Design of a solar dryer with fins and baffles for rice-cracker drying

Abstract

The rice-cracker is one of the popular snacks in Thailand. To produce it, drying is a necessary preparative step. This research aims to investigate the performance of a solar dryer with fins and baffles installed in the air flow channels of the dryer for rice crackers. The cover made of a 4 mm thickness poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA). A mathematical model was developed and used to design a solar dryer. The simulations revealed that a minimum of 2.25 m2 solar collector area is required for solar radiation of 628.93 W/m2 and the mass flow rate of 34 kg/hr and outlet temperature of 64.9°C are obtained. In addition, the collector efficiency is 52.01%.