A review of the inflated solar dryer for improving the quality of agricultural product

Abstract

Drying is a mass transfer process consisting of the removal of water or another solvent by evaporation from a solid, semi-solid or liquid. This processing technique can be used to preserve agricultural products. Insufficient drying techniques may result in a progressively worse standard of the product. A number of different sources of energy are commonly utilized in drying processes such as fuel or biomass. The shortage of fossil fuels and expensive processes may damage the environment; consequently, solar-energy-utilized dryers become the main choice for drying agricultural crops. The inflated solar-energy-utilized dryers were used to dry agricultural crops because the design was simple and easy to operate and maintain, and the dryers prevented excessive heat on the top layer of the exposed object to the sun's rays. In addition, they could be installed in new locations in a very short time. This study aimed to review in depth the inflated solar-energy-utilized dryers and found out their advantages. What's more, it paid particular attention to providing a comprehensive description of the design of inflated solar-energy-utilized dryers and their application to a variety of different agricultural commodities. The results of the study showed that the inflated solar-energy-utilized dryers were both faster for drying and improved the product quality regarding the aflatoxin level and impurities.