Solar Energy for Fish Drying : Development and Evaluation of Solar Tunnel Dryer

Fisheries sector occupies a very important place in the socio-economic development of the country. Drying is an efficient and cheap method for food preservation. The demand for dried fish has also been driven by the flavour of the products. Dried and seasoned squid products are popular as snack foods. Various types of dryers have been developed but the advantages of an active system have not been fully exploited, due to non-availability of electric power to operate the fan/blowers in the rural areas. Solar drying relies on the sun. Compared to sun drying, solar dryers leads to improved and more consistent product quality due to less spoilage and less microbial infestation. The solar tunnel dryer was designed, developed and evaluated for performance in different seasons. The comparative study on qualitative and organoleptic properties of dried fish was undertaken with open sun drying method and solar tunnel dryer. The dryer was evaluated for their techno-economic feasibility. The community type solar tunnel dryer is the best viable option for small self-help groups in the region which could ultimately leads to more economic growth, employment generation and development.