Evaluation of Energy Parameters and Pollutant Gases for Apple Drying in Refractance Window Solar Dryer Equipped with a PTC Solar Collector

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Article-en

Authors

• M. Teymori-omran ¹
• E. Askari Asli-Ardeh ¹
• A. Motevali ²
• E. Taghinezhad ³

¹ Department of Biosystem Engineering, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

² Department of Biosystem Engineering, Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran

³ Department of Biosystem Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22067/jam.2024.90300.1298

Abstract

In this study, the drying process of apples was explored using a new combined solar dryer known as the Refractance Window-Parabolic Trough Collector (RW-PTC). The drying kinetics, energy efficiency in the solar collector and dryer, and the role of the dryer in reducing energy consumption and pollutant emissions during the drying process were investigated. Drying experiments were carried out with three energy sources, including conventional non-renewable energy (RW), solar-assisted drying (PRW), and fully solar drying (SRW). In the first and second methods (RW and PRW), drying was performed at three temperature levels (65, 75, and 85 °C), and in the third method (SRW), drying was performed at the temperature of the solar collector. The average optical and thermal efficiency of the PTC collector during the experimental hours were 62.01% and 49.31%, respectively. The lowest specific energy consumption was observed in the SRW method at 10.24 (kWh kg^-1). The results showed that the solar energy used in the combined drying methods of PRW-65, PRW-75, PRW-85, and SRW accounted for 54.91%, 52.62%, 48.85%, and 70.30% of the total energy consumption, respectively, and by the same amount, energy consumption from non-renewable sources was reduced. By using a solar collector in the PRW and SRW drying methods, the CO₂ emission was reduced by 54.64% and 80.94%, respectively, compared to the conventional RW method. Overall, the implementation of solar energy in the PRW and SRW methods improved energy parameters and reduced pollutant emissions during the drying process.

Keywords

• Apple drying
• parabolic trough collector
• Refractance window
• Solar dryer

Main Subjects

• Post-harvest technologies

©2025 The author(s). This is an open access article distributed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0)

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