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Solar Energy
Volume 82, Issue 3, March 2008, Pages 198-205
 
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doi:10.1016/j.solener.2007.08.002    How to Cite or Link Using DOI (Opens New Window)
Copyright © 2007 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.

Technical feasibility assessment of a solar chimney for food drying

André G. Ferreiraa, Corresponding Author Contact Information, E-mail The Corresponding Author, Cristiana B. Maiab, Márcio F.B. Cortezc and Ramón M. Vallec

aDepartamento de Ciências Exatas e Tecnologia, Centro Universitário de Belo Horizonte, Av. Professor Mário Werneck, 1685. Buritis, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, CEP 30455-610, Brazil bPontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Av. Dom José Gaspar, 500 – Coração Eucarístico, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, CEP 30535-901, Brazil cDepartamento de Engenharia Mecânica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627 – Campus Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, CEP 31270-901, Brazil

Received 4 October 2006; 
revised 6 June 2007; 
accepted 9 August 2007. 
Communicated by: Associate Editor I Farkas. 
Available online 7 September 2007.

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Abstract

Solar dryers use free and renewable energy sources, reduce drying losses (as compared to sun drying) and show lower operational costs than the artificial drying, thus presenting an interesting alternative to conventional dryers. This work proposes to study the feasibility of a solar chimney to dry agricultural products. To assess the technical feasibility of this drying device, a prototype solar chimney, in which the air velocity, temperature and humidity parameters were monitored as a function of the solar incident radiation, was built. Drying tests of food, based on theoretical and experimental studies, assure the technical feasibility of solar chimneys used as solar dryers for agricultural products. The constructed chimney generates a hot airflow with a yearly average rise in temperature (compared to the ambient air temperature) of 13 ± 1 °C. In the prototype, the yearly average mass flow was found to be 1.40 ± 0.08 kg/s, which allowed a drying capacity of approximately 440 kg.

Keywords: Solar chimney; Solar drying; Technical feasibility

Article Outline

1. Introduction
2. Experimental analysis
2.1. Prototype
2.2. Measurement sensors
2.3. Drying tests
3. Results and discussion
4. Concluding remarks
References










Solar Energy
Volume 82, Issue 3, March 2008, Pages 198-205
 
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