Abstract
The traditional approach of open-sun drying is facing contemporary challenges arising from the widespread adoption of energy-intensive methods and the quality of drying. In response, solar dryers have emerged as a sustainable alternative, utilizing solar thermal energy to effectively dehydrate vegetables. This study investigates the performance of a single-basin, double-slope solar dryer utilizing natural convection for drying bottle gourds and tomatoes, presenting a sustainable alternative to traditional open-sun drying. The solar dryer exhibited superior moisture removal efficiency, achieving a 94.42% reduction in tomatoes and 83.87% in bottle gourds, compared to open-sun drying. Drying rates were significantly enhanced, with maximum air and plate temperatures reaching 54.42 °C and 63.38 °C, respectively, accelerating the dehydration process. Moisture diffusivity analysis revealed a marked improvement in drying behavior under solar drying, with values ranging from 3.12 × 10 −11 to 4.31 × 10 −11 m 2 /s for bottle gourds, and 4.65 × 10 −11 to 2.31 × 10 −11 m 2 /s for tomatoes. Energy efficiency assessments highlighted the solar dryer’s advantage, with exergy efficiency peaking at 61.78% for bottle gourds and 68.5% for tomatoes. Furthermore, the activation energy required for drying was significantly lower in the solar dryer (29.14–46.41 kJ/mol for bottle gourds and 27.16–55.42 kJ/mol for tomatoes) compared to open-sun drying, enhancing energy conservation. Visual inspections confirmed the superior quality of the solar-dried vegetables, free from dust and impurities. An economic analysis underscored the system’s viability, with payback periods of 2 years for bottle gourds and 1.6 years for tomatoes. Overall, this study demonstrates the efficacy of solar dryers in optimizing vegetable preservation while promoting energy efficiency, aligning with global sustainability goals by reducing post-harvest losses and supporting eco-friendly practices.
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Claims 14
Claim · model-written summary
The solar dryer removed moisture from tomatoes with a 94.42% reduction compared with open-sun drying.
- Taxon
- tomatoes
Solanum lycopersicume1 - Treatment
- solar dryere1
- Outcome
- moisture removal efficiencye1
- Direction
- superiore1
- Value
- 94.42%e1
- Comparator
- open-sun dryinge1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The solar dryer exhibited superior moisture removal efficiency, achieving a 94.42% reduction in tomatoes and 83.87% in bottle gourds, compared to open-sun drying”
Claim · model-written summary
The solar dryer removed moisture from bottle gourds with an 83.87% reduction compared with open-sun drying.
- Taxon
- bottle gourds
Lagenaria sicerariae1 - Treatment
- solar dryere1
- Outcome
- moisture removal efficiencye1
- Direction
- superiore1
- Value
- 83.87%e1
- Comparator
- open-sun dryinge1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“The solar dryer exhibited superior moisture removal efficiency, achieving a 94.42% reduction in tomatoes and 83.87% in bottle gourds, compared to open-sun drying”
Claim · model-written summary
Solar drying significantly enhanced drying rates of bottle gourds and tomatoes.
- Taxon
- bottle gourds and tomatoesLagenaria sicerariaSolanum lycopersicume0
- Treatment
- solar dryere0
- Outcome
- Drying ratese2
- Direction
- enhancede2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“solar dryer utilizing natural convection for drying bottle gourds and tomatoes”
e2“Drying rates were significantly enhanced”
Claim · model-written summary
The maximum air temperature in the solar dryer reached 54.42 °C.
- Taxon
- bottle gourds and tomatoesLagenaria sicerariaSolanum lycopersicume0
- Outcome
- maximum aire3
- Value
- 54.42 °Ce3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“solar dryer utilizing natural convection for drying bottle gourds and tomatoes”
e3“maximum air and plate temperatures reaching 54.42 °C and 63.38 °C, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
The maximum plate temperature in the solar dryer reached 63.38 °C.
- Taxon
- bottle gourds and tomatoesLagenaria sicerariaSolanum lycopersicume0
- Outcome
- plate temperaturese3
- Value
- 63.38 °Ce3
- Qualifier
- maximume3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“solar dryer utilizing natural convection for drying bottle gourds and tomatoes”
e3“maximum air and plate temperatures reaching 54.42 °C and 63.38 °C, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Solar drying markedly improved moisture diffusivity of bottle gourds, with values of 3.12 × 10 −11 to 4.31 × 10 −11 m2/s.
