Study And Simulation Of A Solar System For The Development And Application Of Solar Energy In Sierra Leone

Bangura, Abu Bakarr Momodu (2021) Study And Simulation Of A Solar System For The Development And Application Of Solar Energy In Sierra Leone. Masters thesis, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember.

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Abstract

Most farmers in developing countries earn their livelihood from agricultural produce, but harvest losses are expected due to a complete shortage of harvest conservation. Undoubtedly, electricity consumption problems restrict the essential food preservation methods such as canning, freezing, and highly developed mechanical thermal dryers. The conventional process of direct sun-drying, which is still widely used, may often fall short of drying certain products, including vegetables and fruits. This traditional method approach comes with several drawbacks, including pollution of the product, high labor costs, and inconsistency in the product's quality. Among the most innovative alternatives is implementing and deploying enhanced solar dryer systems.
A mathematical formulation and simulations for a solar collector and drying chamber of a convectional indirect solar drying system developed to dry vegetables and fruits is presented in this study. Equations are developed and mathematically solved based on a step-by-step and energy balance basis. For a forced convection solar dryer without a porous media material, the model helps investigate the dynamic characteristics of system development and the impact of significant variables on the drying process.
The mathematical model was defined for Freetown weather conditions for March (day of year n = 80). However, the investigated system has effectively reduced the drying process of onion vegetables. The developed system shows a low-temperature output in the morning hours and displayed high-temperature results in the afternoon hours. From 8:00 a.m. to 16:00, the solar collector generates fluid output temperatures above 50 0C, with a peak value of 96 0C occurred at 12:00. The influence of the mass flow rate on the system's thermal efficiency was investigated. Vital components of the solar collector enhancing its performance were also discussed. Increasing drying air temperatures and velocity within the drying chamber reduces drying time significantly. The drying time for products dried in the first tray is lesser than for products dried in the subsequent trays, owing to temperature variations.

Keywords: Drying chamber, mathematical model, onion, solar collector, solar energy in Sierra Leone, thermal performance.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Ruang pengering, model matematis, bawang merah, kolektor surya, energi matahari di Sierra Leone, kinerja termal, Ruang pengering, model matematis, bawang merah, kolektor surya, energi matahari di Sierra Leone, kinerja termal.
Subjects:	T Technology > TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery > TJ808 Renewable energy sources. Energy harvesting. T Technology > TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery > TJ810.5 Solar energy
Divisions:	Faculty of Industrial Technology and Systems Engineering (INDSYS) > Physics Engineering > 30101-(S2) Master Thesis
Depositing User:	Abu Bakarr Momodu Bangura
Date Deposited:	11 Aug 2021 08:16
Last Modified:	11 Aug 2021 08:16
URI:	http://repository.its.ac.id/id/eprint/85901

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