Improved agricultural products drying through a novel double collector solar device

Abstract

Backyard agricultural systems are frequently used for food production in rural tropical regions all over the world. The implementation of these systems has been used as a strategy to increase food security, to preserve the phyto and zoo diversity and to provide an alternative income for poorer rural families. Nevertheless, the absence of appropriate preservation mechanisms and nonrenewable energies can lead to significant production losses that could be prevented by the implementation of solar drying devices. The objective of this project was to design, build and validate a double collector solar device for improved drying performance. To evaluate the double collector solar device, four backyard products frequently used in the Mexico Southwest regional diet were used: carrots, chayote squash, tomatoes, and oyster mushrooms. The results showed that the solar device achieved drying efficiencies between 22.8 and 37.9% by reaching moisture values below the 12.30% threshold, which according to the international standards is considered as "Low Moisture Food". The evaluation of the double collector solar drier is demonstrated to be an easy-to-apply and environmentally friendly method for food preservation in tropical rural regions by taking advantage of domestic renewable energy resources.