- Taxon
- bottle gourdsLagenaria sicerariae4
- Treatment
- solar dryinge4
- Outcome
- Moisture diffusivitye4
- Direction
- improvemente4
- Value
- 3.12 × 10 −11 to 4.31 × 10 −11 m 2 /se4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Moisture diffusivity analysis revealed a marked improvement in drying behavior under solar drying, with values ranging from 3.12 × 10 −11 to 4.31 × 10 −11 m 2 /s for bottle gourds, and 4.65 × 10 −11 to 2.31 × 10 −11 m 2 /s for tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
Solar drying markedly improved moisture diffusivity of tomatoes, with values of 4.65 × 10 −11 to 2.31 × 10 −11 m2/s.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume4
- Treatment
- solar dryinge4
- Outcome
- Moisture diffusivitye4
- Direction
- improvemente4
- Value
- 4.65 × 10 −11 to 2.31 × 10 −11 m 2 /se4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“Moisture diffusivity analysis revealed a marked improvement in drying behavior under solar drying, with values ranging from 3.12 × 10 −11 to 4.31 × 10 −11 m 2 /s for bottle gourds, and 4.65 × 10 −11 to 2.31 × 10 −11 m 2 /s for tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
The exergy efficiency of the solar dryer peaked at 61.78% for bottle gourds.
- Taxon
- bottle gourdsLagenaria sicerariae5
- Outcome
- exergy efficiencye5
- Value
- 61.78%e5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“Energy efficiency assessments highlighted the solar dryer’s advantage, with exergy efficiency peaking at 61.78% for bottle gourds and 68.5% for tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
The exergy efficiency of the solar dryer peaked at 68.5% for tomatoes.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume5
- Outcome
- exergy efficiencye5
- Value
- 68.5%e5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“Energy efficiency assessments highlighted the solar dryer’s advantage, with exergy efficiency peaking at 61.78% for bottle gourds and 68.5% for tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
The activation energy for drying of bottle gourds was significantly lower in the solar dryer than in open-sun drying, at 29.14–46.41 kJ/mol.
- Taxon
- bottle gourdsLagenaria sicerariae6
- Treatment
- solar dryere6
- Outcome
- activation energy required for dryinge6
- Direction
- lowere6
- Value
- 29.14–46.41 kJ/mole6
- Comparator
- open-sun dryinge6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“the activation energy required for drying was significantly lower in the solar dryer (29.14–46.41 kJ/mol for bottle gourds and 27.16–55.42 kJ/mol for tomatoes) compared to open-sun drying”
Claim · model-written summary
The activation energy for drying of tomatoes was significantly lower in the solar dryer than in open-sun drying, at 27.16–55.42 kJ/mol.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume6
- Treatment
- solar dryere6
- Outcome
- activation energy required for dryinge6
- Direction
- lowere6
- Value
- 27.16–55.42 kJ/mole6
- Comparator
- open-sun dryinge6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“the activation energy required for drying was significantly lower in the solar dryer (29.14–46.41 kJ/mol for bottle gourds and 27.16–55.42 kJ/mol for tomatoes) compared to open-sun drying”
Claim · model-written summary
Visual inspection showed superior quality of the solar-dried bottle gourds and tomatoes, free from dust and impurities.
- Taxon
- bottle gourds and tomatoesLagenaria sicerariaSolanum lycopersicume0
- Outcome
- qualitye7
- Direction
- superiore7
- Qualifier
- free from dust and impuritiese7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“solar dryer utilizing natural convection for drying bottle gourds and tomatoes”
e7“Visual inspections confirmed the superior quality of the solar-dried vegetables, free from dust and impurities”
Claim · model-written summary
The payback period of the solar dryer system for bottle gourds is 2 years.
- Taxon
- bottle gourdsLagenaria sicerariae7
- Outcome
- payback periodse7
- Value
- 2 yearse7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“An economic analysis underscored the system’s viability, with payback periods of 2 years for bottle gourds and 1.6 years for tomatoes”
Claim · model-written summary
The payback period of the solar dryer system for tomatoes is 1.6 years.
- Taxon
- tomatoesSolanum lycopersicume7
- Outcome
- payback periodse7
- Value
- 1.6 yearse7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“An economic analysis underscored the system’s viability, with payback periods of 2 years for bottle gourds and 1.6 years for tomatoes”
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