Performance Analysis of Solar Tray Dryer for Cassava Starch

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to analyze the performance of solar tray dryyer for cassava starch. The solar tray dryer is made of glass and iron shaped dryer and box, where the solar collector is made of black painted iron plate. The initial moisture content of cassava starch is 50% wet bases. The experimental result show the moisture content of starch decrease rapidly in 8 hours of drying the first day until 14% moisture content. Further drying able to dry starch to 8% water content. The water temperature in solar dryer can reach 60°C was higher than the ambient of 32°C. Furthermore, the air humidity relative in the solar dryer can drop dramatically to 30% is lower than the ambient 80%. Maximum drying rate can reach up to 0.2 g/h. Thermal efficiency of the dryer can reach 40%. The performance of this solar dryer is much better than the sun dryer which veing piloted in this study.