Experimental Investigation of the Performance of Tubular Solar Dryer

Abstract: This paper presents a thermodynamic performance of tubular solar dryer. Drying experiments for Himalayan fig was conducted, after a preliminary stage of the investigation which included measurements for the determination of the collector efficiency. These results showed that the warm outlet air of the collector attains temperature levels suitable for drying of agricultural products without the need of preheating. Thus, the present collector was used as the heat source for a drying chamber in the frame of the development of a novel, convective, indirect solar dryer; given the fact that in the literature there are only a few studies about this type of collectors in solar drying applications. Keywords: Solar dryer; Thermal efficiency, Himalayan fig; Solar collector.