve the thermal efficiency and overall drying performance of the solar dryer and fabricate the dryer
- To synthesize iron powder and pack it inside HDPE bags to make oxygen scavengers. The dried product is packed with oxygen scavengers which prolongs the shelf life for a longer period.
Using the simulation software and recommendations of previous research studies, an unconventional active solar tray dryer will be designed. The equipment is optimized by changing the governing parameters. Based on the design, a solar dryer using selected materials of collector, cabinet, and glass will be fabricated. After the solar tray dryer is constructed, agricultural food is dried, and the performance of the dryer is analyzed to optimize the drying process. Pretreatment of food is necessary to determine the drying characteristics of food, increase the efficiency of the drying process, and improve the quality of the final product. The food product will be physically and chemically treated to measure the moisture content of the sample, reduce the surface area of the sample, and prevent oxidation and enzymatic reactions during the drying process. The posttreatment process of the final dried product will be done after drying to determine the moisture content which has been lost. The sensory analysis will be carried out to determine antioxidants, Total Phenolic Content (TPC), and Total Flavonoid Content (TFC). The performance analysis will be carried out to compare different governing parameters.
Benefits of the ProjectDehydration has been used traditionally as a food preservation technology which has now been developed into a commercial industrial process. Agricultural food can be preserved in times of food proliferation to be consumed during scarcity or natural disasters. Excess food can be preserved for a longer period once it has been dried to a sufficient level of moisture content. The global population has been growing day by day and food insecurity has become a major concern worldwide. A proper food management strategy can be an effective solution to combat global hunger. In remote areas with no facilities of cold stores, drying as a means of preservation can prove to be one of the most economical preservation techniques.
The moisture content in agricultural products makes them more susceptible to rapid food degradation. Reducing moisture content decelerates microbial activities, oxidation, and enzymatic reaction. Dehydrated food can be stored and transported more conveniently as its bulk weight is reduced, requiring less storage space and reducing shipment and transportation costs.
The energy required for drying can be obtained with both renewable and non-renewable resources. Since the industrialization of the food dehydration process, dryers powered by electricity or fossil fuels are introduced. Around 25% of power in the food processing industry is consumed by food dehydration. This energy is provided by burning fossil fuels which emit high amounts of greenhouse gases and harmful pollutants. On the other hand, solar energy provides a greener, environmental-friendly and cost-effective alternative for food drying. Innovations have been made to the traditional design and different types of solar dryers are developed to increase the efficiency of the dryer, as well as to maintain the quality of food. The principal objective of food drying is to decrease the drying rate, increase the thermal efficiency, and reduce the effects of the drying process on the quality, texture, taste, and aroma of the food. The two key parameters governing the process are temperature and air movement inside the dryer.
An effort has been made to construct an active solar tray dryer keeping into consideration the solar insolation and climate of Quetta city. Seasonal fruits of Quetta can be dried so that they can be consumed later on, eaten as a snack, or transported to other regions. The use of solar energy in the drying process reduces the operational cost of the drying process, making it more budget-friendly. The designed project will help locals of Quetta to dehydrate their food, reducing the storage and transportation cost. The surplus agricultural food spoilage is prevented and this project can contribute to the economic development of Baluchistan.
Normally, the drying chamber is made up of two types of material wood and steel. Wood is most commonly used rather than steel because it is cheap and easy to availability. The material has been chosen since wood is a poor conductor of heat and has a smooth surface finish and also heat loss by radiation is minimized. A solar collector, a metal painted black and placed below the cover (the glass black paper on it) to absorb, the incident solar radiation transmitted by the cover. Aluminum is best for quick response in the absorption of solar radiation. The solar collector is the main component of the dryer and the tilt angle is in such a way that it collects maximum solar radiation. The solar plates also used this phenomenon to give the maximum amount of electricity. Normally the angle of the solar collector is set according to the latitudes and longitudes of the earth. We set our collector according to the latitude and longitude of Quetta city (the latitude of Quetta is 30.183270 and the longitude is 66.996452). Insulation is provided under the absorber plate. to minimize the heat loss from the system. insulating materials are usually fiberglass, mineral wool, Styrofoam, and urethanes, but here Styrofoam was chosen.
The solar dryer has no moving parts. The dryer gain energy from solar radiation which is collected on solar collected which is painted black cause of trapping sun rays. the trapped energy causes to raise the temperature of the air (which comes from the atmosphere) inside the collector. The collector drives the air inside the chamber and through the perforations of trays which causes the sample to dry quickly. Hot air rises and escapes from upper vents (if open) while cooler air at ambient temperature enters through the lower vent in the collector.
The dryer which will be fabricated by the simulated design will allow the rural farmers of Quetta to effectively dehydrate their agricultural harvest. Many seasonal fruits of Quetta like mulberry, figs, apricot, plum, and grapes can be more delicious and offered as delicacies once they are dehydrated. The local farmer market can be bloomed if solar drying technology is introduced here.
Final Deliverable of the Project Hardware SystemCore Industry FoodOther Industries Agriculture , Energy Core Technology OthersOther TechnologiesSustainable Development Goals Zero Hunger, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Sustainable Cities and CommunitiesRequired Resources| Item Name | Type | No. of Units | Per Unit Cost (in Rs) | Total (in Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total in (Rs) | 79200 | |||
| Solar Plate | Equipment | 1 | 18000 | 18000 |
| Aluminum sheet | Equipment | 1 | 14000 | 14000 |
| Exhuast fan | Equipment | 1 | 2000 | 2000 |
| Battery | Equipment | 1 | 15000 | 15000 |
| Glass sheet | Equipment | 1 | 2500 | 2500 |
| Mounting panel | Equipment | 1 | 3000 | 3000 |
| Drying Cabinet | Equipment | 1 | 4000 | 4000 |
| Mesh Trays | Equipment | 1 | 1500 | 1500 |
| Oxygen Scavengers | Equipment | 1 | 2500 | 2500 |
| Fruit and Vegetables | Miscellaneous | 1 | 700 | 700 |
| blower fan | Equipment | 1 | 2000 | 2000 |
| dessicant | Equipment | 1 | 1000 | 1000 |
| sensory analysis | Miscellaneous | 1 | 9000 | 9000 |
| wooden skewers | Equipment | 1 | 1000 | 1000 |
| Digital temperature | Equipment | 1 | 1000 | 1000 |
| Humidity meter | Equipment | 1 | 1000 | 1000 |
| Styrofoam | Equipment | 1 | 1000 | 1000 |