Solar Drying Technology : A Low Cost System for Uniform Drying

Solar energy is quite simply the energy produced directly by the sun and collected elsewhere, normally the Earth. It is an essentially inexhaustible source, potentially able of meeting a significant portion of energy needs of nation with minimum adverse environmental consequences. The sun drying products are unhygienic, infectious, test less and loose original color. The overall dimension of solar collector is 1200 X 900 X 200 mm and of drying cabinet is 600 X 600 X 1000 mm. Solar intensity on collector surface was about 20 to 25 % more that on horizontal surface. The drying air temperature in case of dryer ranged from 320 C to 640 C. Grapes dried in both the models of solar dryer retained good color and pungency as compared to sun drying.